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. I. Concerning the Emperour Marcianus, and what signes preceded, * 1.1 declaring he should be Em∣perour.

WHat was transacted during the times of Theodosius [Junior,] we have comprehended in our first † 1.2 Book. Come on, we will now bring Marcianus forth, that famous Emperour of the Romans; and in the first place we will relate, who and whence he was, and in what manner * 1.3 he arrived at the Roman Empire: and then we will declare the affairs transacted by him, in their proper places [and times.] Marcianus therefore, as 'tis related by many others, and also by a 1.4 Priscus the Rhetorician, by originall extract was a Thracian, the son of a Military man. * 1.5 De∣siring to follow his father's course of life, he went to Philippopolis, [hoping] he might there be enrolled in the Companies of the Milice. As he was going thither, he sees the body of a man newly slain, which lay thrown upon the ground. Near to which he made a stand, (for he was eminent in respect of his other [endowments,] but most especially, on account of his humanity and compassion:) lamented what had hapned, and for a sufficient while desisted from proceeding on his journey, being desirous to perform what was fitting [to be done to the dead body.] When some persons had seen this, they gave the Magistrates of Philippopolis an account of it. Who having apprehended Marcianus, interro∣gated him concerning the murder of the man. When therefore conjectures and probabilities prevailed more than truth it self, and than the tongue of the person accused denying the Mur∣der; and when [Marcianus] was about to undergo the punishment of a Murderer; divine assistance on a sudden discovered the person that had committed the murder. Who having been punish't for that fact with the loss of his head, [thereby] * 1.6 preserved the head of Marcianus. Being thus unexpectedly saved, he goes to one of the companies of the Milice in that place, b 1.7 it being his desire to enter himself a Souldier therein. They admired the man, and conjectu∣ring upon good grounds that he would in future become a great person and one of extraordinary worth, they received him most willingly, and enrolled him amongst themselves, not last of all, as the Military Law directs; but, in the place of a Souldier newly dead, whose name was Au∣gustus, they registred Marcianus (who was like∣wise called Augustus,) in the Muster-Roll. Thus [Marcianus by] his own name was before∣hand in possession of the denomination of our Emperours, who at such time as they put on their purple [assume] the Appellation of Au∣gusti. As if the name had refused to abide with him without the dignity; and again, as if the dignity could have required no other name for its being majestically adorned. So that, his Pro∣per, and his Appellative name was the same; both his Dignity, and likewise his Appellation, being declared by one and the same denomination. Moreover, another accident hapned, from which it might be conjectured, that Marcianus would come to be Emperour. For, having had a Mili∣tary

Command under Aspar [in the War] a∣gainst the Vandalls, it hapned that Marcianus, together with many others, was taken prisoner, (Aspar having been very much worsted by the Vandalls;) and brought into a field with the other Cap••ives; it being Geiserichus's desire to see the Prisoners. After they were gathered to∣gether, Geiserichus being seated in an high room, pleased himself with viewing the multitude of those taken Prisoners. And in regard much time was spent [there, the Prisoners] did what each of them had a mind to: (For Geiserichus had given order, that those who guarded the Captives, should loose them from their bonds.) Some of them therefore did one thing, others another. But Marcianus laid himself down on the ground, and slept in the Sun, which was hot and more scorching than usuall at that season of the year. [In which very interim] an Eagle came down from on high in the air, and raising herself by a flight with her face perpendicularly opposite to the Sun, made a shadow like a cloud over Marcianus, whereby she refreshed and cooled him. Geiserichus wondring hereat, with great foresight conjectured at what would happen; and when he had sent for Marcianus, he caused him to be dismissed from his Captivity, having first bound him in great Oaths, that after his coming to the Empire, he should inviolably keep his faith to the Vandalls, and not ••ove his Arms against them. Which in∣gagement, as c 1.8 Procopius re∣lates, Marcianus did in rea∣lity keep and perform. But leaving this digression, let us return to our Subject. Marcianus was pious to∣wards God, just as to what related to his Subjects: ac∣counting those true riches (not which were hoarded up, or brought together from the Col∣lections of Tribute; but them only) which might supply the wants of the indigent, and render their estates who possest much, secure and safe. He was formidable, not for his pu∣nishing, but because ['twas feared] he was a∣bout to punish. On these accounts therefore he obtained the Empire, [which fell to him] not by an hereditary Right, but [was] the re∣ward of his vertue; as well the Senate, as all other persons of what degrees and orders soever, con∣ferring the Imperiall dignity upon him by a ge∣nerall suffrage, to which they were perswaded by Pulcheria. Whom, in regard she was Au∣gusta, Marcianus married; but knew her not as a wife, she continuing a Virgin till her death. And these things were done, before Valentinianus Em∣perour of Rome had confirmed this Election by his own consent. Notwithstanding, by reason of [Marcianus's] virtue, he afterwards made it authentick. Further, it was Marcianus's de∣sire, that [one] worship might in common be exhibited to God by all persons, (those tongues, which had been confused through im∣piety, being again piously united;) and that the Deity might be praised with one and the same * 1.9 Doxologie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Or, de∣claring his Empire.
• † 1.2

  Or, dis∣course.
• * 1.3

  Or, he was crow∣ned with.
• a 1.4

  Instead of [Patriscus] it must be Priscus, which is the reading in the Tellerian M. S. and in Nicephorus book 15. This is the Priscus, out of whose books of History we have the Excerptae Legationes, •• Vales.
• * 1.5

  Or, endeavouring.
• * 1.6

  Or, par∣doned, or, forgave.
• b 1.7

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Musculus has ren∣dred it well, thus, ut in eo militiae no∣men daret, that he might list, [or, enter] himself a Souldier therein. Not that the term 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 does exact∣ly import the same with no∣men dare, to list, or, enter, or, enroll. For, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 does pro∣perly signi∣fie, to desire and to sue for. So Dionys. Halicarnasseus, about the close of his 11^th book, uses this phrase, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to sue for an office. But, Appian usually words it thus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. And so does the Old Author in Suidas, in the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Now, Candidates, when they sued for an office, were wont nomen suum profiteri, to tell their name and be inrolled. Johannes Langus renders it, Militare Sacramentum di∣cere, to say the Military Oath. Which Version I disprove of. For 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is the album militare, the Muster-Roll, wherein the names of all the Souldiers were registred. Vegetius, book 2. chap. 5. terms it Matriculam, the List of Souldiers. Evagrius uses 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in this sense, hereafter in this chapter; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, they registred Marcianus (who was likewise cal∣led Augustus) in the Muster-Roll. Further, the names of the Souldiers were inserted into the Muster-Roll, before they had said the Oath; as Vegetius attests in the forequoted place. Candidus Isaurus makes use of the same term, in his first book Histor▪ where his words concer∣ning Leo are these: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, who was of that Dacia in Illyricum; having been registred in a Military Company. Vales.
• c 1.8

  The words of Procopius, which Evagrius points to here, were heretofore extant in the first book of his Vandalicks. But now they are wanting in the Augustane E∣dition, at pag. 96. For there is a defect in the Greek Text there, after these words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Vales.
• * 1.9

  Or, Glo∣rification.