Cosmographie in four bookes : containing the chorographie and historie of the whole vvorld, and all the principall kingdomes, provinces, seas and isles thereof / by Peter Heylyn.

7. ASSYRIA.

ASSYRIA is bounded on the East, with Media, by which parted by the mountain called Coachras; on the West, with Mesopotamia, from which divided by the River Tigris; on the North, with some part of Turcomania, and part of Chaldaea. So called from Assur the sonne of Sem, by whom first inhabited. But having long since lost that name, as to vulgar speech, it is by Niger called A∣d••nsa; by Murcator, Sarh; by the Turks, Arzerum.

The Countrey very plain, and levell, exceeding fruitfull, and abounding in Rivers. For besides Ti∣g••is, which washeth one whole side thereof, Ptolomy assigneth to this Countrey the Rivers of 2. Lyc••••, 3. Cuprus, and 4. Gorgos; all of good note, and all of them increasing, with their tributarie Streams, the greatness of Tigris.

The people were antiently great warriers, and together with the Babylonians or Chaldaeans, command∣ed a great part of the East; extending their dominion from the Mediterranean Sea, to the River Indus; insomuch that not the people of this Province only, but of all the Provinces almost of this spacious Empire, had the name of Assyrians. The men for all this, exceeding formall in their habit, wearing long robes which trailed on the very ground, their hair long, their hats or Caps Pyramidall like the Persian Mucre; not stirring out of doors but perfumed with Musk, rings on their fingers, and a Scepter in their hands; and very frequent in their washings, especially after copulation. As for their women, it was an antient cu∣stome with them, to expose the fairest unto sale in the open Market; and with the money given for those, to put off such as were deformed and not so amiable. And hence perhaps the Fathers of our times have learnt this leston of giving less portions with such daughters as will sell themselves, but greasing the fat sow (as the saying is) with the addition of some hundreds; which made the merry fellow say, That the money were a good match if the wench were away.

The Christian faith was first here planted by Saint Jude, and took such deep root in that plantation, that it could never be pulled up, notwithstanding the cruel persecutions raised against it by the Kings of Per∣sia; who when they saw there was no means to destroy it by violence, attempted in the next place to cor∣rupt it with heresie. And to that end, as also to revenge himself upon the Emperor Heraclius, a great Champion of the Orthodox belief against Nestorianism, Chosroes the great King of Persia inforced all the Christians of his Empire unto those opinions, which he knew that Emperour condemned; permitting none who were counted Catholicks within his Dominions. By means whereof, and afterwards for want of Preachers to instruct them otherwise (the Saracons having conquered the Persian Empire) Nestoria∣nism prevailed so far, that it extended over all the Countreys East of Tigris, as far as India; and North∣wards too amongst the Tartars, of which more hereafter. Governed by their own Patriarch who resi∣deth at Mosul, now the chief City of this Countrey; and honoured by his people with the Title of Jacelich, mistaken or pronounced amiss for Catholique; an attribute given antiently to all Orthodox Pre∣lates.

The Opinions held by them as Nestorians, were, 1. That there were two persons in our Saviour, as well as two natures; but yet confessing that CHRIST from the first instant of his conception, was both God and man. 2. That the blessed Virgin ought not to be called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or the Mother of God; but yet acknowledging her to be the Mother of God the Sonne: 3. That Nestorius, condemned for these opinions in the third and fourth Generall Councills, was an holy man; for whose sake they condemn Saint Cyrill his profess'd Antagonist, and all those Councils wherein any censure was laid upon him. In other points, though differing from the Church of Rome, they are right enough, (their rejecting Episcopall Con∣firmation excepted only) as 1. in celebrating the Sacrament of the Lords Supper with leavened bread; 2. communicating in both kinds; 3. enjoining no necessity of ••uricular Confession; 4. contracting mariages in the second degree of Consanguinity; 5. permitting second and third mariages unto men in Orders, after the death of their first wives; 6. not praying before the Cross, nor giving religious worship to the Crucifix, or other Images. So much for these Nestorians, if so named aright, considering the qualifications added unto their opinions; now (but corruptly) called Nostranes; the greatest Sect of Christians in all the East.

The solemnities which these Christians use in contracting mariage, because not very usual, I will here relate. Their Wives they never see till the day of their mariage, but hearing a good report of the young Woman, negotiate with her parents for her. Agreed upon the business, they meet in the Chancell of the Church, wherein there is a partition with an hole in it: the Bridegroom and his friends standing on the one side; the Bride and her kindred on the other. When there, the Cassisse or Church-man biddeth the Bride∣groom to put his hand thorow the hole in the Partition, and take his Bride by the hand, which he doth accordingly: the mother of the Bride, with a sharp-pointed instrument, made of purpose, pricking the Bridegrooms hand all over, with sufficient eagerness. If when he feeleth the smart, he lets go her hand, they take it for a sign that he will not love her; but if he hold her fast, and wring her hand till she cry again, they take it for a very good Omen, and are glad they have so well bestowed her. After the mariage consu∣mate, if a male-child be born unto them, the Father loseth his own name, and is called by the name of his eldest Sonne: so as if the Fathers name be Moses, and his Sonnes name Joseph; the Father is no more called Moses, but Abda-Joseph, or the Father of Joseph. So highly do they reverence mariage, and the fruit thereof, posterity.

It was antiently divided into these six parts, 1. Arraphachitis, bordering on Armenia Major; so cal∣led for Arphaxaditis, or the plantation of Arphaxad, the Sonne of Sem. 2. Adiab••ne, bordering

on Mesopotamia, so called, quasi 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or inaccessible, because fenced with such unfordable Rivers, Tigrus, and Euphrates, that there was no easie comming to it; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as it is in Suidas: or rather for Adiavenena, from Diavas, and Adiavas, the chief Cities of it (the same which Ptolomy called Lycus, and Caprus) as in Marcellinus. 3. Calacine, and 4. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 from Sittace, and Calach, two chief Cities of it; of which more anon. 5. Arbelites, and 6. Apollo∣mates, from Apollonia and Arbela, two others of the principall Cities.

Here then we have four of the Cities of Assyria brought unto our hand, 1. Calach, one of those four which Nimrod built in the Land of Assur, Gen. 10. 11. and one of them to which the Ten Tribes were transplanted by Salmanasser, 2 Kings 17. 6. & 18. 11. of such esteem in those elder dayes, that Calacine, as Ptolomy, or Calachene as Serabo more rightly calleth it, did take name from hence. 2. Sirtace, situate about two nules from, the banks of Tigris, in the way from Babylon to Suja. A City, when it gave name to the parts adjoyning, both great and populous; well seated, in a fruitful soyl, and well shaded with trees of several sorts; supposed by the situation of it to be that Accad, (or rather built in or neer the place of it) which was one of the first four Cities of Nimrods Kingdome. 3. Arbel; on the banks of the River Caprus, built as some say by Belus, (or Belochus) Priscus, an Assyrian King, whence it had the name. Neer unto which there is a place which Strabo calleth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or Cupressetum, con∣ceived by some to be the place where Noah framed the Ark. 4. Apollonia, built after the Macedonian conquest, as appeareth by the name which is wholly Greek: not otherwise observable but for giving the name of Apoilomates to the Countrey adjacent. Adde unto these, 5. Gaguamela, situate in the mid∣dle space betwixt Lycus and Caprus; memorable for the last and greatest battle betwixt Alexander and Darius the King of Persia: who had he made good the Eastern banks of the River Tigris, might easily have hindred the Macedonians from coming over: the River being so extremely swift and violent, that the Macedontans were not able to pass it but by linking their hands and armes together, and making one en∣tire body to oppose the current; and therewith all of so great depth, that the footmen were fain to hold their Bows and Arrows over their heads, to keep them from being moistned and made unservicable. But having miserably lost this opportunity by the cowardise of Mazeis, who had the keeping of this pass; he was inforced to venture all upon a battel: drawing unto this place an Army of 50000 horse, and 200000 foot, in their accompt who speak least of it (for Arrianus makes it above a Million.) Opposed by Alex∣ander with no more than 40000 foot, and 7000 horse of his Europaeans; but those victoriously successefule 40000 of the Persians slain, (but Diodorus Siculus speaks of 900000) with the loss of 300 Macedani∣ans onely, as is said by Curtius, In memory of which notable victory, a Mountain neer the place of the battel, was by Alexander called Nicator, known by that name to Strabo and some other antients. 6. Rehoboth, another of the four Cities, which Nimrod is said to have built in Assur; by some supposed to be Birrha, an antient City upon Tigris, and bordering so neer unto Mesopotamia, that by Ptolony it is place in it. Of which more anon. 7. Rhesen, another of the Cities of Nimrods building, seated by Moses between Calach and Ninive, Gen. cap. 10. v. 12. and there commended for a great Cov. Which Character with the site thereof have induced some learned men to think it to be the same which is by Xenophon called Larissa, seated by him on the River Tigris, much about this place, and said to be a Ci∣ty of such strength and greatness, that it was no less than two Parasings, or four miles in compass, the walls in height a hundred foot, twenty five in breadth; so strongly cemented, that Cyrus, who besieged it, could have never taken it if a casual Ecclipse of the Sunne had not discouraged the desendants. But whe∣ther this conjecture be good or not, we have here Larassa for another of the principal Cities. 8. Nixive, by the Greeks and Lutines called Ninus; first built by Nimrod, and called Ninive with relation unto Ninus, his sonne or Nephew, after the example of Cain whose steps he followed: of whom it is said that he built a City, and called after the name of his sonne Enoch, Gen. 4. 17. I know the building of this City is by sonne ascribed to Assar, grounding themselves on that of Moses, Gen. 10. 11. Out of that Land went forth Assur, and built Ninive &c. But I like better of their judgement who take Assar in this place for the name of the Countrey and not of the man; making the Text to speak of Nimrod, and to say of him, Eregressus est in Assur, &c. that is to say, And he went forth to Assur or the land of Assyria, and there built Ninive, Rehoboth, and the rest there named. A City so enlarged by some of the succeeding Kings, that it came at last to be bigger than Babylon, in compass 480 furlongs, or 60. miles; and there∣fore said in the Book of Jonah, to be a City of three dayes journey, in circuit, as indeed it was; ac∣compting 20 miles for a days journey, according to the common estimate of those elder times, as also of the Greeks and Romans in the times succeeding. Nor was it of less strength than greatness, the walls an hun∣dred foot high, and so broad that three Carts might go a brest on the top thereof: and in those walls 1500 Turrets, each of 200 foot in height. So strong, that it was thought to have been impregnable, especially because of an antient Prophecy, which signified that the Town should never be taken, till the River be∣came an enemy to it. A Prophecy which induced Sardanapalus to make it the seat of his warre against Belochus, and Arbaces, then in armes against him: who having besieged it three years without hope of success, at last the River over-flowing, carried before it twenty furlongs of the Wall. Which accident so terrified the effeminate King, that he burnt himself in the midst of his enemies, and left the Town to the Besiegers. Threatned destruction by the preaching of the Prophe: Jonah, it escaped then upon repentance. But the people going on in their wicked courses, it was destroyed by Astyages King of the Medes, that it might no longer be an encouragement to the Assyrians to rebel aginst him, as formerly against some of his Predecessors: and so destroyed, that in the time of Saint Cycil of Alexandria, as himself affirmeth in the comment on the Prophet Nihum, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that one scould scarse dis∣cern in what place it stood. 9. Mosul, at this time, and for long since, the chief of Assyria, seated on

the Tigris, and raised out of the ruins of Ninive: of most note for being the ordinary abiding place of the Nestorian Patriarch, who either in the City it self, or the Monasterie of Saint Hermes neer adjoyn∣ing to it, hath his constant Residence. The Nestorians in this City so considerable both in power and num∣ber, that though it be in the hands of Mahometans, either Turks or Persians, yet there are numbred in it fifteen Christian Churches, and at least 40000 souls. A Sect so maligned by the Pope, (whom they commonly call the Reprobate Bishop) for the greatness of the jurisdiction which this Patriarch hath; that not contented to withdraw the Indians from him, (whereof more hereafter) Pope Julius the third, see up an Anti-Patriarch against him, to whom he gave the title of the Catholique of Musal also; to whom the Nestorians dwelling in the Northern parts of Mesopotamia (if some writers of the Papal party may be believed) do submit themselves. 10. Arzeri, of greater strength than Mosul, though of less antiquity and repute; from which the whole Province of Assyria, is now called Arzirum. And 11. Scheheru∣er, at this time of the greatest note, as being the ordinary Residence of the Turkish Beglerbeg or Bassa, who hath 10000 Timariots under his command, to defend this Countrey, and be ready for any service, as occasion is.