The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

§. 1. Affairs in the Empire. A rebellion in Parthia, &c.

AT this year hath Eusebius in his Chronicle, placed the Spleen of Sejanus against the Jews, which was some years before: and the spleen of Herod against James and Peter, which was some years after: and * 1.1 Massaeus in his Chronicle, hath placed the assumption of the Virgin Mary, which was no body knows when. A story first published to the world by revelation, as the common cry went of it, but inven∣ted indeed by superstition, backed by ease and love of Holy-days, and grown into credit and intertainment by credulity and custom. As unconstant to it self for time, as her Sex is of whom it is divulged, for there is so great difference about the time when this great wonder was done, that it is no wonder if it be suspected to have been done at no time at all. We will leave to rake into it, till we come to find it in its place, and ru∣brick in Eusebius, who is the most likely man to follow: and for the present we will di∣vert the Readers eyes to a matter of far more truth and likelihood; Phraates a King of Parthia of old, had given Vonones his eldest son for an Hostage to Augustus: and Augustus upon the request of the Parthians afterward, had given him again unto them for their King. At the first he was well accepted and well affected by them and among them, as he had been desired by them, but afterward he was disliked and displaced by Artabanus whom they had called in for their King in his stead. This Artabanus having been kept in awe by Germanicus whilest he lived, and having been a good while ago quitted and deli∣vered of that awe by Germanicus his death, and having at this present, a fit opportuni∣ty for the seisure of the Kingdom of Armenia, by the death of Artaxias their King, he taketh upon him to place Arsaces his own eldest son in that Throne, demanding withal some Treasures that Vonones had left in Syria and Cilicia, and challenging the Royalty of Persia and Macedon, and the old possessions of Cyrus and Alexander: This was a proud scorn and defiance to the Romans, and such as was not possible for their victoriousness to digest, nor safe for him to offer, but that he was imboldned to it by considering the Em∣perors old age. But Sinnaces and Abdus and other Nobles of Parthia, not trusting their lives and liberties to the rashness of Artabanus, come secretly to Rome and commit the matter to Tiberius: He upon their request and glad of opportunity to correct the inso∣lencies of Artabanus giveth them Phraates, another son of Phraates their old King, who also lay for an Hostage at Rome, and dispatcheth him away for his fathers Throne and the Nobles with him. And thus is Artabanus in a fair way of an equal retaliation, to lose his own Kingdom as he had usurped another mans. As they were thus travailing homeward with this design and plot in their minds and hands, Artabanus having intelligence of the matter counterplotteth again: and fairly inviting Abdus under pretence of great amity to a banquet, preventeth his future designs by poison, and stops the haste of Sinnaces by dissimulation and gifts. Phraates the new elected King, the more to ingratiate himself to his Countrymen by complying with them in their manners, forsaketh the Roman garb, customs, and diet, to which he had been so long inured, and betaketh himself to the Par∣thian, which being too uncouth and hard for him, especially upon a change so suddain, it cost him his life as he was in Syria.

But this unexpected accident, caused not Tiberius to forelet or neglect the opportunity so fairly begun, but to follow it the more earnestly. For choosing Tiridates a man of the same blood, and an enemy to Artabanus, he investeth him in the same right and challenge to the Parthian Crown, and sendeth him away for it. Writing letters withal to Mithra∣dates the King of Iberia to invade Armenia, that the distress and strait of Arsaces there might draw Artabanus thither to his relief and give Tiridates the more easie access to his Country. For the better securing of Mithradates to this imployment, he maketh him and his brother Pharasmenes friends, between whom there had been some feud before, and inciteth them both to the same service. This they accordingly perform, and breaking in∣to

Armenia, they shortly make the King away by bribing of his servants, and take the City Artaxata with their Army. Artabanus upon these tidings sendeth away Orodes his other son, to relieve and to revenge: But Pharasmanes having joyned the Albanes and Sarmatians to his party, and he and the Iberians by this union being masters of the passages, they pour in Sarmatians into Armenia by multitudes through the straits of the Caspian mountains, and deny passage to any that would aid the Parthian. So that Orodes cometh up to Pharasmanes, but can go no further, and they both lie in the field so close together that Pharasmanes biddeth him battel at his own trenches: which being stoutly and strange∣ly fought between so many Nations and so differently barbarous, it fortuned that the two Princes met in the heat of the sight, and Pharasmanes wounded Orodes through the Hel∣met, but could not second his blow himself being born away by his horse beyond his reach, and the other was suddainly succoured and sheltered by his guard. The rumor of this wound of the King by dispersion grew to a certain report of his death, and that, by as certain an apprehension, grew to the loss of the Parthians day. Nor was the rumor altogether mistaken, for the wound though it were not so sodainly, yet was it so surely deadly, that it brought him to his end. Now it is time for Artabanus to look and stir about him when he hath lost his two sons, and when his two Kingdoms are near upon losing. He mustereth and picketh up all the Forces his Dominions could afford, and those no more neither (if they were enough) than the present necessity and forlorn estate of himself and Kingdoms did require. What would have been the issue, and where the storm of this cloud, and shower of these preparations would have lighted, Vitellius gave not leave and time to be determined, for raising all the Legions of Syria and therea∣bout, (for Tiberius upon these troubles had made him ruler of all the East) he pretend∣ed an invasion of Mesopotamia. But Artabanus suspecting whither that war might bend indeed, and his discontented subjects, upon this conceit of the assistance of the Romans daring to shew their revolt against him, which they durst not before, he was forced to flee with some forlorn company into Scythia, hoping that his absence might remove the ha∣tred of the Parthians, which we shall see hereafter came accordingly to pass, and Vitellius without any blow struck, maketh Tiridates King in his stead.

Notes

• * 1.1

  In Chron. Mundi l. 8.