The history of the church from our Lords incarnation, to the twelth year of the Emperour Maricius Tiberius, or the Year of Christ 594 / as it was written in Greek, by Eusebius Pamphilius ..., Socrates Scholasticus, and Evagrius Scholasticus ... ; made English from that edition of these historians, which Valesius published at Paris in the years 1659, 1668, and 1673 ; also, The life of Constantine in four books, written by Eusibius Pamphilus, with Constantine's Oration to the convention of the saints, and Eusebius's Speech in praise of Constantine, spoken at his tricennalia ; Valesius's annotations on these authors, are done into English, and set at their proper places in the margin, as likewise a translation of his account of their lives and writings ; with two index's, the one, of the principal matters that occur in the text, the other, of those contained in the notes.

CHAP. XVII. How the Emperour, making preparations for an expedition against the Persians, arrived at An∣tioch: and being derided by the Antiochians, he [published] an Oration [against them] en∣titled Misop••g••n.

BUt, the Emperour, having extorted a vast treasure from the Christians, and hastning his expedition against the Persians, goes to An∣tioch in Syria. When he was come thither, be∣ing desirous to demonstrate to the Antiochians how superabundantly he affected glory, he depres∣sed the prizes of vendible commodities lower than was fitting: [for] he respected not the pre∣sent time, nor considered with himself, that the presence of a numerous Army does necessarily en∣dammage the inhabitants of a Province, and cut off plenty [of provisions] from the Cities. Wherefore, the a petty Mer∣chants and Provision-sellers, unable to endure the loss they sustained by the Im∣perial Edict, at that time left off trading. Whereup∣on, [the Markets] were unfurnished with Provisions. The Antiochians could not tolerate this violence [used towards them;] (for they are persons naturally prone to revile:) but presently brake forth [into invectives] against the Emperour, and cried out upon him. They also derided his beard; (for he wore a very large one:) saying, it ought to be shaved, and ropes made of it. [They said] likewise, that he had the stamp of a Bull on his Coyn, [which was an Emblem] that he had turned the world upside down. For the Emperour, ex∣treamly addicted to superstition, and continually sacrificing Bulls upon the Altars of his Idols, had commanded, that an Altar and a Bull should be stamp't upon his Coyn. The Emperour, en∣raged at these Scoffs, threatned that he would most severely punish the City of Antioch; b and that he would return to Tarsus in Cilicia [and reside there.] And having given order for a provision of necessaries to be made there, he prepared for his departure thence. Upon which account, Li∣banius the Sophista took an occasion of writing two Orations; the one he composed by way of address to the Emperour, in behalf of the An∣tiochians; the c other he wrote to the Antiochians

concerning the Emperours displeasure. But, 'tis said, this Sophista wrote these Orations only, and did not recite them in publick. Moreover, the Emperour, relinquishing his resolution of reven∣ging himself upon those revilers by deeds, dis∣charged his rage by reciprocal Taunts and Scoffs. For he compiled a book [against them,] which he entitled Antiochicus or Misop••g••n, wherein he has left a perpetual brand upon the City of An∣tioch. Thus much concerning these things. We must now relate what [mischiefs] the Emperour then did to the Christians in Antioch.

Notes

• That is, Beard∣hater.
• a

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. So the Greeks do in general term all small and minute-Merchants, because they barter'd their Wares for a mean value. For 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies to buy and sell for gain; and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 imports a Merchandize∣ing trade, as Julius Pollux in∣forms us, book 3. chap. 25. Hence, he was termed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, (says Harpocration) who had been frequently sold. These Traders are in Latine termed Cociones, A∣rilatores, and Dardanaril. But Nicephorus calls them 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, whom Socrates here terms 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 may in English be termed Retailers, such as the Dardanarii heretofore were. Vales.
• Hence 'tis that Gregor. Nazianzen (in his first Invective against Ju∣lian,) stiles him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Bull-bur∣ner. And Amm. Mar∣cellinus (book 25. pag 294, Edit. Paris. 1636 3) giving a Character of him, says thus: Praesagiorum sciscitationi nimiae deditus, ut aequiparare videretur in hac parte principem Hadrianum: su∣perstitiosus magis, quàm sactorum legitimus observator innumeras sine parsimonia pecudes Mactans: ut aestimaretur si reve••tisset de Parthis boves jam defutures: Marci illius similis Caesaris, in quem id accepimus dictum, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• b

  In the original, the reading here is [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; And returns to Tarsus in Cilicia:] which reading Nicephorus has followed. But in my opinion, it should be thus [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and that he would return to Tarsus in Cilicia [and reside there.] For Julian threatned, that when he returned from Persia, he would go to Tarsus in Cilicia, and would not Winter any more at Antioch. See Amm. Marcellinus, book 23. pag. 239. of our Edition. Vales.
• c

  This Oration of Libanius's is in my hands; 'tis transcribed from two M. SS. Copies, the one belonging to Johannes A'tinus, the other to the most eminent Cardinal Francis Barberini. We will (God wil∣ling) translate this, and more than twenty other Orations of the same Sophista's into Latine, and publish them within a little while. Vales.