The history of Appian of Alexandria in two parts : the first consisting of the Punick, Syrian, Parthian, Mithridatick, Illyrian, Spanish, & Hannibalick wars, the second containing five books of the civil wars of Rome / made English by J.D.

TO THE READER.

THough this History be so excellent in it self, both as to its Method and Original Style, that it needs no Preface to recommend it, yet such is the invincible power of Custom, that a loose Sheet must be cast away to usher it among the people; and I cannot be so stubborn to disoblige them in so trivial a matter: and though I know it is no purpose to say a∣ny thing of my self, since all I can say will not stop the least censure; yet for others satisfaction I will speak something of my Author, and this Book, as 'tis his.

He was, though Native of Alexandria, a Roman Citizen, and for his exquisite parts and Learning so much respected in his time, that he was successively Advocate to two Emperours of Rome; an Employment which gave him the opportunity of having at his command the prime Records of the Empire, which it is possible first put him upon composing this History: for by several hints in these Books of his we find the use he made thereof, and especially of the private Memoirs of Au∣gustus Caesar, written with his own hand, which he tells us he had seen, and whereby possibly he ••as enabled so exactly to discourse of those intricate causes of disgust between young Caesar and Anthony, which he does in his Civil Wars, and which possibly he had been much more large upon in his Hi∣story of Egypt, had not that among others unfortunate∣ly been lost.

For he began his History from the Infancy of the Roman-State (his first Book treating of their Affairs under their Kings) and so continued it, not by hudling all their Actions together according to an exact series of time, but by compo∣sing a particular Book of every great and renowned War in any Province or Country, without intermingling it with the Affairs of any other Country farther than the necessity of the Story required, till at length he concluded with the Battel of

Actium, and Conquest of Egypt, which was the last Province reduced under the Roman Power, and with which the whole Empire became entirely settled in peace under the Govern∣ment of Caesar Augustus.

And certainly all the mighty Actions of so great and glo∣rious a people as those of Rome, compiled by so excellent an Author, must needs have been a Wo••k worthy of the World: but whether it were the pleasure of Fate to make us sensible that all things sublunary are subject to decay, or (as the French Translator will have it) a just punishment from Heaven for the Roman Pride, Ava••ice, and Cruelty, that no e••tire ••isto∣ry of all their prodigious Undertakings should be transmit∣ted to Posterity, this fell under fate of most Roman Histories, and of thirty two Books written by Appian, nineteen have been eaten up by devouring time, and thirteen only preserved to our days, viz. the Punick, Syrian, Parthian, Mithridatick, Illyrian, Gallick (and that too but a fragment) Spanish and Hanniballick War, with five Books of the Civil Wars, all which are here made English. True it is, that in the Latine Copy with the Annot. Var. there are several fragmenrs of other Wars managed by the Roman People, but so utterly imper∣fect, that the translating of them would have given little or no satisfaction to the Reader.

I have but one thing more to add, that is, notwithstand∣ing our misfortunes in being deprived of so great a part of this noble History, we may take occasion to admire the excellent method and contrivance of Appian, his composure being such, that though so many of his Books are lost, yet the want of them renders not those left imperfect (as Livy, or other Historians are by so much as is left of them) but by taking the whole Affairs of every Country from the first dealings the Romans had with them, till such time as they were reduced to a Roman Province, he makes every Book independant, and become a perfect History, and withal the Reader not being amused, nor his memory confounded by running from one Action to another, nor the Affairs of one People or Nation to another, according to the series of time is not exposed to the hazard of forge••••ing what he had before read of a Concern, that breaks of in the middle, to give way to others, as we see in many other Histories, but may go on with all Delight imaginable every thing here treated of, being perfect and entire in it self.