The life of the Most Reverend Father in God, James Usher, late Lord Arch-Bishop of Armagh, primate and metropolitan of all Ireland with a Collection of three hundred letters between the said Lord Primate and most of the eminentest persons for piety and learning in his time ... / collected and published from original copies under their own hands, by Richard Parr ...

Excerpta ex Albatenio.

DE Epocharum distantiis, I find no such express mention in Albategnius, as that in the end of the 15 of Alfraganus, of Christman's Edition: nei∣ther are his 32 nor his 421 set down in the same method. The 325 (the Title whereof, in the Indice Capitum before the Book, is, In scientiâ Tarec Arabum & Romanorum ac Persarum atque Alkept alternatim) hath three parts.

In the first part are set down their 4 sorts of Months, thus. Mensium qui∣dem Arabum nomina sunt, Almuhartan, Saphar, &c. Romanorum autem men∣sium nomina secundùm Graecorum & Egyptiorum principia sunt, Elul, Tisrin primus, Tisrin Secundus, &c. Nomina verò mensium Persarum, sunt Efroso∣meth, Asdiasdmed, &c. Mensium autem Alkept nomina sunt Tut, Bena, Accur, &c.

Whereunto is subjoyned a Clause directly concerning your purpose, and that truly set down, amidst the manifold errors about the Dates of Times, both in the same Chapter, and in the whole Book, as appeareth by comparing the same with other places in these Words. Principium autem à quo Romani inci∣piunt & Alkept, est à morte Alexandri Macedonis secundum Graecos. Aegyptii verò & Romani ab Ehahilcarnain annis numerant, & sunt inter eos 12 anni Aegyptiaci. These are the very Words, and without doubt Albatenius his meaning, confirmed by the Dates of the most principal of his observations, and the plain truth. In the second part, he sheweth how to find the beginnings of all those 4 sorts of Years and Months. Where the Arabian and Alhegira radix, is, 5d. The Roman from Alhilcarnain, 1 1.1 is 0d. 7d. The Persian from Jesdag, 3d. The Alkept also from Adhilcarnain, 5d. Whereby is signified that the first year of Dhilcarnain began in the 436 year of Nabonazar, and 12 à morte Alexandri, almost ending, to wit, on the 8d. 2 1.2 Of Tisrin posterioris, or November following. In the 3. he sheweth how to find one sort of year by another, and it hath 8 Sections.

1. Romanorum, i. e. Syre-Graecorum & Constantinopolitana, à die Septembris feria 7a, anni periodi Julianae 4402. [ab initio Octobris alii Arabes exteri Antiochiam deducunt; ut à 1^o Tisri Hebraei in suâ aerâ contractuum, & Jason Cyrenaeus in 2^o. lib. Maccab.—vel 1^o die Octobris (ejusdem anni) feriâ 22, ut apud Alfraganum, & alios Arabas, & Hebraeos in suo—.]

2. Alkept, Alexandrinorum, i. e. à 290 die Augusti feriâ, anni periodi Julianae 4403. ut aera Chaldaeorum apud Ptolęmaeum, & Laodicenorum apud Scalig. p. 405.

Nam Thoth Nabonass. 436. incurrit in Novem. 9. seria 5^a. Thoth verò 437 (quod hic potius intelligendum, quia à 12 Alexandri dessnente sit supputatio) à Nov. ser. 6^a.

§. 1. Si autem Romanorum Taric per Taric Alhegira scire volueris, ita ut diem Romani mensis in quo fueris, & quot ad Hilcarnaim anni praeterierint, deprehendas, Arabicam radicem servatam accipe, eique 317 dies superadde (viz. as many as are from the first of 3 1.3 Elul or September, to the 15 of 4 1.4 Themmur or Tamuz, that is, July)—quibus 933 superadde annos, collectumque erunt anni ad Hilcarnaim. This confirms the former account; for being granted that there are 945 years inter Philippum sive mortem Alexandri, & Hegiram, take away 12, there remain 933 between Dhilcarnaim and Hegira.

§. 2. Cum autem Taric Alkept per Romanorum Taric nosse desideras, annos ad Hilcarnaim cum anno in quo fueris (etsi Elul per unum tantùm diem ingressus sit) accipe; post hoc, ex eo 387 diem abjice, &c.—et collecto, tres semper dies adjunge, et hi sunt dies in quibus Alkepin, Elul Graecos ingressu, quae est Tut, proecedunt, &c.—per hoc autem Taric stellarum ex Canonibus Theum abstra∣huntur postquàm his annis 15 anni superadduntur, eo quod sit à morte Alexandri Macedonis.

§. 3. Romanorum autem Taric per Taric Alkept si nosse quaeris, annos Alkept (qui sunt anni ad Hilcarnaim Aegyptiaci perfecti * 1.5) sume, ex quibus 387 ab∣jice, &c.—Et si perfectis annis Alkept 15 annos, ut ab Alexandri Macedonis morte, sic adhibueris. Dehinc collecto † 1.6 535 annos Aegyptiacos adjunxeris, inde collectum annos libri Ptolemaei, quibus stellarum motus abstrahuntur, efficies, quod est à principio regni Nabuchodonosor primi usque ad annum in quo fue is, ex annis Alkept.

Here the last number 535, being by a manifest error of the first Figure, put for 435, from the beginning of Nabonazar's Reign, to the Alkept year, (in which oera Dhilcarnaim, from the Syro-Graeco-Roman Month, Elul Gor∣pioeus and September began,) doth as manifestly discover the error of 15 twice put for 11, and consequently of ‖ 1.7 387 days for 283 * 1.8 years, from anno Na∣bonazari 436 to 719, as being the remains of 11 taken away from 294. à morte Alexandri in the 425 year, ad regnum Aegyptiacum Augusti in the same 719. And so likewise in the 42. Cap. Quod si conjunctionem vel proeventionem per Taric Alkept scire volueris, annos ad Hilcarnaim cum anno in quo fueris, licet una dies tantum Elul praeterierat, assume; post hoc, ex annis 587 projice, re∣siduique quartam accipe, quodque fuerit, erit dies quartarum.—Et ei quod ex diebus quartarum provenerit, 3 dies, in quibus mensis Tut ab Alkept priusquam à Graecis habetur, superis junge, eique quod ex diebus post hoc exierit, ab Elul initio, &c. For annis 587, read annis 283.

Now that oera Dhilcarnaim is placed by Albategnius in the beginning of the Syro-Roman Elul or September, falling into the 436 Aegyptian year from Na∣bonazar's Reign, and the 12 from Alexander's Death ending, is further proved, as I said, by the Dates of the most and principal of his Observations. As, namely in the 27 Cap. where he writeth, he observed the Autumnal Aequinoctium at Arac, anno 119 ex annis Adilcanari, qui sunt post mortem Alexandri 1206 † 1.9 Annorum, ante solis ortum 19 die mensis Elul ex Romanorum mensibus, quod est 8 die mensis pachon ex mensibus ‖ 1.10 Alkept per quatuor horas et dimidiam et quartam ferè,—post Ptolemaei observationem (before set down, ejusdem Aequinoctii, anno tertio regni Antonini, quod fuit anno 463 à morte Alexandri, nonâ die mensis Athyr, ex mensibus Aegyptiorum, unâ horâ ferè post ortum solis in Alexandriâ) 743 annis Aegyptiacis et 178 diebus, et medietate et quarta unius diei minutis duabus quintis unius horae ferè; vice 185 dierum et unius medietatis, ac quartae diei partis, &c.

And in the 30 Cap. Medietas autem Eclypsis primae (Solaris,) secundum quod visu deprehendimus, fuit anno 1202 ad Hilcarnaim, qui est annus 1214 ab Alexandri morte, post dimidium unae octavae Diei mensis Ab, in Arracta civi∣tate, per spatium unius horae temporalis, sole existente inter 19 et 20 gradus Leonis. The second Eclipse noted 23d. mens. Huni (sive—secundi) An. 1205. Dhilc. 1554. ab Alex. morte, hath both numbers corrupted, and, as it ap∣pears, to be corrected 1204 and 1215.

Eclypsis Lunaris prima fuit anno 1194 ad Hilcarnaim, quod est anno 1206 à morte Alexandri die 53 mensis Temur (Tamuz). Invenimasque dimidium E∣clypsis in Arracta post hujus diei dimidium, 8 horis, et modicum plus ex horis aequa∣libus:—Sole existente inter 4 et 5 gradus Leonis, &c.

Eclypsis secunda anno 1212 ad Hilcarnaim, quod est anno 1224 à morte Alexandri apparuit, fuitque medietas Eclypsis in Antiochia post medium secundae diei mensis Ab—horis et tertiâ parte horae ferè—sole existente inter 14 et 16 gradus Leonis.

Note that in all these Places and Allegations (contrary to my self upon Scaliger's Allegations in the 18—my Tract, before my self had seen Albategni∣us) he understandeth as well the year à morte Alexandri, as Dhilcarnaim, Syro-Graeco-Roman, not † 1.11 Alkept. Only in the 51 Chap. he connecteth the year 1191 ad Hilcarnaim with the year 1627 regni Nabuchodonosor, without any agreement of Day or Month: the observation of the site of the fixt Stars in the Zodiack, as namely Cor Leonis, not requiring either. And the year 1191 Dhilk. falls into the year 1627 Nabon. ending the 15 of Canna poste∣rioris or January, thereof, to the farther confirmation of the Premises. For thence it follows that the Dhilk. likwise fell into the 436 year Nab. ending in Tisrin posteriore or November: there being one whole * 1.12 Alkept year swallow∣ed up in 1200 years † 1.13 Dhilk. within little more than two Months.

And on the other side, in the 52 Chap. confuting the Author's Motus Coeli ante & retro, he hath these Words, Dixerunt etiam quod perfectio anterioris motus fuit ante regnum Augusti 128 Aegyptiacos, et sunt 666 anni Alexandri Macedonis. Where restoring the true reading 166 anni à morte Alex. Mac. and adding the 128 and 166 together, you have Ptolemy's 294 years à morte Alexandri ad regnum Augusti. And so I hope I have fully satisfied your de∣sire touching the distances of the Taric's in Albategnius, especially annorum Alkept ab Alexandri morte ad regnum Augusti, and of Taric annorum Dhil∣carnaim between and from them both. I have set down the Translator's very Words, together with his own and the Printer's Faults, not doubting but you will easily discern them.

Your Objections against mine account.

Darius hath [objection α] 36 years, and Xerxes 21, which makes me somewhat to stagger at your beginning of Artaxerxes Longim. not that I doubt of the flight of Themistocles to Artaxerxes [objection β] after the Death of his Father Xerxes, (for of that I am well resolved) but that I would be satisfied [objection γ] better for the time of that Flight. Which that it fell on the 2 year of the 77 Olympiad can be no more proved out of [objection δ] Diodorus Siculus, than that he [objection ε] died the same year, which we know to be untrue. Diodorus doth, as Baronius in his Annals, where he findeth a Note of the Time expressed in his Authors, he followeth that direction, [objection ζ] where he findeth none, he placeth things at adventures. Cimon's Victory at Eurymedon, is by Eusebius set at the 4th. [objection ν] year of the 79 Olympiad. Diodorus placeth not it only, but also Cimon's Conquest of [objection θ] Eione, and the taking of Scyrus by the Athenians (even as he found them related together by Thucy∣dides l. 1. pag. 65. edit. Graeco-Lat. without any note of time,) at the 3d. year of the 77 Olympiad. But of this I desire to have further satisfaction from your self.

Mine Answer.

[answer α] That is not much material, unless there be recorded some Astronomical Observation, made in any year of his above 31, by some that lived at the same time.

[answer β] If you grant that, you must needs grant, that Artaxerxes began to Reign before the 3 year of the 77 Olympiad, if any credit be to be given, either to Thucydides or Diodorus touching the time of Themistocles's Flight.

[answer γ] What better satisfaction can you desire than that Thucydides places it anon after the Execution of Pausanias, indefinitely before Cimon's double Victory, and Diodorus definitely in the 2 year of the 77 Olymp. and next before the same famous Victory: And no other Author that you do name, or I ween can name, places it later.

[answer δ] I prove not that point out of Diodorus but out of Thucydides, convincing Diodorus of error, touching the same, by his own confession.

Yet Diodorus might with very good Historical order and reason, to the story of his * 1.14 Flight, (as falling out in Greece, being the last memorable matter concerning him) adjoyn the story of his Death, the time whereof was un∣certain, as falling out in the Persians † 1.15 Dominions.

This general imputation raised, as may seem, upon occasion of Pontacus his Note upon Themistocles's Death, in Euseb. Chron. is of no force to the shaking of this particular Truth, touching Themistocles's Flight, in the 2 year of the 77 Olymp. at the latest, otherwise sufficiently confirmed. Your self alledge no Author that sets it later: and you may see that in Eusebius Chron. it is set 2 years sooner, to wit, in the 4th. year of the 76 Olymp. at what time per∣haps his trouble began, upon the Arraignment and Examination of ‖ 1.16 Pau∣sanias, by a manifest and notorious error of two Olympiads, acknowledged also by Scaliger. It is no more to be doubted that Cimon got that most Fa∣mous Persian Victory in the year that Demotion was Archon at Athens, and that the same was the 39 year of the 77 Olymp. than that Pompey took Jeru∣salem, when Cicero was Consul at Rome.

It is true that he there mentioneth them both, in his entrance to the Histo∣ry of that year; but so as he plainly signifieth they were obtained before that year, by what he writeth: Cimon, the Athenians Admiral, * 1.17 after he had taken Eione and Scyrus, enterprizing greater matters, returned home; and encrea∣sing his Navy, and making sufficient preparation, he set forwards towards Caria, &c. according to my interpretation of the same years Story, out of Diodorus; which also you saw. Where also it is worth the noting, That he concludes the same Story with these express words: So these things were done this year. And for your further satisfaction, note, That there being two Fountains, as it were, of the History and Chronology of the Persian Monarchy: The one Herodotus, out of the Greek Re∣cords, as I guessed, out of Hecatoeus Milesius his Copy, having by some error of the Writer 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in Darius Hystaspis years; the o∣ther Ctesias, Artaxerxes Mnemor's Physician, out of the Persians own Re∣cords: Howsoever your Author Ptolemy being an Aegyptian-Greek may fol∣low Herodotus account; yet Ctesias adding to his account of years, a further Advertisement of Darius his dying within a few days, after the Marathonian discomfiture, deserveth more credit. And his meaning is more fully explained by those Words of Scaliger's Georgian Collections, in his 43. pag. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: And Darius himself not en∣during the ignominy died for grief. Mark those words well.

Note, That the Marginal Notes are the Bishop's, and not Mr. Lydyat's.

Notes

• 1 1.1

  Aera Dhilkarnain est 2^x apud Albateg∣nium, viz.
• 2 1.2

  Potiùs 9.
• 3 1.3

  Quod caput est arae Dhilk.
• 4 1.4

  Quod caput est Hegirae.
• * 1.5

  i. e. aequabiles.
• † 1.6

  complito.
• ‖ 1.7

  287. Crus. pag. 35.
• * 1.8

  1205 anni die 297. in an∣no aequabili, (ineunte verò an. 1206.) qui hic intelligitur, ut ex collatione Eclipsis lumi∣naris liquet.
• † 1.9

  Vagis non fixis.
• ‖ 1.10

  For though it did well agree with the observation of the Aequi∣noctial, yet it cannot with the first Lunar Eclipse, which was in the same year 1194.
• † 1.11

  i. e. Jul. esse diem 365 (sed Alkept non di∣ff••rt à Juliano) quod etiam pro∣v••tur ex aerâ Philippicâ in Historiâ mes∣cella.
• * 1.12

  Aegyptiae.
• † 1.13

  i. e. Julian.
• * 1.14

  Why of the Flight, rather than of the Ostracism, which he principally relates in that place.
• † 1.15

  Thucydides ta∣men in Attica clàm humatum dicit: reserente Attico apud Cic. in Brut.
• ‖ 1.16

  But that was anno 40. Olymp. 75. according to Diodorus.
• * 1.17

  But he saith that he was made Admiral Archonte Demo∣tione, though Plutarch doth make him Ad∣miral before that.