The Roman histories of Lucius Iulius Florus from the foundation of Rome, till Cæsar Augustus, for aboue DCC. yeares, & from thence to Traian near CC. yeares, divided by Flor[us] into IV. ages. Translated into English. — Epitomae de Tito Livio bellorum omnium annorum DCC libri II. English

The Roman histories of Lucius Iulius Florus from the foundation of Rome, till Cæsar Augustus, for aboue DCC. yeares, & from thence to Traian near CC. yeares, divided by Flor[us] into IV. ages. Translated into English. — Epitomae de Tito Livio bellorum omnium annorum DCC libri II. English

Table of contents

Title page

TO THE MOST FLOVRISHING, puissant, and noble Peere, GEORGE, Lord Marquesse of BVCKINGHAM, &c.

To the Reader.

THE PREFACE OF LVCIVS FLORVS.

THE HISTORIE OF THE ROMANS.

The first Booke.

CHAP. I. Of ROMVLVS, first King of Romans.

CHAP. II. Of NVMA POMPILIVS.

CHAP. III. Of TVLLVS HOSTILIVS.

CHAP. IIII. Of ANCVS MARTIVS.

CHAP. V. Of TARQVINIVS PRISCVS.

CHAP. VI. Of SERVIVS TVLLIVS.

CHAP. VII. Of TARQVINIVS SVPERBVS.

CHAP. VIII. The summe of the whole premisses.

CHAP. III. Of the change in State, from Kings, to a Commonweale.

CHAP. X. The warre with the Tuscans, and King PORSENA.

CHAP. XI. The warre with the Latins.

CHAP. XII. The warre with the Falisci, and Fidenates.

CHAP. XIII. The Gallick warre.

CHAP. XIIII. Warre with the Latins.

CHAP. XV. Warre with the Sabins.

CHAP. XVI. Warre with the Samnits.

CHAP. XVII. Warre with the Etruscans, Samnits, and Galls.

CHAP. XVIII. The warre of Tarent, and with king Pyrrhus.

CHAP. XIX. The Picenian Warre.

CHAP. XX. The Sallentine Warre.

CHAP. XXI. The Vulsinian Warre.

CHAP. XXII. Of Seditions.

CHAP. XXIII. The cities first discord.

CHAP. XXIIII. The cities second discord.

CHAP. XXV. The cities third discord.

CHAP. XXVI. The cities fourth discord.

THE HISTORIE OF THE ROMANS. The second Booke.

CHAP. I.

CHAP. II. The first Carthaginian, or Punike warre.

CHAP. III. The Ligurian warre.

CHAP. IIII. The Gallick warre.

CHAP. V. The Illyrian warre.

CHAP. VI. The second Carthaginian warre.

CHAP. VII. The first Macedonian, or Philippian Warre.

CHAP. VIII. The warre in Syria with king Antiochus.

CHAP. IX. The Aetolian warre.

CHAP. X. The Istrian warre.

CHAP. XI. The Gallo-Graecian warre.

CHAP. XII. The war with king Perses, or the second Macedonian.

CHAP. XIII. The Illyrian warre.

CHAP. XIIII. The third Macedonian warre with Andriscus.

CHAP. XV. The third Carthaginian, or Punicke warre.

CHAP. XVI. The Achaian warre.

CHAP. XVII. Acts done in Spaine.

CHAP. XVIII. The Numantine warre.

CHAP. XIX. A briefe repetition.

CHAP. XX. The warre in Asia with ARISTONICVS.

THE HISTORIE OF THE ROMANS. The third Booke.

CHAP. 1. The warre with IVGVRTH.

CHAP. II. The Alobrogian warre.

CHAP. III. The Cimbrian, Theutonicke, and Tigurin warre.

CHAP. IIII. The Thracian warre.

CHAP. V. The war with Mithridates.

CHAP. VI. The warre with the Pyrates.

CHAP. VII. The Creticke warre.

CHAP. VIII. The Balearian warre.

CHAP. IX. The voyage into Cyprus.

CHAP. X. The Gallick warre.

CHAP. XI. The Parthian warre.

CHAP. XII. The recapitulation.

CHAP. XIII. Of the Gracchan Lawes.

CHAP. XIIII. The sedition of Tiberius Gracchus.

CHAP. XV. The sedition of Caius Gracchus.

CHAP. XVI. The Appulcian sedition.

CHAP. XVII. The Drusin sedition.

CHAP. XVIII. The Social warre.

CHAP. XIX. The bondmens warre.

CHAP. XX. The warre with Spartacus.

CHAP. XXI. The ciuill warre of Marius.

CHAP. XXII. The warre with Sertorius.

CHAP. XXIII. The ciuill warre vnder Lepidus.

THE HISTORIE OF THE ROMANS. The fourth Booke.

CHAP. I. CATALINES warre.

CHAP. II. The warre of CAESAR, and POMPEY.

CHAP. III. CAESAR Octauianus.

CHAP. IIII. The Mutinensian warre.

CHAP. V. The Triumuirate.

CHAP. VI. The warre with CASSIVS: and BRVTVS.

CHAP. VII. The warre at Perusia.

CHAP. VIII. The warre with SBXTVS POMPEIVS.

CHAP. IX. The warre with the Parthians by Generall VENTIDIVS.

CHAP. X. The warre of ANTONIVS with the Parthians.

CHAP. XI. The Actian war with ANTONIE and CLEOPATRA.

CHAP. XII. Warres against foraine nations.

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THE ROMAN Histories of LUCIUS IULIUS FLORUS from the foundation of ROME. till Caesar AUGUSTUS, for aboue DCC. yeares, & from thence to TRAIAN near CC. yeares, divided by Florꝰ into IV ages. Translated into ENGLISH.

LONDON By Wil. Stansby.

TO THE MOST FLOVRISHING, puissant, and noble Peere, GEORGE, Lord Marquesse of BVCKINGHAM, &c.

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MY LORD,

THE Histories of Lucius Florus, cōprehending in foure short Books the one hundred, fortie and two of that principall Historian of the Romans, Titus Liuius of Padua, and of manie [Page] other, written, hard to say, whether more conceitfully or completely, are here translated out of their Latin into English. A labour greater farre (as all our learned know) then for the slender bulke of the volume. His Maiesties great example, and your Lordships feruent imitation, to increase in the ful sail of fortune, the balasse of worthy readings, is here in part well fitted. For your Honour cannot possibly find in so little a room so much, so well together, of this weightie argument. A thing to your Lordship acceptable, considering your small leisure, and to all those other who haue already profitably [Page] runne through his authors: himselfe so briefe as it is almost his fault; so neate, and pithy, as Liuie fares the worse for it, so desirous to remember what himselfe hath said, and to haue it vnderstood by others, as he summs his owne summarie narrations; and finally, so worthy, as seeing the glorie of a great Historian forestall'd by Liuie, and others, hee held it more honorable to be (as hee is) the first among briefe writers, then one among few in the large ones. Epitome's notwithstanding are no other in truth but Anatomies, and all spacious minds, waited vpon with the felicities of meanes, and leisure, [Page] will flie them as bane, but this briefe hath all the requisites of a perfect body, and apparrell as rich as any; for professing Storie, he hath certainly performed a Panegyrick. His scope, to kindle the valor of the old Roman world in the bosome of the new: though himselfe, an heathen man, and liuing vnder Traian the emperour, saw the proportion of valour well-maintained: that being the most goodly, and most flourishing estate, which at any time vnder heathen princes, that monarchie enioyed. Those annotations, and collections, whose lights will lead your Lordship into the wise, and heroik secret of the [Page] most potent, graue, and honourable, masters which euer mankind had, are fittest for your more leisure. To your good Lordship therefore, in whose person the ancient splendors of the noble families of VILLERS, & BEAVMONT are vnited with aduantage, doth Luciꝰ Florus offer himselfe in our vulgar tongue, and brings with him the plaine, but withall, the free, and grounded good-will of his most louing, and carefull interpreter, humbly

Your Lordships,

PHILANACTOPHIL.

To the Reader.

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FLORVS (saith IVSTVS LIPSIVS, who in Mr. CAMDENS opinion carryed the Sunne of antiquity before him) wrote a briefe, not so much of Liuie (from whom he often dissenteth) as of the Roman affaires, in my poore conceite, aptly, elegantly, neatly. There is in him a sharpnesse of wit, and shortnesse of speech, oftentimes admirable; and certaine gemmes as it were, and[Page]iewels of wise sentences, inserted by him with good aduisement, and veritie. Thus farre that excellent master, and with him let thy iudgement goe, if thou wilt herein doe iustice, howsoeuer, with Mathematicall Stadius, FLORVS is but a tumultuarie author: for so it pleaseth that learned Critike to style him, ouer-loading him with the comparison of incomparable Liuie. Bee it free, with reuerence and modestie, to note ouer-sights (as none doe want them) and for me also, a professour of sober freedome, to taxe that as an ouer-sight in manners, to vse such authors [Page] sowrely, without whom the Criticks fame had often-times beene obscure, or none at all. In mine Hypercriticks, concerning our countreys Historie, I haue dealt freely, as a man desirous to stirre vp a Liuie, or a Florus to our selues. There is little left testifide touching him, or rather nothing at all, but what himselfe remembreth, which is, that hee liued in Traians time. Coniecture propounds vnto vs, that hee was of the Seneca's (that also is my opinion) and so an Annaean by line (that is, of the Spanish-house, or family of the Annaeans) and they [Page] who entitle him to bee of the Iulij, haue also their diuinatorie reasons. His generous, bright, and flowrie writings (the best memoriall) are aliue, and now translated into our vulgar, with as much proprietie as one Englishmans English could attaine vnto for the present; but euery where with a religious ayme to his meaning, howsoeuer it may bee many times mist, the diuersity of Copies, like a change of the marke, and the peculiar manner of his stile like a sudden blast comming betweene. For this is true, that there are in FLORVS sundrie knots, not easie to [Page] vntie, while he, desirous to speake quick, and close together, our vnderstanding in him, wanteth roome as it were, and that scope which is, hath somewhat thicke in it, amounting to a clowdinesse: ‘—breuis esse laboro, obscurus fio—’ more perhaps, in this author, through corruption of manuscripts, and Prints, or of our duller-pointed wits, then through his fault, whose writings are altogether as luminous, as acuminons.

First, the names of men,1 nations, places, offices, and things, peculiar to the Romans, need a particular interpreter, [Page] which this pocket-volume will not handsomely permit, at least-wise not in present.

2 Secondly, the words which are here and there inserted in a different letter through the text of Florus, are for the most part explanatorie of the authors meaning, supplying marginall notes.

3 Thirdly, one elegancie, which is almost perpetuall in him, and answers to the first similitude, in which hee figures the whole people of Rome, in the person of a MAN (as the frontispice sheweth) it lost for the greater part, throughout the translation, where the singular number sorts not so well, [Page] but breedes perplexitie, or obscurenesse.

Fourthly, The doctrines 4 which hee followes both in Theologie, and moralitie, and vpon which the fabricke of his narrations standeth, are such as thou art to expect from an heathen, with whom Polytheism, or pluralitie of Gods, was an article of faith, and among whom, selfe-killing, to auoid disgrace, seemed an high point of true magnanimitie, and the like, which haue small danger in them now, & their examen will else-where fall out fitly.

Fifthly, The numbers in 5 the margine, signifie the yeeres from Rome built, which these letters, A. V. C. [Page] doe denotate, that is, Anno Vrbis Conditae; in the yeere of Rome Built, such, or such. A discouerie not worthy of any one, but onely of them, who are nothing else in a manner, but meere English. Necessarie is it here notwithstanding, for explanation of the author, who (as the frontispice, which (with the helpe of the authors preface) interprets it-selfe, vnfoldeth) by a most exact, and studied method of briefnesse, hath summ'd the whole time of Rome in grosse, and distributed it into ages, as Lactatius Firmianus (vouching I know not what Seneca for it) and Ammianus Marcellinus in his eighteenth [Page] booke, and lornandes an vsurper, and concealer of Florus his wit) vnder the I'mperour Iustinian.

What the translatour thinkes worthy of thy precious time, to knew further, requires a large booke, rather then an Epistle, and that also wil be but a briefe vpon a briefe) of all the old Roman wisedome ciuill, and martiall, as here thou hast of their facts. Enioy this translation in the mean time, and let not vnthankfulnes strangle any intendments for thy more satisfaction, nor shew thee ignorant of such a treasure, as which, after aboue one thousand foure hundred [Page] yeers cōtinuance (twice the time of this storie) growing stronger in the world by one language more then his owne (when the Roman empire it selfe (the subiect of the booke) hath long since in a manner come to nothing) doth giue great hope that it is to be immortall.

Farewell.

THE PREFACE OF LVCIVS FLORVS.

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THE People of Rome, from King Romulus to Caesar Augustus, for the space of seuen hundred yeeres, performed so many noble deeds both in peace, and warre, that if a man compare the magnitude of their empire with the number of the yeeres, hee will thinke it [Page] greater, then for the time. They displayed their warlike ensignes so farre, and wide vpon the globe of the earth, that such as reade their performances, may learne in them, not the actions of one people, but of all mankind: For they were tossed with so many labors, and perils, that to establish their empire, Vertue and Fortune seeme to haue contended. Which thing, though it be also principally worth the knowing; neuerthelesse, for so much as the very greatnesse it selfe is an impediment to it selfe, and the varietie of matter makes the mind abruptly flit from one thing to another;Aciem intentionis abrumpit. I will [Page] imitate them who draw the maps of countreyes, and comprehend the whole image of that great Body, within as it were a narrow table: And in so doing, my hopes are, that I shall offer vp somewhat towards the admirable honours of the whole worlds soueraigne people, when together, and yet distinctly in it selfe, I shall aduance into view their empires vniuersall greatnesse. Imagining therefore the whole people of Rome were but as one single person; and then running ouer all their time, thinke how they began, and how they grew strong; then, how they attained [Page] to a certaine flower as it were of youth, and how in a sort they afterwards waxed old, wee shall therein find foure degrees, or maine progressions.

The first reuolution was vnder kings, for almost two hundred and fiftie yeeres; in which space they wrestled and stroue about their Mother-citie with their neighbours. This may be the time of their infancie. The following period, from the Consulship of Brutus, and Collatinus, to the Consulship of Appius Claudius, andMarcus. Quintus Fuluius, comprehends those two hundreth and fiftie yeeres, in which they subdued Italy. [Page] This was a time most famous for manhood, and deeds of Cheualrie. It may well be therefore tearmed their youthfull age. From hence, to Augustus Caesar, are those other two hundreth and fiftie yeeres, in which he settled peace thorow all the world. And this compasse of time is the very Mans estate, and as it were the strength and ripenesse of the Roman Empire. From Augustus Caesar, to our dayes, there haue not passed many fewer then two hundreth yeeres; in which, through the vnworthinesse of Emperours, the force of the Roman people waxt old, as it were, and wasted [Page] it selfe: sauing, that vnder the gouernment of Traian, their sinewes requicken, and beyond all expectation, the old age of the empire, as if the youth thereof were restored, growes greene againe, and flourisheth.

THE HISTORIE OF THE ROMANS.

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The first Booke.

CHAP. I.
Of ROMVLVS, first King of Romans.

THe first founder of the citie, and empire of Rome, was ROMVLVS, the sonne of Mars, and [Page] Rhea. Syluia. Vestae Sacerdos. This the Vestall Priestesse, great with child, confest of her selfe, nor did fame long doubt thereof, when Romulus, by commaundement of Amulius, throwne into the riuer, together with his brother Remus, could not be drowned. For the Genius of Tiber both checkt down his waters, and a sheewolfe following the crye of the babes, left her yong ones, and with her teats discharged towards them the office of a mother. And in this plight, found vnder a tree, Faustulus, the kings shepheard conueyed them to his farmehouse, and bred them vp. [Page] Alba, built by Iulius, was then the chiefe citie of Latium, which his father Aeneas had reared. Amulius was the foureteenth king from these, and expelled his brother Numitor, of whose daughter Romulus was borne. Hee therefore, in the first heats of his youth, chased his vncle Amulius out of the royall seat, and restored his grandfather; himselfe delighting in the riuer, and mountaines, among which hee had beene educated, was busied in plotting the walls of a new towne. These brothers were twinnes; and it was therefore agreed betweene [Page] them, to make the gods iudges, which of them should first enter vpon the gouernement and rule. Remus tooke his stand vpon mount Auentine, and Romulus vpon mount Palatine. It was the fortune of Remus to see birds first, and they were sixe Vultures; Romulus saw last, but had twelue. So hauing the vpper hand in this triall by bird-flight, he builds his citie, full of hope, that it would proue a martiall one; according as those birds, accustomed to bloud and rauine, did portend. AVallum. trench and rampire seemed sufficient to defend the new citie; whose narrownesse [Page] while Remus derided, and leapt ouer, in reproofe thereof, hee was slaine; whether by his brothers commandement, or no, is doubtfull. Certaine it is, that hee was the first sacrifice, and consecrated the new cities fortification with his bloud. There wanted inhabitants. Neere hand grew a groue, which hee makes a place of sanctuarie; and thither a wondrous companie of men did forthwith flocke, some of them Latins, some shepheards of Hetruria, and other of them some of those beyond-sea Phrygians, who were vnder Aeneas, and of those Arcadians, [Page] who hauing Euander for their Generall, had come flowing in. Thus of, as it were diuerse elements he gathered together one Body, and himselfe composed of them the Roman people. This was a worke of Time, the increase of inhabitants was a worke of Men. Therefore they sought wiues from among the neighbours; whom, when they could not obtaine by suit, they tooke by force. For they pretending to make shews and games on horsebacke, the maids assembled from parts about, to behold them, were seised as lawfull pray. This ministred [Page] an occasion of present war. The Veientes were beaten, and put to flight. The Caeninensians had their towne taken, and rased; and king Romulus, with his owne hands, offered vp to Iupiter Feretrius, the magnificent spoyles, which he had gayned from his aduersarie Acron.King. The gates of Rome were betraid to the Sabines by a sillyTarpeia. Virgin, who had bargayned to receiue for reward that which they carryed on their left hands, doubtfull, whether shee meant their shields, or bracelets. They both to keepe their promise, and not to suffer her to escape, ouer-whelmed [Page] her to death with their shields. The enemies thus getting to the walls, there rose a terrible conflict in the very entrance, so farreforth, that Romulus was glad to beseech Ioue, to flay his people from their shamefull flying. In this place there is a temple, and the statue of IVPITER the Stayer. At last, they which had beene rauished, came running-in tearing their haire, betweene the two armies, as they were furiously encountring. So was peace made with Tatius, and a league ratified. There ensued a matter wonderfull to bee spoken. The Sabine enemies leauing [Page] their ancient seate, remoued with their whole families into the new citie, and share their horded riches among their sonnes in law for portions. Their ioynt forces quickly encreasing, the most wise Romulus ordayned this forme of common-weale. That the young men, deuided into tribes, should serue on horse-back, and watch in armour, to bee readie for all sudden occasions of warre: the councell of estate should belong to the old, and ancient, who for their authoritie should be called Fathers, and for their antiquitie, Senators, or Aldermen. These things [Page] thus established,A. V. C. XXXVIII. he was taken out of sight in a moment, as hee made an oration before the citie, at the poole of Capra. Some thinke he was torne in pieces by the Senate, for his harsh, and rough disposition: but a tempest rising with an eclipse of the Sun, made it seeme like the consecration of a God-head. Which opinion, Iulius Proculus, caused to go presently currant, by affirming, that Romulus had appeared to him in a more maiesticall shape, then euer hee was seene before: that hee commanded, they should adore him as a power diuine: That the Gods had [Page] decreed, his name in heauen should bee Quirinus: and that Rome should so obtayne the empire of the world.

CHAP. II.
Of NVMA POMPILIVS.

TO Romulus succeeded Numa Pompilius, whom liuing at the Sabines Cures, the Romans, of their owne accord, intreated to bee their king, for the fame of his religion. He taught them sacred rites, and ceremonies, and all the worship of the immortall gods. Hee instituted their Colleges of [Page] priests of all sorts, Pontifices, Augures, Salians, and the rest: distinguisht the yeere into twelue months, & markt out which dayes were luckie, and which were dismall, in them. He gaue them their Ancilia shields, and Palladium, as certayne secret pledges of empire. Hee gaue them their temple of Ianus, to be the sure signe of peace, or warre: most specially the harth of Vesta, for virgins to adore, that in imitation of the starres of heauen, the flame preserued there aliue, might euer keepe awake for safegard of the state. All these things he ordayned, by, as it were, [Page] the oracle of the goddesse Egeria, that the barbarous might so accept them the rather. To conclude, hee brought the fierce people to that passe, that the kingdome which they had atchieued by violence, and wrong, they gouerned by religion and iustice.

CHAP. III.
Of TVLLVS HOSTILIVS.

NEXT after Numa, reignes Tullus Hostilius, to whome the kingdome was freely giuen in honor of his vertue. This prince founded [Page] all their martiall discipline, and arte of warre. Their young-men thereby, wonderously practised in feates of Armes, they durst prouoke the Albanes, an honourable people, & which had long time borne chiefe sway. But their forces being equall, and their conflicts many, when both sides were diminished, the warre was drawne, by consent, to a short worke, and the fortunes of both the nations were entrusted to a combat, betweene the Horatij and Curatij, being three to three of a side, and brethren. The fight was braue and doubtfull, and admirable in the euent. For [Page] three of the one side being wounded, and two of the other slaine, that Horatius, who remayned aliue, helping out his valour with his wit, faynes himselfe to flie, so to single forth the enemie, and then turning vpon each as they were able to follow, ouer-came them all. So (which was otherwise a rare glorie) the victorie was gotten with one mans hand, which hee forth with stained by parricide. Hee saw his sister weepe at the sight of the conquered spoiles he wore, being her betrothed husband's, though an enemies. Which vnseasonable tender-heartednesse he reuenged [Page] with sheathing his sword in her. For this haynous fact, hee was arraigned. But the merit of his man-hood preserued the offendor from danger, and the crime was hidden with in his valours glorie. Nor did the Albanes long keepe their faith. For, being sent as aydes, and fellowes in armes against the Fidenates, according to the articles of their league, they turned neutrall in battell for their owne aduantage. But the politike king, Hostilius, so soone as hee saw his associates incline to the enemies partie, he gathers fresh spirit, as if hee had willed them so to doe; [Page] which did put hope into our men, and strooke feare into the foes. So the treason came to nothing. The battell therefore being wonne, he causeth Metius Fufetius, the breaker of the league, to be tyed betweene two chariots, and pluckt in pieces with swift horses: and though Alba was the mother of Rome, yet withall, because it was a riuall, he threw it to the ground, after hee had first transported the whole riches, and all the people thereof to Rome: that a citie, a kinne by the whole bloud, might not altogether seeme to haue perished, but to haue, as it were, [Page] turned againe into her proper Body.

CHAP. IIII.
Of ANCVS MARTIVS.

THe next King was Ancus Martius, A. V. C. CXIII. Nepos.Grand-Childe of Pompilius by his daughter, and of such a wit. Hee therfore girt the citie with a wall, and ioyned both the sides thereof together with a bridge ouer Tibris, which ran betweene; and planted a Colonie at Ostia, where that riuer falls into the sea. His minde giuing him euen then, that the wealth of the whole world [Page] and passengers to and fro, out of all parts, should be receiued there, as in the hauen towne and maritim Inne of Rome.

CHAP. V.
Of TARQVINIVS PRISCVS.

TArquinius, afterward called Priscus, though descended from forainers beyond sea; yet of his owne free courage demaunding the kingdome, had it as freely graunted, for his industrie, and noble carriage. For sprung out of Corinth, hee had mingled [Page] Greeke wit with Italian fashions. This prince inlarged the maiestie of the Senate, and augmented the Tribes with new Centuries: notwithstanding, that Attius Naeuius, excellently seene in Augurie, had forbidden the number to be encreased: of whom, the king, to trie his skill, demaunded, Whether that might be done which hee at that instant had in his minde? Naeuius hauing first put in practice the rules of his bird-flying mysterie, answered, That it might. Then it was my thought (quoth he) whether I could cut that whetstone with a rasour. And [Page] thou mayest (said the Augur) and he did it. Hence the Augur-ship became sacred among the Romans. Nor was Tarquinius better at peace, then at warre. For hee conquered the twelue Tuscan nations, with often fighting: and from thence came our Maces, our Trabeae, our Chairs of State, our Rings, Trappers, Robes, purple-guarded Coats, Chariots of Triumph guilt ouer, drawne with foure horses, embroydered Gownes, Cassocks chambleted with figures of palmes: and briefely, all the ornaments & ensignes, by which soueraigne Maiestie is made eminent.

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CHAP. VI.
Of SERVIVS TVLLIVS.

THen Seruius Tullius vsurpeth the royall power: nor was his basenesse any barre vnto him therein, though his mother was a bond-woman. For Tanaquil, the wife of Tarquinius, had bred him vp in honourable fashion for his excellent dispositions sake: and a flame being seene to blaze about his head, did assure hee should prooue famous. Therefore, in the Interregnum, after Tarquinius his death, hee being set vp [Page] by the Queene dowagers meanes, to supply the Kings place, as it were but for a time, so managed that authority by his wit, which he had atchieued by practice, that hee seemed to haue good right vnto it. By him the people of Rome had their estates valued,Relatus in censum. and bookes of value, and musters made, themselues marshalled into formes, or classes, and distributed into courts and companies. And by this kings incomparable diligence, the Commonweale was so ordered, that note was taken of all their lands, goods, honours, ages, arts, and offices, and put into publike register; as if the [Page] state of a most mightie citie were to be kept vp and held together with the same diligence that a pettie familie.

CHAP. VII.
Of TARQVINIVS SVPERBVS.

THe last of all the kings, was Tarquinius, surnamed the Proud, of his conditions. He rather made choise to inuade, then to expect his grandfathers realme, which was with-holden by Seruius: whose murther hauing procured, hee gouerned the Commonweale [Page] as badly, as he had obtained it wickedly. Nor was his wife Tullia of any better nature then himselfe. For hurrying to salute her husband King, shee ranne her amazed Coach-horse ouer the bloudie bodie of her father. But Tarquinius raging with slaughter against the Senate, and against all men with proud behauiour (which worthie men brooke worse then crueltie) after hee had tired himselfe at home with shedding bloud, hee marcheth at length against the enemie. So Ardea, Ocriculum, Gabij, Suessa Pometia, towns of strength in Latin land, were taken. [Page] Then turned hee cruell towards his owne. For hee stucke not to scourge his sonne, to the intent, that thereupon counterfeiting himselfe a fugitiue, he might gayne credit with the enemie: and Gabij, according to this plot, being surprized, when the sonne sent messengers to his father to vnderstand his farther royall pleasure, he only strucke off the tops of those poppie-heads, with his wand, which ouer-topt their fellowes; meaning thereby, that he would haue the chiefe men put to death. And this was all the answere which his pride vouchsafed. Neuerthelesse, [Page] he built a temple out of the spoyles of conquered cities. Which when it came to be dedicated, according to the rites, all other the Gods (a wonder to be spoken) leauing the place, Iuuentas and Terminus only remained. This contumacie of the powers diuine pleased the soothsayers well: for it promised, that the Roman affaires should be flourishing, and eternall. But this was maruelous, that in digging to build, there appeared the head of a man for a foundation: which all men did confidently interprete, as a most faire and happie signe, prognosticating, [Page] that there should bee the head seat of the whole worlds empire. The people of Rome suffered the pride of their king, while their women were forborne: but that insolent abuse they could not endure in his sonnes: Of whom, when one of them had rauished that most beautious Lady Lucretia, and shee clearing her selfe from the infamie, by killing her selfe, then they vtterly abrogated their name, and all the authoritie of Kings.

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CHAP. VIII.
The summe of the whole premisses.

THis is the first age of the people, of Rome, and as it were their infancie, vnder seuen kings: men, by as it were a speciall prouision of the fates, as differing in disposition, as the reason and profit of the Commonweale required. For who could bee more hote, or fierie, then Romulus? But there was need of hauing such an one, to set vp the kingdome perforce. Who was more religious then Numa? But their assayres [Page] could not want such a person, that the fierce people might bee made temperate, through the feare of the Gods. How necessarie was that Master of their martiall discipline, Tullus, to a warlike Nation? for whetting, and perfecting their courages with reason. How needfull was Ancus, the builder? that the citie might spread it selfe, by sending out a Colonie; that the parts thereof might bee vnited by a bridge, and it selfe bee defended with a Wall. Againe, how great dignitie, and grace, did the ornaments, and ensignes, [Page] which Tarquinius Priscus brought in, giue to the worlds chiefe people, by their very fashion? What other effect had the musters, and suruey which Seruius tooke, then that the commonweale might know, and vnderstand it selfe? Lastly, the intolerable lordlinesse of Superbus did some good, nay, a very great deale of good. For thereby it came to passe, that the people stung with abuses, were inflamed with the desire of freedome.

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CHAP. III.
Of the change in State, from Kings, to a Commonweale.

THe people therefore of Rome hauing Brutus, A. V. C. CCXLIV. and Collatinus (to whom the noble matron recommended at her death, her iniuries reuenge) for captaines, & authors, & by as it were a diuine instinct, being throughly all of them resolued to restore themselues to libertie, and secure the honor of their women, sodeinly fell away from the king, spoile his [Page] goods, consecrate his ground to Mars, and transferre the soueraigne power to the same men, who had beene founders of their freedome, but yet changeing both the iudge, & title. For it was agreed, that whereas the authoritie had before beene single, and perpetuall; it should bee now but from yeere to yeere, and bipartite, lest either by singularitie, or continuance it should bee corrupted: and for kings they styled them Consuls, that they might remember the dutie of their place was to consult, and prouide for their Countrey. Such ioy was conceiued [Page] for this new freedome, that they could hardly beleeue the change, and one of the Consuls, because he was of kingly name, and race, they depriued him of his office, and banished him the citie. Into whose roome Valerius Poplicola being substituted, hee bent his whole studies to augment the free maiessie of the people. For hee bowed downe to them the Fasces in their assemblie, and made it lawfull to appeale from the Consuls to the people. And that the shew of a seeming castle might not offend, he pluckt down his house which stood high, & built it on a flat, or [Page] leuel. But Brutus to come with all his sailes into popularitie, did both cast his house to the ground, and slue his sonnes. For hauing discouer'd, that they practised to bring in kings againe, he drew them forth into the Forum, and in the mid'st of the assemblie, scourged them first with rods, and then cut off their heads with the axe: so that he plainly seemed, as a common father, to haue adopted the people of Rome into the place of his children. From henceforth free, the first armes which the people tooke, were against aliens for maintenance of their libertie; [Page] secundly for their bounds; thirdly for their associates, as also, for glorie, and dominion; their neighbours by all meanes daily vexing them. For whereas they had in the beginning no land of their owne lying to their citie, they forthwith enlarged their territories with that which they wonne from the enemie, and being situated in the midst, betweene Latium, and Tuscanie, as it were in a two-way-leet, they neuer gaue ouer to issue out of their gates against the aduersarie, till running like a kinde of plague through euery nation, and alwayes [Page] laying hold of such as were next, they brought all Italie at last to be vnder their subiection.

CHAP. X.
The warre with the Tuscans, and King PORSENA.

KIngs being driuen out of the city,A. V. C. CCXLVI. the first armes which the people tooke were for supportation of their freedome. For Porsena, king of Tuscans, was at hand with huge forces, and brought backe the Tarquins, vnder his protection. Neuerthelesse, though he prest them, [Page] to accept the king againe, with fighting, and with famine, and had gotten mount Ianiculum, which stood in the very iawes of the citie, yet they both resisted, and forced him also to retire: and finally they strooke him into so great admiration, that after hee was now growne too hard, he voluntarily entred into a league of friendship with that people, which he had almost ouercome. Then were seene those braue Roman aduentures, and wonders, Horatius, Mutius, Claelia, who if they were not in chronicles would at this day bee taken for fables. For Horatius Cocles, [Page] after that hee alone could not keepe off the enemies, who assaulted him on all sides, and that the bridge was broken downe behinde him, hee crost ouer Tibris, swimming, and yet held his weapons fast. Mutius Scaeuola came by a stratagem to the king, and attempted to stabbe him in his campe; but when hee saw the stroake lost, by mistaking another for him, he thrust his hand into the prepared fire, and doubled the kings terrour by his cunning. For thus he said: That thou mayst know from what manner of man thou hast escaped, three hundred of vs haue all [Page]sworne the same thing. Meane while (an horrible thing to be spoken) Horatius stood vndaunted, and the other shook with feare, as if it had beene the kings hand which burned. Thus much for men. But, that neither of the sexes should want their praise, behold the courage of a noble damosel Claelia, one of the hostages deliuer'd to the king, breakes from her keepers, and swam safe home on horsbacke through her natiue countreys riuer. Porsena terrifide with so many, and so notable faire warnings, bade them farewell, and bee free. The Tarquins fought so long, [Page] as till Brutus, with his owne hand, slue Aruns, the guiltie sonne of king Tarquinius, and till himselfe also being wounded by the same Aruns, fell downe dead withall vpon the bodie, as if he plainely meant to pursue the adulterer euen to hell.

CHAP. XI.
The warre with the Latins.

THe Latins in like sort vpon emulation, and enuy, tooke in hand the quarrell of Tarquinius, that the people which were Lords abroad, [Page] might be made vassals at home. All Latium therefore, hauing Manilius of Tusculum for leader, was vp in armes, vpon pretense to reuenge the kings wrong. They encountred at sake Regillus in doubtfull fight for a long time, till the Dictator himselfe, Posthumius, tost the standard among the enemies (a new, and famous deuice) that it might bee recouered with running in; andFlorus hath Cossus, not Aebutius. Titus Aebutius Elua, Master of the horsemen, commanded them to slippe their bridles ouer their horse heads (and this also was a new deuice) that they might charge the [Page] more desperately. To conclude, such was the furious brauerie of the battle, that the Gods are said to haue giuen it the looking-on; and that Castor, and Pollux, two of them, did, mounted vpon white coursers, no mā doubteth. Therefore the Generall of the Romans adored, and vpon condition of victorie, vow'd them a temple, and duely performed it, as pay to his fellow-souldiers. Thus farre for libertie. Their next warre with the Latins was concerning limits, and bounders, which brake out presently, and continued without truce. Sora (who would beleeue [Page] it?) and Algidum, petie cities, were then a terrour to Rome. Satricum, & Corniculum, townes of no more fame, were Prouinces. Ouer Veij, & Bouilli, a shame to say it, yet wee triumphed. Tibur which is now but a suburb, and Praeneste but our summer-recreation, were then demanded of the Gods, as mighty maters, with vowes for victory made solemnly first in the Capitol. Faesulae were then what Taphrae were of late; and the forest of Aricinum the same, which in these dayes the huge Hercinian woods; Fregellae what Gessoriacum; and Tibrsis what Euphrates. [Page] Nay it was then held an act of so great glorie to haue ouercome but Corioli, that Caius Marcius (fie vpon it) was thereof called Coriolanus, as if hee had cōquer'd Numantia in Spaine, or the worlds third portion, Africa. There are at this day to be seene the tropheas of the sea-fight at Antium, which Caius Maeuius, hauing vanquisht the enemies nauie, hung vp in the stage of the Forum; if that at leastwise may bee termed a nauie; for they were but sixe beak-heads: But in those young dayes, that number made a battle at sea. The Aequi, and Volscians were [Page] neuerthelesse of all the Latin nations, the most obstinately bent, and, as I may cal them, quotidian enemies. But Lucius Quinctius chiefly brought them vnder; that noble Dictator, who taken from holding the plough, did by his excellent vertue deliuer the Consul, Lucius Minurius as he was besieged, & almost distressed in his campe. It was then about the mid'st of seed-time, when the officer of armes sent from the Senate found patriciuni virum.the honourable man at his plough-worke. From thence setting forward to the army, hee, to shew hee had not left off any point [Page] of countrey-fashions, compelled the conquer'd enemies to passe reproachfully vnder the yoke, like cattle. And so the seruice ending, he returned home to his oxen, a triumphall husbandman. O the goodnesse of the Gods how great was the speed! The warre was all begun, & ended, within the space of two and twentie dayes; that the Dictator might seeme to haue hastned home to his rurall taske left behinde vnfinished.

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CHAP. XII.
The warre with the Falisci, and Fidenates.

OVr daily, and yeerely enemies were the Veientines, people of Tuscanie, so farre forth, that the noble house of the Fabij promised to the state an extraordinarie band of voluntaries, & vndertooke their part of the warre, vpon their priuate charge, but with too too great calamitie to thē selues. For at the riuer of Cremera, A. V. C. CCLXXIV. three hundred and sixe of them, a little armie of lords, were slaine; and that gate of [Page] Rome through which they issued to that encounter was thereupon entituled Dismall. But that deadly blow was reuenged with notable victories, as their strongest townes were taken from them by sundrie Roman Generals, with differing euents. The Falisci yeelded themselues of their owne accord. They of Fidenae were burnt with their owne firebrands. The citie of the Veientes was ransackt, and razed for euer. The Falisci yeelded vpon admiration of their aduersaries noblenesse, and not without cause; for the Roman Generall sent back [Page] the trecherous Pedant fast bound, before those childrē which he brought, with a purpose by their surrender to betray the citie. For Furius Camillus, a wise, and religious gentleman, well vnderstood, that victorie to bee a true one, which was atchieued without wrong to common honestie, and with honour saued. The Fidenates, to scarre vs, came marching forward, like an host of infernall furies, with blazing firebrands in their hands, & flaring head-tires speckled like skinnes of serpents: but that gastly spectacle was nothing but an omen of their owne destruction. [Page] How great a State the Veientines were, those ten yeeres siege, which they endured, maketh euident: this was the first time of our wintring in tents, of leuying money vpon the Commons, to pay a winter-campe: and the souldiers, of their owne free wils, tooke a solemne oath neuer to rise from before the citie, till they had taken it. The spoiles of king Lartes Tolumnius were brought to Iupiter Feretrius. To conclude, the last act of that cities tragedie was not performed by scaling ladders, or assaults, but by mines, and stratagems vnder ground. [Page] The hugenesse of the bootle was such, that the tithes thereof were sent ouer-sea to Pythian Apollo, and the whole people of Rome were called foorth to share in the pillage. Such were the Veientines then. Now, who is hee that once remembreth them to haue had a being? which are their remaines? or which the least token of them? The credit of Histories is put hard to it, in making vs beleeue that euer Veij were.

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CHAP. XIII.
The Gallick warre.

AFter this, either by the enuie of the Gods, or by destinie, the most round quick streame of spredding dominion, was for a while kept vnder by the ouerflowings of the Galli Senones. Which season, it is hard to say, whether it were more dismall to the Roman people through terrible calamities, or glorious for the proofes they gaue of their manhood. Certaine it is, that the violence of their extremes was such, as I may well think they were [Page] sent from heauen of purpose; the immortall Gods desirous to try, whether the vertue of the Romanes might deserue the empire of the world. These Galli Senones, a nation naturally fierce, of a wilde behauiour, their bodies huge aswell as their warre-like weapons, were in all respects so dreadfull, as they seemed no other then borne to destroy mankinde and beate downe cities. In former ages, when the Ocean had surrounded all, they comming in an huge plumpe from the vtmost coasts of the earth, when they first had wasted what was [Page] in their way, and then seated themselues betweene the Alpes, and Po, nor yet contented there, they wandred also ouer Italie. They lay now at siege before Clusium. The Romans became intercessours, as for their fellowes, and confederates. Ambassadors were sent, as the manner is: But what regard hath right, or wrong, among the barbarous? They carrie themselues roughly; and transferre the quarrell, from thence. Rising therefore from before Clusium, and comming to Rome, the Consull Fabius giues them battell with an armie, at the riuer Alia. The discomfiture [Page] at Cremera was not more piteous. The Romans therefore marke this day among their black ones. Our forces defeated, they forthwith approch the walls of Rome. There was no garrison. Then, or else neuer, did the Roman brauerie of minde appeare. For, so soone as might be, such of the Senatours, as had borne highest offices, assemble in the Forum, and vnder the curses of the chiefe Priest, banne, and deuoue themselues, for their Countries safetie, to the gods infernall: and, those dire ceremonies ended, they were each of them immediately [Page] put backe againe to their houses, before which, they seated themselues vpon their Court-chaires, apparelled in their robes of state, and most honourable habiliments, that when the enemie came vpon them, they might die in the maiestie of their places. The Priests, and Flamines, did partly packe vp, in dryfats, whatsoeuer was most religiously esteemed of, in their temples, couering them vnder ground, and partly trussed into carts, transporting it away with themselues. The Virgins also of Vesta's colledge did bare-foot accompany their flying gods. At which [Page] time, Albinius, one of the common people, is said to haue taken his wife & children out of their waggon, and placed those virgins there. So that euen in those dayes the religion of the State was more deare vnto vs, then priuate affection. Such as were able to beare armes, whose number was scarce sixe thousand, followed Manlius, for captaine, vp into the Capitoll, praying high Ioue, as if he were euen present then among them, that as they were flockt together for defence of his temple, so he againe would protest their valour vnder his title. Meane while the [Page] Galls come, at first as men amazed, finding the gate wide open, suspitious of some plot: but when they found all hush, they enter disorderly, with no lesse a cry, then furie. They goe to the houses, whose dores stood euery-where open; and when they beheld the purple-cloathed Senatours sitting in their chayres of state, they worshipt them at first as gods, or locall Ghosts: but so soone as it appeared they were mortall men, and that otherwise they disdained to answer, they straightwayes did as absurdly sacrifice, as adore them; burne buildings, & with fire-brands, [Page] yron tooles, and force of hands, lay the whole citie as low as the soile it stood vpon. Seuen months (who would beleeue it?) the barbarous houered about one hill, hauing not onely by day, but by night, assayed all meanes to force it: whom, when at last they were mounted vp in the darke, Manlius wakened with the creaking of a goose, threw headlong backe from the top of the cragge: and to put the enemie out of all hope of staruing them, hurled loaues of bread from the castle, to make a show of confidence, though their famine was extreme. And [Page] vpon a certaine set day hee sent forth Fabius, through the middest of the enemies guards, to performe a solemne sacrifice vpon mount Quirinal: who, by the meere awe of religion, returned vntoucht through the thickest of the leaguers weapons, and brought assurance backe, that they had the gods their friends. At last, when the barbarous were tyred now with their owne siege, contented to sell their departure at a thousand pound weight of gold, and then also putting in a sword ouer and aboue their bargaine, into the false ballances they weighed by, insolently iustifying it [Page] by this cutting quippe, Woe to them who are ouercome, L. Camillus suddenly assayles them at their backs, and made such slaughter among them, that all the characters of destruction, which fire had printed in the citie, were blotted out with the inundations of the bloud of the Galls. We may well giue thanks to the immortall gods in the behalfe it selfe of so great a calamitie. That fire and flame which destroyed Rome, buried the pouertie of Romulus. For what other thing else did that burning, but prouide, that the citie which the Fates ordained to be the mansion [Page] seat of men, & gods, might not seeme to haue beene consumed, or ouer-whelmed, but hallowed, and expiated rather? Therefore, after Rome was thus defended by Manlius, and deliuered by Camillus, it rose vp against bordering nations more eagerly and vehemently then before. And to begin at those very Galls themselues, shee, not satisfied with hauing driuen them out, beyond her walls, but drawing after her the ruines of countries, wider ouer Italy, did so bunt and pursue them vnder Camillus, as that at this day there remains no footstep of such a people as the [Page] Senones, Shee made one slaughter of them at the riuer Anien, where Manlius, in a single combat, tooke from the aduersarie champion a Torques, or chayne of gold. Thence were the Manlij by-named Torquati. Another time shee had the execution of them in the Pontin fields, where Marcus Valerius, in a like duëll, seconded by a sacred bird, reft his pursuing enemie of his armes; & of that bird Coruus, a crow, the Valerij were entituled Coruini. Nor as yet giuing ouer, Dolabella, after some yeeres, did vtterly extinguish the remaines of those generations, at the lake of Vadimon, [Page] in Tuscanie, that none of them might be aliue, to glorie, they had burned Rome.

CHAP. XIIII.
Warre with the Latins.

MAnlius Torquatus, A. V. C. CCCCXIII and Decius Mus, Consuls, the Romans turned their weapons points from the Galls, vpon the Latins, men alwayes troublesome, through emulation of being like in power, and in bearing office; but then specially, out of contempt, because the citie had beene fired; and therefore they demaunded [Page] to bee absolutely free of Rome, and to haue equall authoritie in state, and comming to Magistracie, as the Romans; so that now they durst doe more then encounter. At which time notwithstanding who will wonder if the Latins gaue way? When one of the Consuls put his own sonne to death, for hauing fought against the discipline of warre without leaue, though hee got the vpper hand, as thinking Obedience a more important matter then victorie: and the other Consull, as if counselled thereunto from heauen, couering his head, deuoued, and gaue himselfe [Page] to the infernall gods, before the first rankes of the armie, and shooting himselfe forward into the thickest troupes of the enemies battell, opened a new path to victorie, by the track of his bloud.

CHAP. XV.
Warre with the Sabins.

AFter warre with the Latins, A. V. C. CDLXIV. the people of Rome set vpon the Sabins; who growne vnmindfull of that old alliance of theirs vnder Titus Tatius, had ioyned themselues to the Latins, as infected with a kind of martiall [Page] neighbourhood. But Curius Dentatus, Consull, they wasted with fire and sword all the space of ground, from the riuer Nar, and the springs of Velinus, vp as farre as to the Adrian sea. By which conquest, there was so much land, and so much people subdued, that whether of them were most, not hee who had ouercome them, could imagine.

CHAP. XVI.
Warre with the Samnits.

THen, moued vpon the petition of the countrey of Campania, they inuaded the [Page] Samnits, not on behalfe of themselues, but, which was more honourable, on behalfe of their associates. Both the nations had strucken a league with the Romans; A. V. C. CDXII. but they of Campania, by surrender of their whole estate, had made it more sincerely, and before the other. The Romans therefore vnder-went the warre with the Samnits, as in their proper right. Campania is the most faire and goodly countrey, not only of Italie, but of all the world. Nothing is more delicate then the aire: flowers spring there twice euerie yeere. No soyle can be richer; and therefore it is [Page] named the contention, or wager of Bacchus, and Ceres. Nothing can be more harborous, then the sea, which lyes before it. Here are those famous hauen-townes, Caieta, Misenus, and Baiae, warmed with her proper fountaines: here are the lakes, Lucrinus, & Auernus, bowers of delight, for the sea to recreate in. Here the vines apparrell the mountaines, Gaurus, Falernus, Massicus, and, the fayrest of all the rest, Vesuuius, Aetna's riuall for casting out flames. Cities vpon the sea-coast, Fermiae, Cumae, Puteoli, Naples, Herculaneum, Pempeij; and Capua, Queene of Cities, [Page] and once accounted after Rome, and Carthage, the third maine Citie of the world. For this Seat, and those Regions, the people of Rome inuaded the Samnits, a nation, if you respect wealth, glittering in armor of gold, and siluer-plate, and cloathed in diuerse-coloured garments, who should be brauest; if deceitfulness of ambuscadoes, they are bold for the most part vpon the aduantage of wilde woods, and mountaines, fitted for the purpose; if madnesse, and rage, they were bent to the subuersion of Rome, and that intention of theirs solemnly bound vp with cursed [Page] lawes, and humane sacrifices; if their obstinacie, after six breaches of league, and many notable ouerthrowes, they were still more stomachous. All these things notwithstanding, the Romans, in fiftie yeeres space, by the conduct of their Fabij, and Papirij, the fathers, and the sonnes, did so subdue, and tame them, and so razed downe the very ruines of their cities, that Samnium is at this day sought for in vaine in Samnium; nor doth the matter of foure and twenty triumphs easily appeare. But the most notable and famous foyle which euer happened to the Romans [Page] by this nation, was receiued at the Forkes of Caudium, Veturius, and Posthumius, Consuls. For our army being drawne by stratagem, and shut vp within such a fastnesse, as out of which it could not escape, Pontius, captaine generall of the Samnits, amazed at his owne aduantage, asked counsell of Herennius, his father, who as an old souldier, wisely bade him, either to let all goe free, or to kill them all. But hee, following neither of the courses, contented himselfe with only disarming, and passing them naked vnder forkes, or gallowses; and so they neither became friends as [Page] in thankefulnesse for a benefit, and yet after the foule dis-honour, greater enemies then euer. The Consuls therefore, by voluntarie yeelding themselues back to the Samnits, came gloriously off from the infamie of that league; and the Roman souldiers crying for reuenge, to Papirius their new Generall, fell to raging (an horrible thing to be spoken) with their drawne swords, vpon the very way it selfe, before they came to fight; and in the battell (as the Samnits themselues gaue it out) the eyes of the Roman were on a bright blaze of fire; and neuer [Page] gaue ouer killing, till they had payd the enemie, and their captiue captaine, their owne forcks home againe.

CHAP. XVII.
Warre with the Etruscans, Samnits, and Galls.

HItherto the people of Rome had to deale in battell with one nation after another apart;A. V. C. CDLIIX. but now in heapes with many at once, and yet euen so also were hard enough for them all. The Tuscans stirred at that time, with them the Samnits, [Page] the most ancient people of Italy, and all the rest, suddenly concurre to raze out the Roman name. The terrour of so many, and so mightie conspired nations, was extreme. The ensignes of foure armies of their enemies waued in flanke vpon them, from Etruria. Meane while, the Ciminian forrest, which lay betweene Rome, and that armie, reputed as impassable till then, as either the woods of Caledon, or Hercinia, was so much misdoubted, that the Senate forbad the Consull from daring to venture vpon so great a perill. But none of these things hindered the [Page] Generall from sending his brother in scowt, to discouer the pase. Hee, in a shepheards disguise, executes his part by night, and vpon his returne makes full report. Then Fabius Maximus, by hazzarding one man, made an end of a most hazzardous warre. For falling in at vnawares vpon the enemie, straggling loosly, and making himselfe master of the highest grounds, and tops of hills, thundred from thence, after his manner, vpon them vnderneath. For such was the face of that warre, as if volleyes of lightning, and thunder had beene discharged from the clouds [Page] of heauen vpon the old earth-borne Gyants. Howbeit, the victorie was not vnbloudie.A. V. C. CDLIX. For Decius, the other of the Consuls, ouer-set in the bosome of the valley, tooke vpon his owne head, by his fathers example, all the wrath of the Gods, and made the vnder-going of generall curses, for the generall good, which was now growne appropriated to his familie, to be the price, and rate at which to purchase victorie.

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CHAP. XVIII.
The warre of Tarent, and with king Pyrrhus.

THe warre of Tarent followes,A. V. C. CDLXXII. single in name, and title, but affording many victories. For this inuolued as it were in one ruin, the Campanians, Apulians, Lucanians, and, the head, or toppe of the warre, the Tarentines, all Italy, and together with these the most noble prince in Greece, king Pyrrhus: so that at one, and the same time, the conquest of Italy was finisht, and a luckie signe giuen of fetching home triumphs [Page] from beyond sea. Tarentus it selfe, sounded by the Lacedemonians, was once the metropolis of Calabria, and Apulia, and of all Lucania, aswell renowned for greatnesse, fortifications, and a port, as admirable in its situation: for placed at the very entrance into the Adriatick sea, it fitly sends forth shipping for our coasts, for Istria, Illyricum, Epyrus, Achaia, Africa, & Sicilia. There lookes vpon the harbor, in prospect of the sea, the cities theater, the originall cause of all her calamities. They were then at their solemne sports, when the fleet of Roman gallies was [Page] from thence espi'd to row by the shore: and imagining them to bee enemies, the Tarentines hurrie out, and pell mell enter vpon them, not well knowing either who, or from what place they were. Presently hereupon, ambassadours from Rome brought a complaint; but they violate their persons also, after a lewd fashion, and filthy to be spoken. Thus rose the warre. Dreadfull were the aduersaries preparations, when so many nations stirred at once on behalfe of the Tarentines; and fiercer then they all, king Pyrrhus, who as in defence of that citie, which by reason of [Page] her Lacedaemonian founders, was Greekish, came attended vpon with the whole strengths of Epyrus, Thessalie, Macedonia, of elephants (till that time vnknowne) of sea, of land, men, horse, armour, and the terrour of those wilde beasts added. The first battel was at Heraclea, and Liris, a riuer of Campania, Laeuinus Consul: which was so desperately heady, that Obsidius, captaine of the Farentan troupe, chargeing king Pyrrhus home, disordred, and compelled him, hauing first cast away his ensignes, or notes of a king, to abandon the fight. There would [Page] haue beene an end, had not the elephants come forth, a sight of wonder, & made their race into the battell, whose hugenesse, hideous shape, strange smell, and braying noise, amazed the horse, and seeming huger then they were, through being vnacquainted-with, put the armie in rowt, flying farre, and neere, and made a monstrous hauock. The secund battell at Asculum in Apulia was more fortunate, Fabricius, and Aemilius, Consuls. For by this time the feare conceiued of the elephants was worne away, and Caius Minucius, a speare in the fourth legion, cutting [Page] one of their trunkes off, had made it appeare, that they were mortall. Therefore, the iauelins were darted thicke at them also: and firebrands hurld into the towres, ouerwhelm'd all the aduersaries squadrons with the fall of their burning workes: nor was there any other end of the ouerthrow, but that which night made by parting; king Pyrrhus himselfe, last of them who fled, being wounded in the shoulder, was borne away armed, by his guard. The last battell was in Lucania, neere the fields which they call Aurusin, vnder the same Generals, [Page] as before. And that euent which vertue was about to haue giuen heere, for an vpshot, or clozing victorie, fortune gaue. For the elephants being brought againe into the vantgard, one of them a yong one, being grieuously wounded in the head with a weapon,auertit. turn'd taile: and as in flying, it rusht thorow, ouer the bodies of friends, and bemoned it selfe in braying, the dam knew it, and as it were to take reuenge for her foale, started out of her ranke; then filled all with feare, & affright round about, no otherwise then as if they had been her aduersaries: so [Page] the same beasts which carried away the first day cleere, and made the secund indifferent, gaue away the third past controuersie. But the warre with king Pyrrhus was not in the fields abroad with forces onely, but with wit also, and at home within the citie. For the cunning prince, after hee had obtained the first victory, hauing well felt what manner of men hee had to deale with in the Romans, despaired to preuaile by force, & betooke himselfe to deuices. For hee burnt the slaine, vsed his prisoners louingly, and sent them home free without ransome. And in [Page] the necke of that, dispatching ambassadours to Rome, labour'd by all possible meanes to be admitted as a friend. But the Roman vertue approued it selfe then for excellent, in warre, and peace, abroad, & at home, in all points: neither did euer any victorie rather show the valour of the people, the high wisdome of the Senate, and the magnanimity▪ slenders, then the Tarentine. What kind of men were trampled to death in the first battell by the elephants? all their wounds were forward, some found dead vpon their enemies bodies, in euery mans hand his sword, [Page] threatnings left vpon their browes, and anger liuing in death it selfe. Which Pyrrhus so admired, that hee said, O how easie were it for mee, to become lord of the world, if I were captaine of the Roman souldiers, or for the Romans, had they mee for their king! And what speed made they who suruiued the first ouerthrow, in renforceing their powers? when Pyrrhus said; I see as sure as can bee, that I am borne vnder the constellation of Hercules, for that so many more heads as I haue slain, spring out of their owne bloud, as it were out of Lernas serpent. And what [Page] a Senate was that? when vpon the oration of Appius the Blinde, the kings ambassadours who were sent backe out of the citie with their gifts and presents, confest to Pyrrhus, vpon his demand of what they thought concerning the enemies seat, that the citie seemed a temple, the Senate a parliament of kings. Againe, what manner of men were the Generals themselues in camp? when Curius sent the kings physician back, who made offer in secret, for a certain summe to poyson him, and Fabricius, hauing the choise giuen by Pyrrhus, refused to share a kingdome [Page] with him. Or what were they in time of peace? when Curius preferred his earthen dishes before the Samnits gold; and Fabricius, vsing Censorian seueritie, condemn'd it for riotous in Rufinus, a Consularie nobleman, because hee had siluer plate, in all to a tenne pound weight. Who wonders now, if the people of Rome, with such qualities, courages, and martiall discipline, obtained victory; or that by this one Tarentine warre they should in foure yeeres space bring into subiection (as they did) the greatest part of all Italy, most puissant nations, most rich commonweals, [Page] & most fertill countreys? Or what doth so much surpasse beliefe, as when you compare the beginnings of the warre with the conclusion? Pyrrhus, conquerour in the first field, harrased trembling Italy, Campania, Liris, and Fregellae, came within ken of Rome, then almost taken, as he beheld it from the castell of Praeneste, and within twentie miles off, filled the eyes of the quaking citie with smoak, and dust. The same prince, enforced twice after that to quit his campe, twice wounded, and beaten ouer land, and sea, into his Greece againe; peace, and [Page] quiet, and the spoiles, which were gotten from so many the richest nations, so infinite, as Rome was not wide enough to containe her owne victorie. For there neuer entred a more glittering, or more goodly triumph, because before this time, shee had beheld nothing but the cattell of the Volscians, the heards of the Sabins, thecarpenta. chariots of the Galls, the manufactures of the Samnits armes. But, had you beene now a spectator, the captiues were Molossians, Thessalians, Macedonians, the Brutian, Apulian, and Lucaner, the pompe consisted of gold, [Page] purple, statua's, tables, & the delicacies of Tarent. But Rome saw nothing, which contented her more, then those beasts with towrs on their backes, of which shee had stood in such feare, and they againe, sensible of their captiuitie, followed drouping with down-hanging neckes after the horse their Masters.

CHAP. XIX.
The Picenian Warre.

ALI Italie forthwith enioyed peace (for after Tarent who should dare to do oughts?A. V. C. CDLXXXV.) sauing onely as the Romans [Page] thought it good, of their own meere motion, to prosecute the enemies friends. Hereupon they conquer'd the Picentines, and their chiefe citie Asculum by Generall Sempronius, and the field, in the time of battel suffring an earth-quake, hee appeased the goddesse Tellus by promising to build her a Temple.

CHAP. XX.
The Sallentine Warre.

THe Sallentines were added,A. V. C. CDXXC VII. by Marcus Atilius, cōmander in chiefe for that seruice, to the Picentines, together [Page] with the head-towne of that prouince, Brundusium, renowned for a port. And in this conflict, Pales the shepheards deitie, of her owne accord, demanded a Temple for her selfe, in lieu of victorie.

CHAP. XXI.
The Vulsinian Warre.

THe last of the Italian nations who remained constant in their truth to vs, A. V. C. CDXX CVIII. were the Vulsinians, the richest people of all Etruria, and now humble suitours for assistance against their late slaues, who had set vp the libertie giuen [Page] them by their lords, ouer the giuers themselues, and getting the power of the State among them, did accordingly tyrannize. But Fabius Gurges, the Roman captaine, made the villains smart for their villanie.

CHAP. XXII.
Of Seditions.

THis is the second age of the Roman people, and as it were their youth, a time in which they were most fresh, and budding out in certaine fierie shoots, boild ouer as it were in iollitie of spirit. On the other side, [Page] that wildenes which they retained of their shepheardish originall, breathed foorth some-what still, which was vntamed in thē. Thence it came, that the armie making a mutinie in the campe, stoned Postumius, their Generall, to death, for refusing to giue them the shares he promised. That vnder Appius Claudius they would not ouercome the enemie whē they might.A. V. C. CCXXCI. That vnder Generall Volero, most withdrawing their seruice, they crusht the Consuls fasces. Thence it was, that they punisht the most honourable commanders they had, with banishment, for resisting [Page] their pleasure, as Coriolanus, whome they condemnd to the plough. Which iniurie he would as harshly haue chastised with his sword, if his mother Veturia, when he was now readie to charge, had not disweapond him with weeping. Yea, as Camillus himselfe, because in their conceits hee had not made the shares of the Veientine spoiles indifferent, between the Commonaltie, and the souldier. But he, a much better man, did rescue the besieged in Rome taken, and reuenged their quarel vpon the Galls their enemies, to whom but euen now they were humble suitours. In [Page] such sort they contended also with the Se nate it selfe about settling the rules of right, that abandoning their houses, they threatned emptinesse, and vtter decay to their natiue countrey.

CHAP. XXIII.
The cities first discord.

THe first intestine dissention hapned throgh the vnrulinesse of Vsurers, A. V. C. CCLVII. who exercising villanous crueltie, the whole people departed in armes to the Sacred Hill, and very hardly, not but vntill they had obtained [Page] Tribunes, and were perswaded also by the authoritie of Menenius Agrippa, a wise, and eloquent man, could be drawne to return. The fable of that old oration, effectuall enough to induce concord, is extant. In which is fained, that The parts of mans bodie were once vpon a time at odds together, for that, all the rest doing their seuerall offices, the bellie only was idle: but in the end, when they found themselues almost pined to death, by the separation, they became good friends againe, for that by the meate, which by the stomachs ministerie was conuerted into bloud, the veines were filled with nourishment.

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CHAP. XXIIII.
The cities second discord.

THElibido. tyrannie of the Decemuirs embroiled the citie the second time, in the very heart thereof. Ten princes elected for that purpose, had bookt the lawes cull'd out of such as were brought from Greece, at the peoples commandement: and the whole rule of Roman iustice was described by them in Tenne Tables: after which though their commission determined, they neuerthelesse retained the soueraigne power, [Page] vpon a tyrannicall humor. Appius Claudius was puft vp, more then all his partners, with so great pride, as hee secretly resolued to deflowre a freeborne virgin, forgetting Lucretia, forgetting the expulsion of kings, and the lawes which himselfe had enacted. Virginius her father therefore, when hee saw his childe by false practice iudged a bond-woman, he made no bones to kill her with his owne hand, in the face of the Court; and the companies of his fellow-souldiers displaying about him their banners,admotisque signis commilitonum. they layd siege, in armes, to that [Page] whole vsurped soueraignetie, and from mount Auentine, where their first campe was, dragd it downe into the gaole, and fetters.

CHAP. XXV.
The cities third discord.

THe dignitie of marriages kindled the third sedition,A. V. C. CCCVIII. in which the commons stood for freedome of ioyning in marriage with the nobles. And this tumult brake forth in mount Ianiculum, by the instinct of Canuleius, Tribune of the people.

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CHAP. XXVI.
The cities fourth discord.

THe desire of honour in the commoners,A. V. C. CCCXXCV who aspired to be also created magistrates, mooued the fourth great stirre. Fabius Ambustus had two daughters, one of which hee bestowed in marriage vpon Sulpitius, a gentleman of Patritian bloud, the other vpon Stolo, a Plebcian. He, because his wife was frighted at the sound of the serieants rod on his doore, which was neuer heard there, till then, and for that respect was [Page] proudly enough scoffed-at by her other sister, brooked not the indignitie. Therefore hauing gotten to bee Tribune, he wrested from the Senate, whether they would, or no, the participation of honors, and high offices. Neuerthelesse, in the very hottest of these distempers, a man shall see cause to admire the generous spirit of this princely people. For so much as one while they busied themselues in the rescue of freedome, another while of chastitie, then stood for dignitie of birth, and for the ensignes, & ornaments of honour. But of all these worthie things, there was [Page] not any one ouer which they held so wakefull an eye, as ouer libertie; nor could they bee corrupted by any gifts, or good turnes, as a value for betraying it. For when in a mightie people, and growing mightier daily, there were in the meane space many pernicious members, of them they punished Spurius Cassius, suspected of affecting souereigntie, because hee had published the Agrarian law, & Maelius, for that hee gaue lauishly, both of them with present death. Indeed, his owne father tooke reuenge vpon Spurius, but Seruilius Ahala, master of the Roman [Page] horsemen, or cauallerie, by comandement of Quinctius, the Dictator, ranne his sword through Maelius, in the middle of the Forum. But Manlius, the preseruer of the Capitol, carrying himselfe, because hee had freed most men of their debts, ouer loftily, and aboue the garbe of a fellow-citizen, they pitcht him headlong from the top of the castell, which himselfe had defended. Such were the people of Rome at home, and abroad, in peace, and in warre, during this working current of their youth,fretum. the secund age of their empire, in which [Page] they conquered all Italie, betweene the Alpes, and Sea, by force of armes.

The end of the first Booke of Lveivs FLORVS.

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THE HISTORIE OF THE ROMANS. The second Booke.

CHAP. I.

WHEN Italie was now brought vnder, & made mannageable, the people of Rome hauing continued almost fiue hundred [Page] yeeres, was in good earnest growne a man: and if there be any such thing, as strength, and lustie youth, then certainely they were strong, and young, and began to be hard enough for all the world. They therefore (which is a wonder, and incredible to be spoken) who had kept a struggling at home for wellneere fiue hundred yeeres (so difficult it was to set vp an Head ouer Italy) in onely the two hundred yeeres which ensued, marcht thorow Afrike, Europe, Asia, and in briefe, thorow the whole world, with their victorious armies.

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CHAP. II.
The first Carthaginian, or Punike warre.

THe people therefore conquerours of Italie, A. V. C. CDXXC IX. after they had runne thorow all the length thereof, to the sea it selfe, like a fire, which hauing consumed all the woods in it's way, is broken off at the bank of some riuer passing betweene, in like sort stop a while. But when they saw within kenn a wondrous rich bootie lopt off as it were, and torne away from their Italie, they burnt with so extreme a desire of atchieuing [Page] it, that whereas they could not come at it by bridges, nor shut out the sea, they were resolute to vnite it to their dominion by force of armes, and so to make it againe a parcell of their continent. But lo, the destinies willing to open them a way, there wanted not a wished occasion, Messana, a confederate citie of Sicilia, complayning of the Carthaginians out-rages, who aymed at the conquest of Sicilia, as well as the Romans, both of them at the same time, and with equall affections, and forces, hauing in proiect the lordship of the world. Therefore, for assisting [Page] their associates, that was the colour, but in very deed spurred on with loue of the prey (though the newnesse of the attempt troubled them, yet valour is so full of confidence) this rude, this shepheardish people, and meere landmen, did well shew, that manhood made no difference whether it fought on horse-back, or on shipboord, vpon the earth, or waters. Appius Claudius, Consul, they first aduentured into those streights which had beene made hideous with poëticall monsters, and where the current was violent; but they were so farre [Page] from being deterred thereby, that they made vse of the furie of the hurrying tide as of a fauour: for falling in therewith, they forthwith set vpon Hiero, king of Syracuse, with such celeritie, that himselfe confest hee found himselfe ouercome before hee saw the enemy. Duilius, and Cornelius, Consuls, they durst also fight at sea. And the speed then vsed to build, and rigge a nauie was certainely a signe of speeding. For within threescore dayes after the timber was fell'd, an armada of one hundred and threescore saile, ridde at anchor out of it; so that they seemed [Page] not the worke of shipwrights, but as if by a kind of metamorphosis, the gods had turned them such, and changed trees to vessels. But the report which goes of the fight is maruelous, where these slugges, and heauie bottomes seized vpon the quick and nimble nauie of the aduersaries, who were much more cunning at sea, so farre as skill to shift aside oares, and to dally out the strokes of beake-heads, by yare, and readie turning. For the hands of yron, and other the grappling engines of the Romans, the enemie made much sport at, before the battels ioyned; but [Page] were then compelled to trie it out in good earnest, as if they had fought on firme land. Thus giuing the ouerthrow at the Iles of Liparae, their enemies armada either sunke, or fled, this was their first sea-triumph. The ioy whereof, how great was it? when Duilius, Captaine generall in that seruice, not thinking one daies triumph enough, did neuer come home from any supper, so long as hee liued, but hee would haue torches borne lighted, and flutes play before him, as if hee triumphed euery day. The losse, in regard of so great a victorie, was but light. The other of the [Page] Consuls, Cnaeus Cornelius Asina, entrapt by the enemie, vnder colour of parley, & so surprised, became a lesson against giuing credit to the faithlesse Carthaginians. Calatinus, Dictator, draue the Carthaginian garrisons out of Agrigentum, Drepanum, Panormus, Eryx, Lilybaeum, well-neere all they had. The Romans were once in great feare of a mischiefe about the forrest of Camarina, but through the excellent vertue of Calpurnius Flamma, a tribune of souldiers, wee escaped. For hee, with a choise band of three hundred, did beat the enemie from a ground of aduantage, [Page] which hee had taken, and meant to haue made good against vs, holding play, till our whole armie was gotten out of danger. By which his so prosperous successe, hee matcht the glory of Leonidas at the straits of Thermopylae: in this one point our Calpurnius more famous then the other, that hee ouer-liued the exploit, though he drew no characters in bloud. Lucius Cornelius Scipio, when Sicilia was now become a purliew, or suburbe-prouince of the Roman state, and warre crept farther, crost ouer into Sardinia, and Corsica, neighbour Ilands, where he so affrighted [Page] the inhabitants, by rasing the citie Carala, and so vanquisht all the Carthaginians, or Paenish-men, as well by land, as sea, that nothing now was left to be conquered, but Africa it selfe. Marcus Atilius Regulus sayled with warre aboord him into Africa. Yet there wanted not some, who fainted at the terrible name which the Carthaginian seas had gotten. Mannius, the tribune also, augmenting by his feare this fearfull conceit, till the Generall menacing him with the naked axe, vnlesse hee obeyed, made him take heart, and put to sea, for feare of his head. They [Page] forthwith plyde it with oare & saile: and the feare of our comming was such among the Paenish-men, that Carthage had almost set open her gates, and been taken. The first reward of this martiall voyage was the taking of the citie Clypea (for that stands first in sight vpon the Punick shore like a fort, and sentinell) and aboue three hundred castles, besides the same, were sackt, and rased. Nor fought they only with men but with monsters also; for a serpent of prodigious bignesse, and bred as it were to take vengeance on behalfe of Africa, vext our campe at Bagrada. But Regulus, [Page] who conquerd all things, hauing spred the terrour of his name farre, and neare, multitudes of their youth slaine, their captaines dead at his foot, or fast in chains, his nauie fraighted with infinite spoiles, which he had sent heauie laden away to Rome, as stuffe for triumph, laid siege to the chiefe seate of that warre, Carthage itselfe, and lodged close at the very gates. Here fortune wheeld about a little, only that Rome might haue the more glories to adorne it, whose greatnesse is for the more part most improued by great mischances. For the enemies turning themselues to make vse of [Page] forreine aids, the Lacedemonians sent them Xantippus for a Generall, who being most expert in the Art of warre, gaue vs a grieuous ouerthrow, & the most stout Regulus himselfe (a misfortune which had neuer hapned to the Romans before) fell aliue into the enemies hands. But he was a man able to beare so great a distresse: For his mind could neither be conquered by imprisonment, nor with the message he vndertooke; because, quite contrary to that which hee had in charge from the Carthaginians, he deliuered his opinion in the Roman Senate, That they should not make peace, nor [Page] yeeld exchange of prisoners. But neither was the maiesty of the man embased by voluntarie returne to the foe, in discharge of his honour, nor finally, by captiuitie, nor by nayling on a gibbet for punishment: nay, all these things increased the admiration of him. For what other thing was all this else, then that the vanquisht did triumph ouer the vanquishers; and though not ouer Carthage, yet ouer fortunes selfe? And the Romans were more eager, & more offensiuely bent to take reuenge for Regulus, then to cōpasse victory. The Carthaginians therfore bearing their crests aloft, & the warre comming [Page] back into Sicilia, Metellus Consul made such a slaughter of the enemie at Panormus, that there was no more stirre in that Iland. An argument of a most braue day gained, was the seisure of an hundred and twentie elephants: a great prey, had such an heard been gotten, not by warre, but by hunting. Publius Claudius Consull, the Romans were ouercome, not by the enemie, but by the Gods thēselues, whose ceremonies they had contemned, their nauie forthwith sinking in the place, where he had commanded the birds to be cast in, because they had giuen signes he should not fight. [Page] Marcus Fabius Buteo, Consul, met the enemies nauie in the African sea, about Aegymurus, sailing onward to the inuasion of Italy, and ouerthrew it. O how great a triumph perished vtterly at that time, by stresse of weather! when the pillage of the enemies ships, driuen by diuerse winds, filled the shores of Africa, the Syrts, the coasts of all nations, and the Ilands about, with wrecks, and ruins. A mighty losse, but it was not without some respect to the honour of the prince of people, the Romans, that the victorie was intercepted by tempest, and the triumph miscarried by shipwracke. [Page] And yet when the Carthaginian spoyles floated vp & downe, and were split vpon all the capes of land, & Iles about, the Romans triumpht notwithstanding.A. V. C. DXII. Lutatius Consul, an end was made of this warre at the Ilands called Aegates. A soret sea-fight was there neuer; for in the enemies armada was their prouant, their landforces, their engines, their weapons, and as it were all Carthage; which burthen was their bane: the Romans nauie, yare, light, vnincumbred, in one kind like a landcampe, and in another, like a fight on horsebacke, they were so guided with their oares, as with bridles, & the [Page] gallies themselues seemed liuing creatures, their prowes, and beakes nimbly fitted to strike here, or there, at pleasure. The enemies vessels therefore torne to pieces in a trice, couer'd all the sea with their shipwracks betweene Sicilia, and Sardinia. So exceeding great was that victorie, as no question was moued now about razing the bulwarks of their enemies townes. It seemed friuolous to rage against the castell, & stonewalls thereof, when Carthage it selfe was swallowed thus in the bottom of the sea.

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CHAP. III.
The Ligurian warre.

THe first Carthaginian warre thus sinisht,A. V. C. a short repose, such as might serue as it were to take breath in, followed: and for a sure signe of peace, and that armes were laide aside indeed, then first after the dayes of king Numa, the temple-gate of Ianus was shut in: but it was forthwith set open againe. For the Ligurians, A. V. C. DXVI. the Galls of Insubria, and the Illyrians prouoked them, as in like sort did the nations from vnder the Alps, that is, [Page] from vnder the very entrances into Italy, some one or other of the Gods daily egging them on, that the armes of the Romans might not take dust, or cancker-fret: to be briefe, quotidian, and as it were domestike enemies were as a schoole of warre to the young frie of souldiers; nor did the people of Rome vse this, or that nation of them otherwise, then as a whetstone to sharpen the edge-toole of their vertue vpon. The Ligurians dwelling close vpon the lowest ridges of the Alpes, betweene Varus, and the riuer Macra, sheltred among wilde thickets, were [Page] more difficult to come at then to conquer. This tough, and swift generation of men, trusting to their fastnesses, and feet, rather made inroades by flealth, like high-way theeues then an orderly warre. Therefore, after that the Deceates, Oxibians, Euburiades, and Ingaunians, nations of Liguria, had thus for a long time shifted for themselues, by aduantage of their woods, wayes, and starting holes, Fuluius at the last shuts vp their lurking places with smoake, and fire, Baebius drawes them downe into the champaine, and Posthumius so disarmed them, [Page] as hee scarcely leaues them yron enough to shooe a plough.

CHAP. IIII.
The Gallick warre.

THe Galls of Insubria, A. V. C. DXXVIII. who also dwel vnder the Alps, had the mindes of wilde beasts, and bodies huger then for men. It is neuerthelesse found true by experience, that as their first brunt is more forceable then a mans, so their second is weaker then a womans. Bodies bred about the Alps vnder a moist skie, are somewhat answerable [Page] in nature to the snow of their seats, for so soone as they waxe hot thorow with fighting, they forthwith melt into sweat, and are as it were dissolued with the sunne in a moment. These, as at other times often, but specially now, Britomarus being their captaine, solemnly swore neuer to vnbuckle their belts till they had mounted the Capitoll. It fell out iust. For Aemilius hauing the victorie, vngirdled them in the Capitoll. Soone after, Ariouistus their captaine, they vow'd to consecrate a golden chaine to their God of Warre, to be composed of [Page] such spoils as they tooke from our souldiers. Iupiter intercepted their vow; for Flaminius erected a golden trophea to Ioue of the chains they wore. Verdumarus being their king, they promised to offer the armours of the Romans vp to Vulcan; but their vowes ranne bias. For Verdumarus was slaine, and Marcellus hung vp the third magnificent, & pompous spoiles, which since the reigne of Romulus had beene offred to Iupiter Feretrius.

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CHAP. V.
The Illyrian warre.

THe Illyricans, A. V. C. DXXIV. or Liburnians inhabit at the farthermost roots of the Alps, betweene Arsia, and the riuer Titius, vpon the whole length of the coast of the Adrian sea for a very mightie way. They not contenting themselues vnder the reigne of Queene Teuta, with spoiles gotten by incursions, added one heinous act to many bold ones. For they tooke our ambassadours, as they sought for an orderly redresse by law, in the points [Page] of wrong, and slue them, not with the sword, but like beasts of sacrifice with the butchers axe, burnt the masters of the shippes, and to make the matter fuller of dishonour, all this in a womans reigne. Therefore, Cnaeus Fuluius Centumalus our Generall, they were brought into subiection farre, and neere. So chopping off the chiefe Lords heads, we sacrificed to the ghosts of our ambassadours.

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CHAP. VI.
The second Carthaginian warre.

FOure yeeres were scarcely now ouerpast after the first Carthaginian warre,A. V. C. DXXXV. when lo, another brake forth, lesse in respect of the time (for it lasted not aboue eighteene yeeres) but so farre beyond the former in respect of terrible ouerthrowes, that if a man compare the losse together, which both the sides sustained, hee would rather thinke the victors part to bee the partie vanquished. The [Page] noble Carthaginians were ashamed, seeing themselues thrust out of the seas possession, and their Ilands violently taken from them, and they to pay tribute, who were wont to impose it. Herevpon Annibal, then a boy, bound himselfe by oath to his father before the altar, to take reuenge; wherein hee was not slacke. Therefore to beget matter for a warre, he razed Saguntus to the ground, an ancient rich citie of Spaine, and a great, but grieuous moniment of her truth, and faith to the Romans; whose freedome being by name prouided for in the generall [Page] articles of league, Annibal seeking causes of new quarrels, ouerthrew to the ground, with his owne, and others hands, that by breach of peace hee might open Italy for himselfe. The Romans make not a greater conscience of any thing then of keeping the faith of leagues. Vpon aduertisement therefore that their confederate citie was besieged, they did not presently runne to their weapons, but did rather first choose to assay by way of orderly complaint, what amends could bee had, as remembring they were also in amity with Carthaginians. Meane-while the [Page] Saguntines tired with hunger, batteries, assaults, and fire, and their constancie turning into madnesse, and furie, they make a monstrous funerall pile in the most open space of their citie; and laying then themselues, and their whole substance on the top thereof▪ made an end of all together with sword, and fire. For this so foule a destruction, the Romans demanded the deliuerie vp of Annibal. But the Carthaginians paltring in the case, quoth Fabius, the chiefe ambassadour of the Romans, What meanes this delay? lo, in this lappe I bring you war, and peace, [Page] choose which of them you like best, and take it among you. And when at these words the voice went round, hee should giue them at his pleasure, which he would; Bee it war then, said he; and therewithall flinging open the skirts of his robe, in the midst of the Counsel-house, which hee had gather'd hollow, and held vp till then, hee did it with such an horrour as if hee had indeed powr'd warre among them out of his lap, or bosome. The end of this war was sutable to the beginning. For as if the last curses of the Saguntines in that their publike self-slaughter, & finall [Page] fire had commanded such obsequies to bee celebrated, their ghosts were sacrificed vnto with the deuastation of Italy, the captiuitie of Africa, and the destruction of kings and Generals of armies, by whom that warre was managed. When as therefore that sad, and dismall storm, and tempest of the Carthaginian warre once stirring in Spaine, had forged out of the Saguntine fires, those lightnings, and thunders, now long in breeding, and aim'd at Rome, immediately then, as carryed with a whirl-winde, it rusht thorow the middle of the Alps, and fell vpon Italy [Page] from the snowie toppe of those mountaines made higher then they were of themselues by fame, and fables, as if it had beene from heauen. The first rages of the charge burst streightway forth with horrible violence, betweene the riuer of Po, and Ticinum. There, Scipio Generall, the Roman army was put to flight, and the Generall himselfe had falne wounded as hee was, into the hands of the enemy, if his sonne, then wanting of eighteene yeeres old, had not rescued his father from certaine death it selfe with bold bestriding him. And this shall bee that Scipio, [Page] who growes vp to the destruction of Africa, and shall make a surname to himselfe out of her calamities.A. V. C. DXXXI. After this ouerthrow at Ticinum followed that of Trebia. This second storme of warre wrought the furious effects thereof, Sempronius Consul. There the craftie enemies, in a cold, & snowie day, hauing first well warm'd themselues at fires, and suppled their limbs with oyle, men (a wonder to bee spoken) cōming out of the South, and sun-burnt climats, ouercame vs at home with our own winter. The third lightnings of Annibal flew randome at vs by Trasimenus [Page] lake, Flaminius our Generall. There also, the Carthaginians vented another new trick of their trade. For the lake lying hiddē vnder a thick mist, the cauallerie shadowed from sight with twigs, & long osiars which grew in the marsh, gaue a suddē charge vpon our rere. Neuerthelesse wee cannot blame the enemie, but our selues. For swarms of bees which clustred vpō the Romā ensigns, their gilt eagles vnwilling to come out, and an huge earthquake at the ioyning of the battels, all of thē vnlucky signes, had forewarned our rash Generall of the euent, and preuented it, but that the concourse [Page] of the horse, & foot, & the extraordinary lowd clashing of their weapons gaue to Flaminius alone the honor of leading them on, against the other Consuls liking. The fourth, & the almost deadly wound of the empire was at Cannae, an obscure village of Apulia, but through the greatnesse of the blow which was receiued there, it got to be famous at the cost of fortie thousand liues. In that place the General himselfe, earth, heauen, the day, and all things else consented to the fall of that vnfortunate army. For Annibal not content to haue put counterfeit fugitiues vpon vs, who [Page] seeing their vantage, forthwith set vpon our men at their backs, but that most dangerous captaine hauing moreouer in the open fields, markt the nature of the place where the sunnebeams did beat hottest, the dust was infinite, and the easterne winde blew stint as it were, he so marshall'd his battels, that the Romans standing with their faces towards all these disaduantages, himselfe had the whole fauour of the skie, the winde, the dust, & sun at once to fight for him. The enemies therfore were so glutted with the execution of two most mighty hosts, that Annibal himself [Page] bade his souldiers, spare the sword. Of the two Consuls, the one fled, the other was slaine; hard to say, whether of them the more braue therein. Aemilius ashamed to suruiue, Varro despaired not of better. Signes of the greatnes of the ouerthrow were these, the riuer Aufidus ran bloud for a while, a bridge of dead carcases made at Annibals commā demēt ouer Gellus brooke, two bushels of gold rings sent to Carthage, and the estimate of Roman gentlemen slaine, calculated not by tale, but measure. It was then past all doubt, that Rome had seene her last day, & that Annibal, within [Page] fiue dayes, might haue feasted in the Capitol, if (as the Carthaginian, Maharbal, Bumilcar's sonne, is reported to haue said) Annibal had as well vnderstood how to make vse of his victory, as how to obtaine it. But, as the common voice goeth, either the fate of Rome ordain'd to bee empresse of the earth, or Annibals euill Genius, or the Gods of Carthage now auerted, carried him a diuerse way. For when hee might haue put his victory home, he rather made choise to enioy it, & suffred Rome to rest, while hee progrest to Campania, & Tarent, where both he, [Page] and his armie lost, by, and by their spirit so, as it was truly said, that Capua was Annibals Cannae. For him whom neither the Alps, nor force of armes could daunt, Campania alone, and the delicate warme springs of Baiae did (who would beleeue it?) subdue. Meanwhile the Romans tooke breath, and rise as it were from death to life againe. Weapons wanted: they tooke them downe out of the temples. Fresh souldiers wanted: they minister the oath of warre to their bondmen, and make them free. Treasure wanted: the lords of the counsell bring gladly all they had, leauing [Page] no gold to themselues, but what was in their brooches, belts, and rings: the knights, and gentlemen followed the Senatours example, and the comoners the gentlemens: to bee briefe, Leuinus, and Marcellus Consuls, such abundance of riches was brought together out of priuate contributions for the publike seruice, that the eschequer had scarcely bookes, and clerks enow to enter the particulars. What shall we say of them at this time, in the choise of magistrats? how great was the wisdome of the centuries, or hundred-men, when the yonger sort askt coūsel [Page] of the ancient, whom they should nominate for Consuls? For it stood them vpon, not to deale with faire force onely against so cunning an enemie, who had so often beaten them, but to meet with him also in his owne policies. The first hope of their empires recouerie, and, as I may say, reuiuall thereof, was Fabius, who inuented a new method of vanquishing Anibal, Not to fight. And from hence it was, that in happie time for Rome hee got the nick-name, to bee called, The draw-backe, or Cunctator: and from hence it came, that the people stiled him, The shield of the [Page] state. Hee therefore so ground and punned Annibal, by coasting him thorow all Samnium, the forrests of Falernus, and Gaurus, that whom plaine strength could not breake in pieces, delay might fret, and weare. Soone after, Claudius Marcellus, Generall, they durst also encounter him, came hand to hand, draue him out of his Campania, and forced him to rayse his siege from before Nola. They durst in like sort, Sempronius Gracchus Generall, pursue him thorow Lucania, and set vpon his backe in his retreat; though, O the shame! the Romans were compelled [Page] to fight with the hands of their bondslaues. O the horrible confidence of a people, among so many aduersities! O the high haughtinesse, and brauerie of their spirit, in their so extreme & afflicted estate, that being doubtfull of keeping Italy, they durst notwithstanding tend to other places; and when their enemies flew vp and downe at their throats, ouer all Campania, and Apulia, and made halfe Afrike in Italie, did both at one time beare the brunt of his assaults, and at the same time dispatched forces into Sicilia, Sardinia, Spaine, and other parts of the world. Marcellus [Page] was sent into Sicilia, which held not out long: for the power of the whole Iland was put apart into one citie. Syracusae, that great, and till that time, vnconquered chiefe-towne, though defended by the wit of Archimedes, did yeeld at last. Her treble wall, alike number of castles, her hauen of marble, and her fountaine Arethusa, so farre renowned, what auayled they other then thus farre onely, that the citie was spared, in respect of her beautie? Gracchus seized Sardinia: neyther did the wildnesse of the Ilanders, nor the monstrous cragges of their mad mountaines [Page] (for so they were called) stand them in any stead. A terrible course was taken with their cities, and with their Citie of cities, Caralis, that the headstrong nation, scarce worth killing, might bee tamed at last with the lacke of their natiue soyle. The two Scipio's, Cnaeus, and Publius, sent into Spaine, had pluckt away once all hope from the Carthaginians, but lost their hold againe, being destroyed by the cunning inuentions of the aduersarie. The Scipio's had gotten indeede great dayes, when they gaue ouerthrowes; but the one of them was circumuented [Page] and slaine by their dangerous deuices, as hee was busie to entrench; and the other of them, hauing fled into a tower, was ouerwhelmed frō round about with fire-brands. That Scipio therefore, who dispatcht with an armie into Spaine, to reuenge his father, and his vncles death, was the man to whom the fates decreed so great a surname out of the conquest of Africa, recouered all Spaine, that braue martiall countrey, ennobled for cheualrie, and men of the sword, that seed-plot of the enemies armies, that schoole-mistresse of Annibal himselfe; he conquered [Page] all of it, I say (though incredible to say it) from the pillars of Hercules to the Ocean, and I know not whether more speedily, or more easily: the speed, foure yeeres speake; the easinesse, one onely citie manifesteth, being taken vpon the same day in which it was besieged; and it was a fortunate signe of Africa's conquest to ensue, that Carthage in Spaine was so easily taken. Certaine it is notwithstanding, that the admirable continencie of the Generall was of greatest force to subdue the prouince: for he restored their yong sonnes, and daughters, were they neuer [Page] so pleasing, or faire, back to the barbarous, without permitting them to come in his sight, that hee might not seeme to haue once sipt or skimd the honour of their chastitie so much, as with beholding them. This was then the carriage of the Romans in diuers countreys abroad, who yet, for all that, could not be rid of Annibal, who stuck close to them in the bowels of Italie; for most nations had reuolted vnto him, and himselfe, a most smart and excellent captaine, vsed Italian forces against Italy. We neuerthelesse had triced him out of most of her townes and countries. Tarentus [Page] came in againe of it selfe. Capua, the seat, dwelling house, and the other as it were, Carthage of Annibal, was now also gayned backe, the losse whereof so greatly grieued the man, that thereupon hee turned all his strengths vpon Rome. O people, worthie to bee lords of the earth, worthie of all fauour, and to haue the gouernment of the affaires of men, and gods! Driuen to the worst of feares, yet gaue they not ouer their enterprise, and doubtfull how to keepe their owne citie, they, for all that, quitted not Capua, but entrusting a part of their armie to Appius Consull, [Page] and the residue following Flaccus into Rome, they fought where they were not, as well as where they were. Why wonder we therefore? For Annibal encamping within three miles of Rome, was resisted by the Gods (nor will I shame to confesse it) I say by the Gods themselues, because such store of raine fell at euery remoue of his, that he seemed put backe by diuine prouision; not as in defence of heauen, but to keepe him off from the citie-walls, and Capitol. Hee therefore departed, & fled, and retired into the farthest nooke of Italy, hauing done all he could against Rome, [Page] sauing only giuen it assault. It is but a trifle to speake of, but yet of much efficacie, to shew the magnanimitie of the Romans, in that the very field it selfe, where Annibal encamped, being, during the siege, set to sale, found a chapman. On the other side, Annibal, to imitate their confidence, cryed the goldsmiths row in the citie, but no man would buy of him. And thus we may see there were presages enow. But so great vertue of men, and so much fauour of the Gods came to nothing. For Asdrubal, brother of Annibal, came out of Spaine with a new armie, new strengths, new [Page] weight of warre. Rome had beene vndoubtedly quite ruined, had that man ioyned with his brother: but Claudius Nero, and Liuius Salinator, vtterly distrest him as he was encamping, Nero kept Annibal off in the farthest corner of Italy. Liuius marcht with ensigns spred, into the quite opposite quarter, that is, vp to the very iawes of the first descence from the Alpes into Italie, the distance as great, from our other camp, as all the length of Italie. It is not easie to say, with what high wit, and speed, the two Consuls vnited their campes, and giuing battell to Asdrubal, not [Page] aware of that vnion, destroid him vtterly, Annibal al this while not once dreaming what was done. Sure it is, that when the newes came to Aniball, and hee saw his brothers head tost out before his trenches, I acknowledge (quoth hee) the vnluckines of Carthage. This was the mans first confession, not without a sure presage of the fate which hung ouer his head. And now it was certaine out of Anibals own mouth, that Aniball might be vanquished. But the people of Rome, full of confidence, after so many fortunate successes, held it a gallant attempt to make an end of [Page] the quarrell, with the sorest enemie they had, and that at his owne home, in Africa. A. V. C. DXLIX. Scipio therefore captain general, they transported thither the whole weight of warre, beginning to imitate Aniball, and to pay him backe in his Africa, for the mischiefes hee did in their Italy. O yee Gods! what forces of Asdruball, what armies of king Syphax did hee ouerthrow? what, and how great were those two camps, which hee in one night consumed with fire? To conclude, hee was not now within three miles of Carthage, as Aniball had beene of Rome, but battred [Page] besieged gates themselues therof: and thereby wrung Aniball out of Italie, vpon which hee lay hard, and heauie. Since Rome stood, there was neuer a grater day then that, in which, two the most famous captaines that euer were before, or since, the one of them, conquerour of Italy, the other of Spain, confronted each the other in battle-ray. But yet they came first to a parley about articles of peace: at which both of them stood a good while without speaking a word, as if mutuall admiration had fixt them to the ground. But when they could not agree vpon a [Page] peace, the trumpets sound a charge. It is cleare, by confession of both parties, that no armies could bee better marshall'd, nor any battell be sorer fought, as Scipio reported of Anibal's armie, and Anibal of Scipio's. But Aniball notwithstanding gaue place, and Africa became the conquerours reward, and, after Africa, the whole earths empire also.

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CHAP. VII.
The first Macedonian, or Philippian Warre.

NOne thought it now a shame to be ouercome, when Carthage was. Macedonia, Greece, Syria, and all other nations, as if carried with a certaine current, and torrent of fortune, by and by followed Africa. But the first who followed were the Macedonians, a people which had once affected the worlds Monarchie. Though therefore a Philip was king then, the Romans notwithstanding seemed to thēselues to haue to deal in him with great Alexander. [Page] The Macedonian warre was greater in the name therof, then was answerd in the performances of the nation: The cause of the war grew by reason of the league which Philip had made with Anibal, hauing then a long while tyrannized Italie: which cause increased when the Athenians implored aide against Philips iniuries, in which, exceeding the rights of victorie, hee shewed his rage vpon temples, altars, and moniments of the dead; The Senate thought good to minister succour to so noble suitors: For the kings of countreys, Captaines generall, common-weales, and nations, [Page] had sought to this citie for protection: Laeuinus therefore Consul, the people of Rome then first entred the Ionian sea, and trended along the whole coast of Greece, with, as it were a triumphant nauie: for they aduanced in open view the spoyles of Sycilie, Sardinia, and Africa, and a laurell growing vnplanted out of the sterne of the Admirall promised manifest victory. Attalus, king of Pergamus, came in with aids to vs of his owne accord. There came also the Rhodians, expert men at Sea, and with them on the water, and with horse, and foote on land, the Consul made [Page] all to shake. The king twice ouercome, twice put to flight, twice stript out of his campe, yet nothing was so terrible to the Macedonians as the sight itselfe of their wounds, which being not made with darts, or arrowes, nor with any Greekish weapons, but with huge iauelins, and swords as huge, were wider then death had neede of. Verily, Flaminius Generall, wee pierced through the Chaonian mountaynes, till then impassable, wee passed the riuer Pindarus, running through broken places, and brake through the very barres themselues of Macedonia; into which to [Page] haue entred, was it selfe a victorie. For from that day forward, the king neuer daring to trie his fortune in battell againe, was vanquisht at the dogges-heads, or the hillocks called Cynocephalae, and that in only one encounter, or petie skirmish, rather then a foughten field, the Consull granting him to bee in peace, and leaue to enioy his kingdome. And to take away all prints, or tokens of hostilitie; hee repressed Thebes, and Eubaea, and the immoderate enterprises of the Lacedaemonians vnder Nabis; and restored the Greekes to their ancient state, that [Page] they might liue after their owne Lawes, and bee as free as their fore-fathers. O what reioycements were then! O what comfortable cryes! when this proclamation was made by the publike officer in the theater of Nemea, at the Quinquennal, or fiue-yeerly playes! O what were the showts, and clamours! what abundance of flowrs sprinkled vpon the Consul! yea, they made the Herald speake out that sweet word againe, and againe, which pronounced Achaia free; nor did they otherwise relish that proclamation, or edict of the Consull, then as they would [Page]haue done some excellently pleasing lesson plaide vpon soft wind-instruments, or violins.

CHAP. VIII.
The warre in Syria with king Antiochus.

PResently after the Macedonians, A. V. C. DLXI. and king Philip, Antiochus tooke his turne to bee conquerd, by a kinde of chance, fortune, as it were of purpose, so marshalling matters, that as the Roman empire went forward by degrees from Africke into Europe; it might also [Page] roll from Europe, into Asia, causes of warre offering themselues without seeking, that the course of victorie might saile onward in order as the world stood sited. There was no warre of which there went so terrible a fame as of this. For those Persians, who were of old, the eastern world, Xerxes, and Darius, came then to minde, in whose dayes mountaines were cut thorow, and the sea was couerd with failes. Besides this, certaine prodigious signes which seemed to threaten somewhat from heauen, bred terrour; for Apollo at Cumae was in a continuall sweate. But this [Page] was nothing else saue the God-heads agonie in fauour of his beloued Asia. Nor, to say truth, did any countrey so abound with mony, riches, and munition, as Syria: but they were all in the hands of so cowardly a king, as could glorie in nothing more, then that hee was ouercome by the Romans. Antiochus was thrust into this warre, vpon the one side by Thoas, chiefe of the Aetolians, seeking in vaine to draw the Romans into an honourlesse league with him against the Macedonians; and vpon the other side Annibal, who being foil'd in Africa, a fugitiue [Page] also, and impatient of peace, sought ouer the world where to finde out an enemy of the Roman people. And what manner of danger might that haue proued, had that king giuen himselfe ouer to his directions? if Annibal, now quite downe, had beene trusted with the power of Asia? But Antiochus, relying vpon his owne abilities, and the title of a king, held it enough that hee moued warre by himselfe. Europe did now without controuersie belong to the Romans. Antiochus demanded backe the citie of Lysimachia, vpon the coast of Thrace, [Page] built in Europe by his ancestors, as a parcell of his inheritance. With this as it were starre, or constellation, the tempest of the Asian warre being stirred, kings assembling in extraordinarie number; and defiance brauely giuen, when Antiochus had thus wakened all the humours of Asia with wonderfull noise, and tumult, hee betooke himselfe to sports, & wanton pleasures, as if hee had already gotten the garland. The Iland Eubaea was diuided from the maine land with Eurypus, a narrow sea hauing many ebbes, and flowes. here Antiochus pitching his pauilions [Page] of silke, and gold, hard vpon the brinke of the murmuring sea, at the sound of flutes, and other musick, and though it were winter, yet had hee roses brought fresh from all parts, and lest hee should in nothing seeme to play the captaine, he tooke musters of fine young boyes, and girls. Such a king therefore as this, whom his owne riotous humours had already conquer'd, the people of Rome, assailing that Iland, by Marcus Atilius Glabrio, Consul, at the very first bruit of approach was glad to flie the place. And albeit he had gotten to so notable a [Page] steepe passage as that of Thermopylae (euer to bee glorious in the death of those three hundred Lacedaemonians) yet not dating to trust that strength the Romans made him giue way aswell at land, as sea. Without delay he returns into Asia. The charge of his nauie roial hee committed to Polyxenes, and Annibal. For himselfe could not endure so much as to looke vpon a fight. So his whole force at sea was torne in pieces by the gallies of Rhodes, our Aemilius Regillus their Admiral. That Athens may not flatter it selfe, we ouercame Xerxes in Antiochus, [Page] in Aemilius wee matcht Themistocles, and did as great an exploit in taking Ephesus, as the Greekes did in taking Salamina. At that time Scipio Consul, his brother, that Scipio Africanus who had so lately conquer'd Carthage, seruing voluntary vnder him there, as lieutenant generall, it seemed good to make an end of that warre. The king was already beaten out of the sea, but wee goe farther. Our campe is pitcht at the riuer Meander, and the mountaine Sipylus. It is incredible to be spoken what powers of his owne, and of his friends the king had there. Three [Page] hundred thousand foot, and not a lesse number of horse, and of seithed chariots; besides these, elephants of an huge size, glittering in gold, purple, siluer, and their owne iuorie, stood as bulwarks on both hands of the battell. But all these preparations were hindred by their owne confusiue greatnesse, and with a showre, which powring suddenly downe did, most luckily for vs, wet, and weaken the strings of the Persian bowes. There was first a feare, by and by a flight, and then a triumph. Antiochus ouercome, and humbling himselfe, it pleased the Romans [Page] to vouchsafe him peace, & a piece of his owne kingdome, so much the more willingly, because hee had so easily giuen it ouer.

CHAP. IX.
The Aetolian warre.

THe Aetolian warre succeeded,A. V. C. DLXIV. as good reason would, to this of the Syrian. For Antiochus thus brought vnder foot, the Romans prosecuted the vnquencht firebrands of the Asian warre. Therefore Fuluius Nobilior had in commission to execute that reuenge, who forthwith layes siege vnto, [Page] and batters Ambracia, the citie roial of king Pyrrhus. Yeelding followed. The Athenians, and Rhodians became intercessours for the Aetolian. And wee were mindefull of their friendship. So it pleased vs to pardon them. But the warre crept on farther to the neighbour places about, of Cephalaenia, Zacynthus, and all the Iles in that sea, betweene the Ceraunian mountaines, and the cape of Maleum, accessory members of the Aetolian warre.

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CHAP. X.
The Istrian warre.

THe Istrians follow the Aetolians in fortune, A. V. C. DLXXVI. whose side they had lately taken. The beginnings of the war were successefull to the foe, but were withall the cause of their destruction. For after they had entred the Roman campe, by force, and were masters of a gallant bootie, Caius Claudius Pulcher sets vpon them afresh, as they were for the most part in their iollitie at sports, and banquets, and so vomited-vp the victorie they had gotten, [Page] with their bloud, and liues together. Apulo himselfe, their king, being shifted away on horsebacke, and tumbling downe drunke oftentimes, ouerswaid as hee was with surfeit, and swimming in the head, was hardly at last brought to vnderstand hee was a prisoner, when he came to himselfe.

CHAP. XI.
The Gallo-Graecian warre.

THe ruin of Syria drew the Gallo-Graecians also after it.A. V. C. DLXIV. They had sided with Antiochus, It is doubtfull, [Page] whether Manlius was greedie of a triumph, or fained, for gaining it, that hee had seene them in person; howsoeuer, hee, though victorious, was certainely denyed to triumph, because the Senate approued not the cause of the warre. Those Gallo-Graecians, as their compound name sheweth, were a mixt and mongrell people; being the remains of those Galls which had wasted Greece vnder Brennus, and proceeding castward still, seated thēselues in the middle of Asia. As therefore the seeds of plants alter kinde by shifting soil, so their naturall fiercenesse was mollifide with the delicacies [Page] of Asia. They were broken, and put to flight in two battels, though vpon our comming they abandon'd their habitations, & retired themselues among the highest of their mountaines, which the Tolistoboges, and Tectosages had now possessed. Beaten from both sides of their couert with slings, and shot of arrowes, they submitted themselues to a perpetuall peace. But they were kept bound by occasion of a kinde of wonder, when they would haue bitten, & torne their bonds in sunder with their teeth, each offering to the other his throat to choak. For Chiomara, [Page] wife of Orgiagon, a pettie king of theirs, rauished by a Roman captaine, gaue a memorable example of wiuely vertue, for she cut off the fellowes head from his shoulders, and escaping from her guard, brought it to her Lord, & husband.

CHAP. XII.
The war with king Perses, or the second Macedonian.

THough nations after nations were pluckt into subiection by the ruin which the Syrian warre drew with it, [Page] yet Macedonia lifted vp her head again. The memory, & remembrance of what they had once been noble, would not suffer that most valiant nation to bee in quiet, and Perses succeeded to king Philip, who bearing the same mind, thoght it stood not with the honour of his countrey, to haue it made vassall for euer. The Macedonians brake forth far more violently vnder him then vnder his father. Forthey had drawn the Thracians to be a part of their strengths, and so they made a temper in their discipline of warre betweene the boistrous qualities of Thrace, & the [Page] diligence of Macedonia. Hereunto the kings owne policies gaue helpe, who making the top of mount Aemus his station, tooke a view from thence of all his confines, & so wall'd Macedonia euery-where in with men, & munition, by planting castels in abrupt places, as there seemed no way left for enemies to inuade his Macedonia, vnles it were from out of the clowds. But Quintus Marcius Philippus, Consul, the people of Rome entring that prouince, after they had carefully first searcht al the passages, got through by the marshes of Ascuris, & those sharp, & lofty places, [Page] doubtfull whether hils, or skie, ouer which it seemed the very fowles of the ayre could not find a way, and came powring downe vpon the king with a thunder-crack of war, as hee sat secure, and dreamt of no such matter. His affright was such, that he caused all his mony to be drown'd in the sea, for safety; and al his ships to bee fired, to keepe them frō burning. When greater, and thicker garrisons were afterwards planted to guard the passages against vs, Paulus Consul, other waies were inuented to conquer Macedonia; the Consul, with admirable wit, and industry, offering [Page] at one place, and breaking in at another, whose comming it selfe was so terrible to Perses, as hee durst not bee present at the seruice, but committed the war to bee managed by his captains. Therfore ouercome in absence, he fled to sea, & to the Iland there of Samothrace, relying vpon the priuileges of that sanctuarie; as if temples, and altars could protect the man, whom his sword & mountaines could not. There was neuer any king did longer retaine the conscience of his lost estate; for when hee wrote to the Roman Generall from out of the temple whither hee [Page] was fled,nomenque epistolae notaret. and styled the letter, he put himselfe downe in it by the name of king. Neither was euer any one more reuerently respectiue of captiue maiestie then Paulus, for the enemy cō ming into sight, hereceiued him into the temple, and admitted him to his feasts, warning his sons to stand in awe of fortune, that was able to doe such things vnto the mighty. Among all the most goodly triumphs which the Roman people led, and saw, this ouer Macedonia was chiefe, as that which tooke vp three whole dayes with the shew, vpon the first of which were statues, and [Page] pictures presented; vpon the second, warlike furnitures, and money; and vpon the third, the captiues, among whom was king Perses himselfe, who not as yet recouer'd out of his amazement, was as a man astonished with the vnexpected euil. But the people of Rome felt the ioy of the glory, long before the arriuall of the conquerours letters which brought the newes: for vpon the same day in which king Perses was ouercome, it was knowne at Rome. Two youngmen mounted on white coursers, washt off their dust and bloud at the lake Iuturna. These broght [Page] the tidings, and were generally thought to be Castor, and Pollux, because they were a paire; to haue been at the battell, because they were gorie; and to haue come fresh out of Macedonia, because they were panting hot as yet.

CHAP. XIII.
The Illyrian warre.

THe (as it were) infection of the Macedonian war drew in the Illyrians. A. V. C, DXXC VI. They were entertain'd in pay by king Perses, to trouble, all they could the Romans at their backes. Anicius, lieutenant-Praetor, [Page] subdued them in an instant. It was enough, that he razed Scodra, their principall citie. The whole nation did forthwith yeeld it selfe. To bee briefe, this warre was made an end of, before they at Rome did heare it was begun.

CHAP. XIIII.
The third Macedonian warre with Andriscus.

THE Carthaginians, A. V. C. DCV. and Macedonians, as if it were agreed vpon betweene them, each to bee thrice [Page] ouercome, tooke armes againe by a kinde of fate, both of them about a time. But the first who threw the yoake off, were the Macedonians, by so much harder to be reduced then before, while it was held a matter of nothing to reduce thē. The cause of the war is in a manner to be blusht at. For Andriscus, a very base fellow, vnknown whether a free man, or a bond, certainely one who tooke pay, did enter vpon the quarrel, and kingdome at once. And for that hee, being but a meere counterfeit, was notwithstanding called Philip by the people, by reason of resemblance, [Page] it filled his kingly shape, and kingly name, with a kingly spirit also. Therefore, while the people of Rome, contemning these matters, employed no greater a person against him, then Iuuentius, a Praetor, they rashly venter on a man strong at that time, not onely in Macedonians, but in huge ayds out of Thrace. Wherby they, otherwise inuincible, were ouercome in battell, not by true, and very kings, but this phantastike, and playerly one. But Metellus, another Praetor, tooke a most sound reuenge for the losse of Iuuentius, and [Page] of the legion which hee commanded: for hee both cōdemn'd Macedonia to the state of bondage, & brought Andriscus in chaynes to Rome, deliuerd vp into our hands, by that Vaiuod, or pety king of Thrace, to whom hee had fled for succour: fortune neuerthelesse shewing him thus much fauour in his miseries, that the Romans carryed him aswell in triumph, as if hee had beene a king indeede.

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CHAP. XV.
The third Carthaginian, or Punicke warre.

THe third war against Africa was short in respect of the time (for it was but foure yeeres worke) and,A. V. C. DCIV. in comparison of the other two, the least in labour. For the fight was not so much with the men, as with the citie it selfe, the euen whereof was certainely the greatest that could bee: for it made an end of Carthage. To comprehend in minde the summe of those three times it was thus, in the first, the warre was begun, in the second [Page] it was driuen away out of our coasts, in the third it was ended. The cause of this last warre was, for that, contrary to the articles of league, the Carthaginians had once prepared an army at land and sea, against the Numidians, and often terrifide the borders of Masinassas kingdome. Wee bare fauour to this good and friendly king. When the war was settled, the Senate debated what should become of Carthage. Cato, whose hatred admitted no satisfaction, would haue it vtterly rased: but when the Consull demanded anothers opinion, Scipio Nasica stood to haue it preserued, [Page] lest the feare of a riuall citie remoued, the felicitie of Rome might growe ouer-ranke, and riotous. The Senate made choise of a middle way, which was, to remoue the citie out of her old seate. For nothing seemed to them more honorable, then to haue such a Carthage as should not bee feared. Manilius therefore, and Censorinus, Consuls, the people of Rome inuading Carthage, the nauie thereof (which vpon ouerture of peace they willingly yeelded) was, in sight of the citie, fired. Then calling foorth the princes, they commanded them, vppon perill of their heads, to depart [Page] the countrey. Which blacke decree kindled so great choler in them, as they resolued to endure the worst that could be, rather then obey it. Lamentations hereupon did forthwith fill the citie, and the crie went round, To ARMES, the finall resolution beeing, whatsoeuer came of it, to rebell. Not for that they had now any hope left to free themselues, but because they held it better that Carthage should bee ruind by their owne hands, then their enemies. The furie of the rebels may be coniectured by this, that they pluckt downe house-tops, and houses, with that timber [Page] to build a new nauie; for want of yron & brasse, their smiths wrought gold, and siluer into armour; and the matrons clipt the haire of their heads to make cordage for engins. Mancinus Consull, the siege waxt hot both at land, and sea. The hauen of the fortifications, and the first, and second wal were dismantled, when the castle notwithstanding, called The Byrs, made such a resistance as if it had been another citie. Though there was no doubt of ouerthrowing it, yet the Scipio's seemd ordaind by destinie for that purpose. The people therefore of Rome require to haue a Scipio for [Page] accomplishing that warre. And that was the sonne of Paulus, conquerour of Macedonia, whom the sonne of that great Scipio Africanus had adopted, to vphold the glory of his house, with this intention of the fates, that the citie which the grandfather had humbled, the grand child should subuert. The enemies being shut vp within the castle, the Romans sought also to cut off the sea. But the Carthaginians digge out a new hauen vpon another side of the towne, not to flie out at, for no man did beleeue they could escape, but from the which a new armada issued, as if it had growne [Page] vp suddainely of it selfe. Meane-while no day, nor night went ouer their heads, in which some new worke, some new engine, some new band of forlorne fellowes appeared not, like so many sodaine flashes of flame rising out of cinders, after the fire hath been buried in ouerwhelming rubbish. But things at last growing absolutely desperate, fortie thousand men yeelded themselues, and, that which you would scarce thinke, Asdruball was the first man of them. How much more boldly did a woman, the wife of the captaine? who taking her two children, threwe [Page] herselfe with them from the top of the house into the middle of the fires, following that Queenes example, which had founded Carthage. How mightie a citie was destroid, may by the long continuance of the burning (to let other arguments goe) be conuinced. For the fire which the enemies themselues had kindled of their owne accord in their dwellings, and temples, with intent, that so much of the citie as they were not able to deliuer from the Roman triumphs, might be consumed, could not be extinguished in seuenteene whole dayes together.

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CHAP. XVI.
The Achaian warre.

COrinth, A. V. C. DCVI. the Metropolis of Achaia, presently followed the fortune of Carthage, as if that were an age for subuersion of cities, Corinth, the beauty of Greece, is situated vpon a narrow necke of land betweene the Ionian, and Aegaean seas, as a spectacle, or pageant. it was destroyed (alas the wrong!) before it was registred in the list of proclaimed enemies. Critolaus was the cause of this warre, who made vse of the freedome giuen by the Romans, against the Romans, [Page] and it being vncertain whether hee did not also strik their ambassadors with the hand, he for certain did it with his tongue. Metellus therefore, chiefely busie in ordering the affaires of Macedonia, had now this also added to his charge, to take reuenge. From hence grew the Achaian warre, and Metellus, Consull, had the chase, and execution of Critolaꝰ his first forces, through the open fields of Elis all along the bankes of Alpeus. One battell made an end of the warre. And now the citie it selfe was begirt with a siege, when, as the fates would haue it, Mummius came to the victory, which [Page] Metellus had foughten for. Mummius, by the aduantage of that honour which the other had atchieued, vanquisht the enemies armie at the very entrance of the Isthmus, or land-necke, and dyed the heauens on each side thereof with bloud. Finally, the inhabitants abandoning the citie, it was first sackt, and then at sound of trumpet quite defaced. What store of statues, rich garments, and goodly moniments in tables were torn downe, burnt, and cast about? what riches were carred away, and fired, you may from hence coniecture that al the Corinthian brasse which is at this day so [Page] much commended through the world, is found to bee but the remayne of these consumings: for the violence vsed against this most wealthy citie set an higher rate vpon the brasse therof, because multitudes of statues, and pictures, consisting of brasse, gold, and siluer, melting in the fire, the veines of the metall ranne in one, and mixt together.

CHAP. XVII.
Acts done in Spaine.

AS Corinth followed Carthage, so Numantia followed Corinth. And it was not long first, before [Page] no part of the world was free from armes. After these two most famous Cities were consumed, warre did spread it selfe euery where about, nor that by turnes in places, but together, as though it were but one warre ouer all, so that the whirling flames thereof seemed carryed about ouer the whole earth, as if dispersed with windes. Spaine neuer had a disposition to rise vniuersally against vs, nor at any time a minde to put all her strengths into one, either for trying mastries, or for maintayning her libertie in common, being otherwise so inuironed with seas, [Page] and with the Pyrenaean hils, that by aduantage of her situation shee had beene inaccessible. But the Romans had enstraitned her before she was aware thereof, and was of all other prouinces the onely one, which neuer vnderstood her owne abilities till shee was conquerd. The warre lasted here almost two hundred yeeres, from the times of the first Scipio's till Caesar Augustus, not continually, or cohaerently, but as causes were ministred: nor with Spaniards at first, but with the Carthaginians, or Penish-men in Spaine. Thence grew the contagion, connexion, and cause [Page] of the warres. The first Roman ensignes which euer were displayd ouer the toppe of the Pyraenees, the two Scipio's, Publius, and Cnaeus aduanced, and in terrible great battels slew Anno, and Asdrubal the brother of Anibal, so as all Spaine had beene conquerd in a moment, had not those most gallant gentlemen, supplanted by the Arts of Africa, beene destroyd in their owne victorie, after they had gotten the vpper hand both at land, and sea. That Scipio therefore, who was shortly afterwards surnamed Africanus, inuaded Spaine in reuenge of his father, and his [Page] vncle, as a prouince vntoucht in a manner, & new to vs as till then. Hee presently tooke Carthage in Spaine, and other cities, nor contented to haue driuen the Penish-men out, layd tribute vpon it also, and subdued all on this side the riuer Iberus, and beyond; himselfe the first of Roman leaders who ranne vp victoriously, as far as Gades, & the shores of the Ocean. Ther is more in it, to keepe a prouince, then to make one. Captaines therefore were sent with forces hither, and thither, part after part, to compell the siercest people of Spaine, and the nations thereof, free [Page] till that time, and for that cause impatient of bearing any yoake, though not without much labour, and bloudshed, to obey vs. That Cato who was termed Censorius, brake the hearts of the Celtiberians, the stoutest men of Spaine, by certaine encounters. That Gracchus, who was father of the Gracchi, punisht them with the subuersion of one hundred, and fiftie of their cities. That Metellus who was stiled Macedonicus, deserued to bee also called Celtibericus, hauing gotten Contrebia, by a memorable exploit, and gaind more glorie by forbearing Vertobrigae. Lu-cullus [Page]subdued the Turdulans, and Vaccaeans, ouerwhome that later Scipio Aemilianus, obtained pompous spoils in a single combat, in which the king was challenger. Decimus Brutus went somwhat farther, ouercomming the Gallicians, and al the Gallician nations, beyond the riuer Obliuion, which the souldiers quaked to behold, and marching along the Ocean shore as conquerour, hee turnd not his ensignes another way, till hee saw the Sunne stoop vnder the sea, and his fires ouer whelmed as it were with waters, not without some scruple in Brutus, who was chill'd at [Page] the sight, lest perhaps it had beene in him a kind of sacrilege. But the hardest hold of all was with the Lusitanians, and Numantines, nor that without cause, for only they in all those countreys were fitted with captaines. And we had found no lesse worke with the Celtiberians, had not Solundicus, chiefe author of that commotion, beene destroid in the beginning, a most dangerous, and desperate man had he prosperd, who twirling a certaine speare of siluer, which was pretended by him to be sent from heauen, counterfeited the prophet, and drew all to admire, and follow him. But [Page] the same rashnesse which had put him on, making him also aduenture after twylight towards the Consuls campe, a souldier chopt his iaueline into him, close at the pauilion it selfe. But Viriathus made the Lusitanians plucke vp their courages, a mā of a most sharp, and cunning wit, from huntsman turning highway thiefe, and from highway thiefe turning prince, and captaine generall, and, had fortune said the word, the Romulus of Spaine. For not contented to maintain the freedome of his nation, hee destroyed all the countreys on either side the riuers of Iberus, and [Page] Tagus, with fire, and sword, fourteene yeeres together, and, assailing the camps of Praetors, & Presidents, had the slaughter of Claudius Vnimanus, or One-hand, and of his whole armie to almost the last man, and in his mountaines erected tropheas of such ensignes, robes, and maces of state as hee had wonne away of ours. At the last hee was brought into extremities by Fabius Maximus, Consul. But his successor Seruilius Cepio staind the victorie. For greedie to bee ridde of the trouble once for all, he entred into practice with some trecherous cōpanions, familiar friends [Page] of Viriathus, and got him murthred, being alreadie brought low, and ready to yeeld vpon any termes, and thereby gaue the enemie so much honor, as to make it thought that hee could not otherwise bee conquerd.

CHAP. XVIII.
The Numantine warre.

AS Numantia was inferiour to Carthage, A. V. C. DCXII. Capua, and Corinth for riches, so for vertue and honour, it was equall to them altogether, and if wee respect the men thereof, it was simply the [Page] greatest glorie of Spaine, for hauing neither wall, nor bulwarke, and beeing but onely situated vpon a little rising knoll, or hill by the riuer Durius; with no more then foure thousand, it endured fourteene yeers siege against an armie of fortie thousand: And not endured onely, but gaue also terrible ouerthrowes, and forced vs to accept of shamefull conditions. And remayning vnconquer'd after all was done that could bee, no other person would serue the turne to subuert it, but he who subdued Carthage. To speake ingenuously, there was no warre of ours, the cause [Page] whereof was more vniust then was this. For the Segidensers, their friends, and kinsfolke, escaping our hands, were entertained by them. No intercession vsed on their behalfe would be heard. And albeit they abstained from intermedling in any broils of warre, they were notwithstanding commanded, if they would haue a firme, and formall peace, to purchase it by parting with their armes. This proposition was so interpreted by the barbarous, as if they must goe hide away their heads in holes. Hereupon they forth with fell to armes, Megaera a [Page] most braue souldier, their captaine generall; and charging Pompei home in fight, they did choose to enter league, when they could haue made an end of him. After this they set vpon Mancinus, whom they so amated with daily slaughters, that he had not a souldier in his army durst looke a Numantine in the face, or stand his voice, yet such was their noblenesse, that they were content to make a peace with him also, when they might haue had the killing of all his army to a man. But the people of Rome no lesse ashamed, nor storming lesse at the reproach [Page] of these conclusions of peace with the Numantines, then they did for those at Caudium, discharged themselues from the dishonour of that base treatie, by yeelding vp Mancinus to the enemie. But Generall Scipio, one throughly season'd for the ouerthrow of cities by the burning of Carthage, grew hot at length vpon reuenge. But hee had more worke within his owne campe, then in the open field; with his owne men, then with the Numantians. For his armie hauing vnder other captaines beene formerly tired with dayly, and iniust, but specially [Page] seruile labours, such of them as knew not how to vse their weapons, were commaunded, for their ease who knew the vse, to carry more stakes, and earth to the rampire, and that those should be rayed with durt, who would not be smeared with bloud. Besides that, strumpets, scullions, and all things else which were not of necessitie to be vsed, were cut away. It is a saying, that Such as the captaine is, such is the souldier. The armie, thus reduced vnder discipline, encounters the enemie, and then came that to passe which no man did euer hope for; the [Page] Numantians, in sight of all men, ranne away. They would likewise haue yeelded themselues, if the conditions would haue beene but tolerable for men to accept. But nothing contenting Scipio, sauing a real, and absolute victorie, they in such extremities resolue to make a desperate sallie, after they first had feasted well, as at their last viands, with halfe-raw flesh, and a kinde of broth, or drinke made of corne, and called by the inhabitants keale, or Caelia. This resolution of theirs discouer'd to Scipio, hee would not afford, to men so minded, the fauour of battell, [Page] but girts them vp close with foure camps, and hemming them round within trench, and counterscarph, they besought him for fight, that so hee might dispatch them like men. But when that would not bee granted, they agree to rush out howsoeuer, and comming so to handy-strokes, very many of them were slaine; and famine now comming fast vpon the residue, they liued yet a little longer. Their last helpe was to flie, but their wiues brake their horse-bridles, and committing an heinous offence through loue, bereft them of that remedy. [Page] Their end therefore being now no longer to bee deferred, their sufferance turnes into furie, decreeing among themselues to die in this manner: They made away their captains, themselues, and towne with the sword, with poyson, and with setting all on fire. Goe thy wayes, O thou most valiant citie of the world, and in mine opinion most happy withall, in the very worst that happened vpon thee, being that, for protection of thy friends thou didst defend thy selfe with thine owne hand, and for so long a time, against that people which had all the [Page] earth to backe, and beare them out. To conclude, the citie which was thus taken by the greatest captaine vnder heauen, lest nothing of it selfe for the enemie to reioyce in ouer it. For, there was not a man of all Numantia left aliue to bee trail'd in chaines; spoile, and bootie, as among poore folkes, there was not any; their armor, & munition were burnt. So all the triumph which could bee had, was ouer a name alone.

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CHAP. XIX.
A briefe repetition.

ALl this while the people of Rome were in their actions faire,A. V. C. DLXIV. noble, pious, holy, and magnificent. The ages following as they were as full of great acts, so were they also more troublesome, and foule vices still growing as the empire grew. So that if a man diuide into two parts this third age of their power, emploi'd by them in attempts out of Italy, he must worthily confesse, the first hundred yeeres thereof, in which they tamed [Page] Africke, Macedonia, Sicilia, and Spaine, to bee, as the poets sing them, the golden age, the other hundred to bee plainely the yron, and bloudy one, and whatsoeuer else is more horribly cruell: as that, which with the Iugurthine, Cimbrian, Mithridatick, Parthian, Gallick and German warres, whose acts made our glorie mount to heauen it selfe, did mingle those Gracchian, and Drusine massacres, yea the bondmens warre, and (that no dishonour might hee wanting) the warre against the fensers also. And finally turning their weapons each vpon the other, [Page] they tore themselues into pieces, with the hands of Marius, and Sylla, and lastly of Pompei, and Caesar, as it were in fits of rage, and furie, and in contempt of all religion. Which actions, though they are intricately wrapt one within the other, and confounded among themselues, neuerthelesse to make them the better to appeare, and that their heinous facts may not trouble their heroick, they shal be set forth apart. Therefore, to follow our first method, wee will commemorate those iust, and solemne warres against forein nations, that the degrees of [Page] greatnesse by which the empire was day by day augmented, may bee manifest. Then will wee returne to those blacke deeds of theirs, in their monstrous foule, and execrable ciuill battels.

CHAP. XX.
The warre in Asia with ARISTONICVS.

SPain being conquerd in the west part of the world,A. V. C. DCXX. the people of Rome enioyed peace in the East, nor peace only, but a kinde of vnusuall, and vnknowne faelicity, the estate of kings, and the riches [Page] of whole realmes comming to them as bequests, and legacies. Attalus, king of Pergamus, son of king Eumenes, once our associate, and fellow-souldier, made his last will thus, I make the people of Rome the heire of all my goods. And it was a part of his goods that he did so. The people therefore of Rome entring vpon the whole estate, retain'd it not by fight, & force, but (which is more iust) by vertue of his deuice, and testament. It is hard to say, whether they lost this legacie, or recouer'd it sooner. Aristonicus, a yong fierce prince, & of the bloud roiall, did [Page] easily worke the cities, accustomed to bee gouern'd by kings, to acknowledge him for soueraigne lord, & those other which resisted him, as Mindus, Samos, Colophon, hee seis'd by force. He had the slaghter also of the army of Crassus, Proconsul, & tooke him prisoner. But Crassus remēbring the honor of his house, and of the Roman name, strook out the eye of his half-barbarous keeper with the yerk of a wand, to procure his owne killing thereby. And as he wisht, so it hapned. Perperna, soone after this, ouerthrew, and tooke Aristonicus in battell, who yeelding himselfe, was kept [Page] in chaines. Marcus Aquilius made an end of the remaines of the Asian warre, by poys'ning (O base!) the well-heads of certaine cities, to compell them therby to yeeld. Which fact as it ripened the victorie, so it made the same infamous. For, against the will of the Gods, and the custome of ancestors, it blemished the luster of the Roman armes, (preserued till then religiously pure) with impure drugges, and sorceries.

The end of the second booke of Lucius Florus.

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THE HISTORIE OF THE ROMANS. The third Booke.

CHAP. 1.
The warre with IVGVRTH.

THese things past in the Orient. But there was not the like quiet in the South. Who would [Page] looke for any war in Africa, after Carthage was subdued? But the kingdome of Numidia gaue to it selfe a great blow, and though Anibal was rid out of the way, yet Iugurtha had that in him which was to be feared: for he, the most false & crafty prince vnder heauen, ventured vpon the people of Rome, glorious, for great acts, and not to be conquered by the sword: and yet things fell out beyond all mens imaginations, that he the king, who surpast all others in cunning, should himselfe bee surprised by cunning. This prince, grād-child to Masinissa, and by adoption the son of Micipsa, [Page] moued to it by ambition of soueraignty, hauing resolued to murther his brothers, and yet not fearing them so much as the Senate, and people of Rome, vnder whose protection, and wardship they were, wrought his first black feate by practice, and vpon that plot geting Hiempsals head, as hee was contriuing how to kill Adherbal also, and hee flying to Rome for refuge, Iugurtha by soundly monying his Ambassadors, to bribe others with, drew euen the Senate also to take his part. And this was the first victory which he gaind of vs. Afterwards, when Scaurus was appointed by [Page] the state to make partition of the kingdome betweene himselfe, and Adherbal, he conquerd the noble qualities of the Roman common-weale by corrupting him, and effected thereby his vndertaken wickednesse the more boldly. But hainous acts neuer lye hidden long. The bribing of Scaurus came to light, and a decree was made to reuenge the parricidiall murther by warre. Calpurnius Bestia, Consull, was the first emploid into Numidia. But the king, experimentally knowing, that gold could doe more against the Romans then Iron, bought his peace. Guilty of the [Page] premisses, hee notwithstanding both came vpon summons, and safe-conduct to Rome, and with like audaciousnesse suborning the actors, murthered his competitor in the kingdome, Massina grand-child of Masinissa. This was another cause for the Romans to take armes vp against the tyrant. The reuenge therefore was committed to bee taken by Albinus. But (ô the shame!) Iugurtha so ouerbribed his armie also, that our men voluntarily giuing way, he got the victory, and our camp withall; and reckning it in as a part of the price, that hee suffered the armie which he had bought, to [Page] escape his hands, did put vpō vs dishonorable terms. At the same time, Metellus steppeth out against him, not so much in reuenge of the Roman empire, as to redeeme the blemishes thereof; and dealing most cunningly, one while by entreaty, another while by threats, and fayning flight when hee meant nothing lesse, matcht him at his own weapons: nor contenting himselfe with the waste, & desolation of fields, and villages, made attempts vpon the chiefe fortresses of Numidia, and long time sought to get Zama, though in vaine: neuerthelesse hee sackt Thala, where the kings [Page] munition, and treasures lay. So hauing stript him out of his cities, hee pursued him through Mauritania, and Getulia, flying his owne confines, and kingdome. Last of all, Marius, much augmenting the armie, as hauing, according to the obscuritie of his birth,A. V. C. DCXLII. admitted the scumme of Rome to the oath of soldiers, sets vpon Iugurtha wounded as he was, & already forced to flie, and yet ouer-came him no more easily then as if he had beene fresh, and vnbroken. This man most fortunately mastred Capsa, a citie dedicated to Hercules, seated in the middle of Africa, enuironed with sands, and [Page] serpents, and scaled Mulucha, built vpon a steepe mountaine, a certaine Ligurian leading vp to it vpon break-necke clifs, and high ouer-hanging places; and gaue to king Bocchus, who for kindreds sake tooke his part, a terrible ouerthrow at Cirta. Bocchus thereupon distrusting his owne estate, and fearing to be drawn into another mans ruine, as accessarie, indented for his owne peace, and safetie at the perill of Iugurtha. So that most false and slipperie man, by his father in Lawes practices ensnared, was betraid into the hands of Sulla. Thus in the end the people of Rome had the gazing [Page] vpon him, brought laden with yrons in triumph: and he againe though ouerborne, and fast bound, beheld that citie, which he like a lying prophet had sung, would one day perish, if it could once meete with a chapman. Let it notwithstanding haue beene neuer so saleable, it had a chapman in him, and, seeing he escaped not, sure wee are, that it shall neuer perish.

CHAP. II.
The Alobrogian warre.

IN this wise went things with the people of Rome in the South world.A. V. C. DCXXVIII. The troubles [Page] which brake out North ward, were farre more manifold, and horrible: no quarter is so disquietous, the skie there alwayes lowring, and the peoples natures harsh, and peeuish: the outragious enemie burst forth vpon this side, and vpon that, and from the midst it selfe of the North. The Salyans, of all the nations beyond the Alps, were the first who felt our wrath, by reason of a complaint, which they of Massilia, a friend-towne, most true, & firme to vs, had made of their incursions. The next were the Allobroges, and Aruernois, for that the Aedui implored our helpe, [Page] and assistance, against them, as vsing the like vexations. Varus, and Isara which run through Vindilicia, and the swiftest of riuers the Rhone, are witnesses of our victory, the thing which most frighted the barbarous, was the sight of the elephants, as those which matcht themselues in boistrousnes. The brauest obiect in this triumph was the king himselfe, Bituitus, presented to vs in discolourd armes, and siluer chariot, iust as hee fought. How great, and how greatly important the victory was, in the opinion of both, may be coniectured by this, that Domitius Aenobarbus, and Fabius [Page]Maximus, reared towres of stone vpon the places of battell, and fixed tropheas on their tops, adornd with the enemies spoyles, which was not our wont till then. For the people of Rome neuer vpbraided the vanquisht enemie with their ouerthrow.

CHAP. III.
The Cimbrian, Theutonicke, and Tigurin warre.

THE Cimbrians, A. V. C. DCXL. Theutons, and Tigurins, flying from the vtmost bounds of Gallia, the Ocean hauing swallowed [Page] their countreyes, sought newe habitations where they could finde them out, through the world: and being bard all entrance into Gall, & Spain, they wheeling about to Italie, sent their ambassadors to Silanus, where hee lay encamped, and from thence to the Senat, entreating that martiall common-weale to allot them out some proportions of land, in stead of pay; for which they should alwayes vse the seruice of their hands, and swords, at their good pleasure. But what land should the Roman people diuide among them, who were ready to goe together by [Page] the eares among themselues, about lawes touching the allotting out of grounds? Their petition therefore being reiected, what they could not compasse by entreaties, they concluded to winne by force. Nor could Silanus hold out against them in the first brunt of the barbarous, nor Manilius in the second, nor Caepio in the third. They were all of them defeated, and driuen out of their tents, and trenches. They had made an end of vs, had not Marius hapned to liue in that age. Yet euen hee himselfe not daring presently to encounter them, held [Page] his souldiers within their strength, till that inuincible rage, and furious onset, which goes current with the barbarous for true valour, fell. Thereupon, they marcht about back, craking, and vpbrayding vs, and asking in scorn (so confident they were of sacking the citie) what they would haue home to their wiues. Nor more slowly then was menaced, they rusht thorow the Alps, that is to say, the very barres of Italy, in three maine battels. Marius makes wondrous speed after, and out-stripping the enemy, by shortest cuts ouertakes the Theutons, [Page] who had the vantguard, at the very climbe of the Alps, in a place called Aquae Sextiae, and quite distrest them in their ouermuch security. The enemy was master of the valley, and riuer, and our men had no water to drinke at all. Whether Marius tooke that drie ground of purpose, or turn'd by wit his errour to aduantage, is doubtfull to say, but courage inforced by necessity, was for certaine, the cause of victorie. For his army crying out for water, Yee are men (quoth hee) and there it is: they fought therfore with such courage, & made such [Page] slaughter of the enemies, that the Romans hauing the day, dranke not more water out of the colour'd riuer, then they did of the bloud of the barbarous. Surely, king Theutobocchus himselfe, who was wont to vawt ouer foure, or fiue horses let together, had scarce any time to get one now for himselfe to flie away vpon, and, being apprehended in the next forest, was single an whole shew himselfe, being a person of so huge an height, as hee ouertopt the tropheas selues. The Theutons vtterly thus destroide, hee turnes vpon the Cimbrians. [Page] (who would beleeue it?) clambring ouer at the crags of Tridentum, through the snow, which makes it winter all wayes on the Alps, and raiseth them higher then naturally their ridges are, came rolling down vpon Italy in plumps. They attempted to passe the riuer Athesis, not by bridge, or boat, but according to their lubberly wits, assaid to stop it first with their bodies: but when they saw they could not stay the streame with their hands, and targets, they plasht downe trees, and so crost ouer: and had they immediately set on towards the citie, the perill had beene [Page] extremely great. But in the Venetian grounds, whose mould is in a manner the finest of all Italie, the daintinesse of the ayre, and soile entendred their spirits; and being otherwise well softned with the vse of bread, sodden flesh, and sweete wines, Marius in very good season sets vpon them: they praid him to assigne them a day of battell, which hee named to be the next of all. They ioyned in a most spacious champaine called Caudium, and there one hundred, and fortie thousand of them left their liues: so they were fewer now in the whole first number, by another third. They [Page] had the execution of the barbarous for an whole dayes space. These also taught our captaine generall to piece out manhood with martiall cunning, imitating Anibal, and his artes at Cannae: for hauing to beginne with, a mistie day, & by that an aduantage to charge them at vnaware, & the same a windie one also, which might serue to carry the dust into their eyes, and faces, Marius, making vse of all, ranged his battell towards the rising Sunne, so that the brightnesse, and repercussion of the beames vpon our helmets, made the heauens seem as if they were on fire, as was by and [Page] by, afterwards vnderstood by the captiues, nor was it a lesse worke to ouercome their wiues, then themselues. For hauing made a barricado about them with carts, and waggons, they strooke at vs from aloft, as it were from towrtoppes, with slaues, and lances. Their death was as gallant as their fight. For when the ambassage which they dispatched to Marius, could not obtaine liberty at his hands, and priesthood (nor was it lawfull) they euery-where strangled their infants, or pasht out their braines, and either, one of them kill'd the other, or making [Page] halters of their tresses of haire trust themselues vp by the necks, vpon boughs, or the rails of their carts. King Beleus fighting couragiously was beaten downe dead, and not against his will. The other battell consisting of the Tigurins, which had taken vp the smaller hils of the Norick Alps, as it were for a back, or succour to their fellowes, betaking themselues to base flight, and trading in robberies, slipt away whither they could, and vanished. These so glad, and glorious newes, concerning the libertie of Italy, and the deliuerance of the empire, came first to [Page] the peoples eares not by men, as the manner is, but (if it be not against religion to beleeue it) by the Gods themselues. For the same day, vpon which the thing was done, young men crown'd with laurel, were seene before the temple of Castor, and Pollux, reaching letters to the Praetor, and a common rumour without a knowne author, luckily ran in the theater, The Cimbrians are ouercome. Then which thing what could be more admirable, or glorious? for Rome, as if lifting her selfe on tiptoe, vpon her owne hils, she had beene present at the sight of the battell, the [Page] people, as is vsuall in a shew of sword-players, clap their hands in applause, at the self-same instant in which the Cimbrians were ouerthrowne in battell.

CHAP. IIII.
The Thracian warre.

AFter the Macedonians, the Thracians (if the Gods will) rebelled, who themselues were tributaries to the Macedonians: nor content to make inroads into the next prouinces, they did the like in Thessaly, & Dalmatia, running out as [Page] farre as to the Adrian sea, and stopping there as at natures entreatie, they threw their darts into the waues themselues, Meanewhile, there was no kinde of cruelty left vnpractised vpon the captiues, during all that time. They sacrifice mans bloud to the Gods, quaffing it out of their enemies sculls, by this kinde of mockage defiling death aswell with fire, as fume, and teare infants quick out of their mothers wombs with torments. The Sordiscans were of all the Thracians the most sauage, & had as much craft as wildenesse of courage. The situation of their [Page] woods, & mountaines conspired with their shrew'd, & wily wits. All the army therefore which Cato led, was not only put to rowt, or flight by them, but (which is like a wonder) was wholly entrapt, and way-laid. Didius beats thē back into their own Thrace as they straggled, & dispersed themselues here and there on boot-haling. Drusus draue them farther off, and forbad them to passe Danubius. Minucius destroyd them all about Aebrus, not without losse, I confesse, of many of his owne, while they ride vpon the false crusts of yce breaking vnder. Piso scowred [Page] Rhodope, and Caucasus. Curio pierced as farre as Dracia: but the gloominesse of the woods coold his courage. Appius ranne vp as farre as to Sarmatia. Lucullus to Tanais, the bounder of those nations, and to the lake Maeotis. Nor were these most mercilesse enemies otherwise tamed, then by vsing their owne measure towards them: no pitie was taken of their prisoners, but all of them rid out of the world with fire, and sword. But nothing so terrifide the barbarous, as the chopping off their hāds, by which they seemd to ouerliue their owne punishment.

[Page]

CHAP. V.
The war with Mithridates.

THe Pontick nations are planted towards the North vpon the sea on the left hand of vs,A. V. C. DCLIX. and are so called of the Pontick sea. The first king of all these nations, and countreys was Atheas, afterwards Artabazes, who descended of the seuen Persians. Mithridates comming of him, was the mightiest of them all. For whereas foure yeeres serued against Pyrrhus, & seuenteene yeeres against Anibal, he resisted fortie yeeres, till finally [Page] subdued in three huge warres, the felicity of Sulla, the vertue of Lucullus, and the mightinesse of Pompei, brought him to nothing. Hee pretended for the cause of his hostility, before lieutenant Cassius, Nicomedes of Bithynia, whom hee charged with inuading his confines. But the truth is, that blowne-out with ambition, hee coueted the monarchie of all Asia, and, if hee could, of Europe also. Our vices gaue him hope, and confidence vnto it. For being diuided among our selues with ciuill warres, the verie opportunitie allured [Page] him and Marius, Sulla, and Sertorius laid that remote side of the empire open. In these wounds of the commonweale, and amidst these tumults, this sudden whirlewinde of the Pontick warre, as if taking aduantage of the times, blew from off as it were the farmost watch-towre of the Northerne world at vnawares vpon vs, being both wearie then, and diuersely distracted. The first blast of this warre swept away Bithynia from vs in a trice. Then the like terrour fell vpon the rest of Asia. Nor were the cities, and nations thereof slow in reuolting to [Page] the king. And hee was at hand, and prest them hard, vsing crueltie as a vertue. For what was more deadly dire, then that one edict of his, by which hee commaunded all men thorow Asia, who were free of Rome, to be massacred? At that time certainely, houses, temples, altars, and all sorts of lawes, aswell diuine, as humane, were violated. But this terrour vpon Asia, vnlockt Europe also to the king. By Archelaus therefore, and Neoptolemus, hee disseised vs there of all, excepting Rhodes onely (which held for vs more firmely then the rest) of [Page] the Iles of the Cyclades, Delos, and Eubaea, yea and Athens also, the glorie it selfe of Greece. The terrour of the kings name breathed now vpon Italy it selfe, and vpon the verie citie of Rome. Lucius Sulla therefore, an excellent good man, while hee was in action of armes, and of no lesse violence, shoued the enemie backe as it were with one of his hands, from encroaching anie farther. And first hee brought Athens to such extremities by siege, that hee made that citie (what man would credit it?) which was the [Page] mother of corne, to eate mans flesh for hunger, and vndermining their port Piraeus, and more then sixe walls of theirs, after he had tamed them, yet, though himselfe called them the most ingratefull men, hee neuerthelesse restored to them their temples, and reputation, for the honor, and reuerence of deceased ancestors: and when Eubaea, & Baeotia had now chased the garrisons away which the King had billetted vpon them, hee discomfited all the royall forces together, in one set battell at Cheronaea, and in another at Orchomenus: and from thence crossing forthwith into Asia, [Page] distrest Mithridates himselfe: and there also had beene an end of the quarell, if his desire had not rather bin to haue triumpht speedily ouer the enemie then cōpletely: this was the state in which Sulla left Asia. The league with the Pontickes recouerd Bithynia of Nicomedes, and Cappadocia of Ariobarzanes; as if Asia had againe beene ours, as at the beginning: but Mithridates was but repulsed only. This course therefore daunted not the Ponticks, but set them more on fire. For the king hauing had Asia, and as it were tasted the bait of Europe, sought to recouer it now by the law [Page] of armes, not as belonging to others, but, because hee had once lost it, as his own. These fires therefore, as not sufficiently quencht, brake out into a greater flame then before; wherevpon the king repairing his armies, augmented with greater numbers thē earst; and to bee briefe, with the whole powers of his realm, he inuaded Asia againe by sea, and land, and riuers. Cyzicum a citie ennobled with a castle, walls, port, & towers of marble, beautifies the shores of Asia. Against this place, as if it were another Rome, hee bent his vtmost abilities: but the citie was encouraged [Page] to withstand vpon the newes of Lucullus his approach, who (a wondrrous thing to bee spoken) floting on a blowne bladder, and steering himself with his feete, seeming, to such as lookt-on a farre off, like some swimming whale, escaped thorow the middle of the enemies fleete: and calamitie foorthwith turning it-selfe to the other side, the king tyred with protraction of the siege, & famine bringing plague, Lucullus ouertooke him in his retreat, and made such worke among his men, that the riuers Granicus and Aesopus ranne bloud; the craftie king knowing the Romans [Page] couetousnesse, will'd his people to scatter fardles and money as they fled, to slacken the pursuers speed: neither was his flight more fortunate by sea, then it was by land; for his nauie which consisted of one hundred saile, deepe laden with munition, ouertaken with a tempest in the sea of Pontus, suffered such foule spoile, as answered the mischiefe of a battel at sea: no otherwise then as if Lucullus, beeing as it were in league with the winds, and waues, might seeme to haue giuen order to the weather, for beating down Mithridates. Though all the strengths of that most [Page] powerfull kingdome were in this wise ground to pieces, yet losses made his spirit greater. Betaking himselfe therefore to his next neighbor nations, he drew the whole East almost, and North of the world to accompanie his ruine. Iberians, Caspians, Albans, and eitherr of the Armenia's were solicited to take part, & Pompet's fortune sought euery where about for dignitie, name, and titles with which to glorifie him, who beholding Asia on fire with new combustions, and that more kings sprung still out of other, iudging it no wisedome to delay time, while in the meane space [Page] the powers of enemy-countreys might vnite themselues, he forthwith makes a bridge of boates, and, of all men before his dayes, was the first of ours who passed ouer Euphrates, and lighting vpon the flying king in the middle of Armenia, made a dispatch of the warre (how great was the happines of the man!) in one onely battel: this was fought by night, and the moone was also for vs: for shining at the backe of the enemie, as if shee were in pay on our side, and in the faces of the Romans, the Pontickes mistaking their owne shadowes, proiected long, as at her going down, [Page] laid at them as at the verie bodies of their enemies. So Mithridates was that night vtterly vanquished. For from that time forward hee was able to doe nothing, though trying all the wayes possible, after the maner of snakes, whose head being bruised, they threaten last of all with the taile. For after his escape, his meaning was to terrifie Colchos, the sea-coasts of Cilicia, and our Campania, with his sudden comming: then, ouerturning the port Pyraeus, to ioyne the countreyes together as farre as betweene Colchis, and Bosphorus, from thence to march through [Page] Thracia, Macedonia, and Greece, and so to assaile Italy vpon the sudden. These were his projects, and they went no farther. For his subiects reuolting from him, and himselfe preuented by the treason of his sonne Pharnaces, hauing labourd in vaine to effect it by poison, he kild himselfe with his sword. Meanewhile Cnaeus the Grreat, pursuing the remainders of the rebellion of Asia, flew vp, and downe at pleasure through diuers countreys, and nations. For following the Armenians towards the east, and taking Artaxata their principall citie, he granted back the kingdom [Page] to Tigranes, vpon his submission. But in marching north, towards Scythia, he guided his course by starrs▪ as if he had bin at sea; puts the Colchians to the sword; takes the Iberians to mercie, spares the Albanes, and encamping vnder mount Caucasus ir-selfe, commanded Orodes, the Cholchian king, to descend from thence into the plaine; Artoces, prince of the Iberians to giue in his children for hostages: of his own meere motion he rewards Orodes, sending vnto him out of his Albania, a couch of gold, and other gifts; then turning his forces Southward, & marching through [Page] Libanus in Syria, and Damascus, he displaid the Roman ensignes round about, passing through those odoriferous woods, and groues of balme and frankincense. The Arabians were at his seruice. The Iewes assaid to defend Hierusalem: But he forced that citie also, and saw openly that grand mysterie, as vnder a skie of beaten gold; the brethren at ods about the kingdom, and hee made vmpire, adiudged the crowne to Hircanus; claps Aristobulus into yrons for refusing to obey the award. Thus the people of Rome by Pompei their captain generall ouerrunning al Asia in the greatest [Page] breadth thereof, made that which was the vtmost prouince of the empire to bee now the middlemost: for excepting the Parthians (who did rather choose our friendship) and the Indians (who knew vs not as yet) all Asia betwene the red sea, the Caspian gulph, and the Ocean, was possest by vs, as either tamed, or distressed by the Pompeian legions.

CHAP. VI.
The warre with the Pyrates.

WHile the Romane people was held bufied in diuers [Page] parts of the world, the Cilicians inuade the seas, destroy commerce, breake the bonds of humane societie, and hinder all nauigation like a tempest. The troubles raised in Asia by the warres of Mithridates, begate boldnesse in these desperate, and raging theeues, while vnder the tumults of a forraine warre, and at the enuie of a stranger king, they roued without punishment; and contenting themselues in the beginning with the neighbouring seas, vnder Isidorus captain, they practised their robberies betwene Crete, and Cyrenae, Pyraeus, and Achaia, and cape Maleum, which [Page] they entituled Cape gold, by reason of braue booties. Publius Seruilius was employd out against them, and though he bulged their light, and nimble friggats, with his heauy, and well-appointed ships of warre, yet the victory hee got cost bloud: nor satisfyed with driuing them from of the water, hee subuerted their strongest cities, which abounded with daily-gotten pillage, as Phaselis, Olympus, and Isaurus, the principall fortresse it selfe off all Cilicia, and, vpon the conscience of his great enterprise, loued the surname Isauricus. Neuerthelesse, they could not be [Page] kept on shore, though broken at sea with so many calamities; but as certaine creatures who haue a double gift to liue in either clement, the Romans were no sooner departed from thence, but impatient of land-life, they lanch againe into their water, and somewhat farther out then formerly. So Pompey, fortunate before that time, seemed now also worthy to haue the glory of this seruice, as an accession to his imployments against Mithridates. This pestilent plague dispiersed ouer the whole sea, he resoluing to extinguish at once, and for euer, carryed his attempt [Page] with a kinde of diuine preparation. For hauing abundance of ships aswell of the Romans, as of our friends, the Rhodians, hee guarded both the sides of Pontus, and the coasts of the Ocean, with many vice-admirals, & commanders. Gellius was set to waft vpon the Tuscan sea; Plotius vpon the Sicilian; Gratillius vpon the Ligustine bay; Marcus Pomponius vpon the Gallicke; Torquatus vpon the Balearian; Tiberius Nero vpon the Gaditanian, where our seas beginne; Lentulus vpon the Libyc; Marcellinus vpon the Aegyptian; Pompeys young Sonne vpon the [Page] Adriatick; Marcus Portius vpon the very iawes of Propontis; who so shrowded his fleete, that hee watcht at that passage, as if it had beene at a gate. So all the pyrates wheresoeuer, thus enuironed, within as it were an hunting toyle, at all harbours, bayes, shelters, creekes, promontories, straights, halfe-iles, were vtterly distressed. Pompey vndertooke Cilicia, the mother, and fountaine of this warre. And the enemies were forward to fight, not for any hope they had, but because that being ouerborne, they would seeme to dare: but yet no farther, then as only [Page] to brooke the first shocke. For when they beheld the beake-heads of our clashing gallies charge in ring vpon them, they forthwith strooke saile, threw away oares, made a generall showt (a signe among them of yeelding) and begged life. A victory gaind with lesse bloudshed then this, as we at no time had, so neither did wee euer finde a people more loyall to vs then they. And that was long of our Generals high wisedome, who transplanted this broode of mariners far of, out of the very ken of the sea, and as it were teddred them fast in the vplands. Thus at the same [Page] time he recouerd the seas, for the vse of merchants, & restored to land her owne men. In this victory what should we first admire? whether celerity, because it was gotten is forty dayes? or good fortune, for that hee lost not a vessell? or finally the lastingnesse, for that there neuer was any pyrate after?

CHAP. VII.
The Creticke warre.

THe Creticke warre,A. V. C. DCXXCV. if wee will haue the truth, our selues made to our selues, onely vpon a desire to conquer [Page] that noble iland. It seemd to haue fauord Mithridates, for which seemings sake we meant to take reuenge by the sword. Marcus Antonius was the first who inuaded it, borne-vp with so wonderfull an hope, and affiance of victory, that hee fraught his ships with more fetters, then weapons. Therefore hee had the reward of his dotage. for the Cretensians intercepted most part of his nauie, and hoising the bodies of such as they tooke prisoners, vp in sailes and tacklings, rowed backe into their Ports, as it were with a forewinde in triumph. Then Metellus wasting the [Page] whole Iland with fire, and sword, pent them within their castles, and cities, Gnosus, Erythraea, and (as the Greeks are wont to speake) the mother of cities Cydona: and hee so mercilessely plagued the captiues, that most of the ilanders poysoned themselues, other sent their surrenders to Pompey absent: who busied in the enterprises of Asia, and sending Octauius to Crete, as gouernour, was laughed to scorne, for meddling in another mans prouince, and prouoked Metellus to exercise the right of a conquerour the more bitterly vpon the [Page] Cretans, and hauing vanquisht Lasthenes, and Panares, captaines of Cydona, returnd victorious, and yet brought nothing greater backe of so famous a conquest, then the surname Creticus.

CHAP. VIII.
The Balearian warre.

THe house of Metellus Macedonicus was so farre forth accustomed to warlike surnames,A. V. C. DCXXXI that the one of his sonnes obtayning the title Creticus, another of them was eft-soones stiled Balearicus. The Baleares [Page] had about the same time made the seas dangerous with their pyracies. A man would wonder that those wilde, and sauage people durst once so much as looke from their rocketoppes downe vpon the sea: But, more then so, they ventur'd foorth to sea in bungled boates, and now, and then frighted such as saild by, with suddaine on-sets, and now also when they a farre off descry'd the Roman nauie approach in the maine sea, conceiuing it to bee purchase, they had the hearts to assaile it, and at the first charge couerd it with an huge showre of small and [Page] great stone. Each of them vseth three slings in battell. Who will wonder if they bee excellent markemen, when these are the onely armes the nation hath, and are bred vp in the practice of them from their child-hoode? A boy gets no morsell at his mothers hands, but that of which shee makes a white, and which himselfe must hit. But this kind of haile did not long terrifie the Romans. After they came to hand-strookes, and felt our beake-heads, and iauelines comming, they raised a bellowing crie, like so many beasts, and fled to shore, where slipping in [Page] among the next hillockes, the first worke was to find them out, the next, to conquer them.

CHAP. IX.
The voyage into Cyprus.

THe finall destinie of Ilands was at hand.A. V. C. DCXX VII. Cyprus therefore yeelded it-selfe without warre. Of this ile, abounding in ancient riches, and, besides that, consecrated to Venus, Ptolomic was king; and the report of her wealth was such, nor that vntruely, that the people which were conquerours [Page] of the world, and accustomed to graunt away whole kingdomes, gaue in charge to Publius Claudius, a tribune of theirs, author of the motion, to confiscate that prince, though aliue, and in league with them. At the bruit whereof hee shortned his dayes by poyson. The riches of Cyprus were conueighed in barges vp the riuer Tiber by Porcius Cato, which brought more treasure to the treasury of the people of Rome, then any triumph.

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CHAP. X.
The Gallick warre.

ASia subdued by the hand of Pompey, A. V. C. DCXCV. fortune transfer'd vpon Caesar the conquest of that which was left vntoucht in Europe. And there remained the most terrible of all other nations, the Galls, and Germans: and Britaine though diuided from the whole world, yet had notwithstanding one to conquer it. The first cause of this trouble begun at the Heluetians, who seated betweene the Rhene, and Rhodanus, and their countreys [Page] prouing to narrow for their swarmes, came to demand of vs other habitations, hauing first set their townes on fire. A solemne signe among them of neuer returning thither. But we asking time for deliberation, and during that delay, when Caesar, by cutting downe the bridge ouer Rhone, had taken from them the meanes of flying away, hee by and by led backe that most warlike people into their olde homes, as a shepheard driues his flocks to their sheep-folds. The following battell which was fought against the Belgiās, was much more bloudy, as [Page] against men who fought for freedome. Here the Romans did many famous feats of armes, and this of Caesar's was most singular, that his army inclining to flie, hee snatcht the target from one who was running away, and charging vpon the face of the enemies, restored the battell with his owne hand. After this hee encountred the Veneti at sea, but the combat was greater with the Ocean then with the enemies shippes. For they were bungerly made, and mis-shapen, and had presently beene split with our beake-heads, but the shallow places hindred [Page] the fight, that the tide withdrawing vpon course, during the skirmish, the Ocean might as it were seeme to haue beene stickler in the battell. He had elsewhere also to deale with difficulties which grew from the nature of the nations, and places. The Aquitans, a subtill generation, betooke themselues to grots, and holes vnder ground: Caesar had damd them vp. The Morini slipt aside into the woods: hee commanded to fire them. Let no man say the Galls are onely fierce, they vse fraud also. Induciomarus assembled the Treuirists, Ambiorix the Eburones, [Page] and making a combination among themselues in Caesars absence, both of them found out his seueral lieutenants generall. But Titus Labienus stoutly repulsed the one of them, & brought that kings head away. The other laying an ambuscado in the vally, ouercame vs by craft, and so the campe was sackt, and the gold thereof taken. There wee lost Cotta, with Titurius Sabinus lieutenāt generall. Nor could wee euer bee-meet with that king after, for hee plaide least in sight beyond the Rhene perpetually. But Rhene, for all that, escaped vs not, as neither was it fit, [Page] that it should be a free receiuer, and defender of our enemies. But Caesar's ground of warre against the Germans was at first most iust. For the Sequani complain'd of their incursions. How great was then the pride of Ariouistus? when our ambassadours said, Come thou to Caesar? What is that Caesar? quoth the king? And let him come to mee if hee will, and what concernes it him what our Germanie doth? am I a meddler in the Roman affaires? The terrour therfore of this new nation was so great throughout the campe, that they who were of the maine battell, [Page] made euery-where their last wills, and testaments. But those giant like bodies, by how much the huger they were, by so much were they the fairer marke for a sword, or dart to hit. What the feruour of our souldiers was in the fight, cannot bee set forth in any example more clearely then in this, that when the barbarous whelm'd their shields ouer their heads, couering themselues as vnder a roofe, or pent-house, or as a tortoys vnder the shell, the Romans sprung vp vpon the shields, and from thence did cut their throats. Againe, when the Menapians complaind to [Page]vs of the Germans, Caesar passeth ouer the Mose, vpon a bridge of boats, seekes out Rhene it selfe, and the enemies, among the Hercinian woods. But all the whole race of them was fled into the wildes, and marshes, the army of the Romans appearing on a sudden on this side the banke of Rhene, strooke such an amazement among them. Nor did we crosse that riuer onely once, but againe also, and that by a bridge made ouer it. At which time their affright was much augmented, when they beheld their Rhene taken prisoner as it were, and yoaked with a [Page] bridge, betaking themselues afresh in flight to their forests, and fennie places; that which most fretted Caesar, being that hee had not whom to conquer. Thus all made ours both at land, and sea, hee casts his eye vpon the Ocean, and as if the Roman world sufficed not, his minde was set how to atchieue another. For this cause gathering a nauie, he made for Britaine. Hee crost into Britaine with marueilous speed; for weighing anchor out of the harbour of the Morini, at the third watch, hee was landed in the Iland before noone. The shores [Page] there, were full of the enemies troubled troups, and the chariots of war whirled vp and downe disorderly, their riders quaking at the wonder of the sight: their feare therefore was instead of a victorie. The timorous Britans yeelded vp their armes, and gaue hostages: and Caesar had then marcht farther, had not the Ocean giuen his shatterd fleete a sore scourging with his billowes. Thereupon he returnd into Gall, and with a greater armada, and more forces then before, did thrust out once againe into the same Ocean, and againe pursuing the same Britans into the Caledonian woods, [Page] he also caused Cauelianus, one of their kings, to bee fast bound in chaines. Contenting himselfe with this (for his intention was not to get prouinces, but glorie) he makes back into Gall with more spoiles then at first, the Oceans selfe more quiet, and fauourable, as if it confest it selfe too weake for Caesar. But the last mightiest conspiracie of the Galls, was, when that prince so dreadfull for stature, martiall skill, and courage, and whose very name seem'd deuised to strike a terrour, Vercingetorix, drew at once all the Aruernois, and Bituriges the Carnutes, and Sequani [Page] into a league, by speaking bigge among them, when the assemblies of people were thickest, as in their groues vpon festiuall, and counsel-dayes, erecting their mindes thereby for recouerie at their antient libertie. Caesar was at this time absent out of Gallia, busie in taking fresh musters of Rauenna, and the Alps themselues heapt high with winter snowes, and so the wayes cloyed vppe, they presumed hee was fast, and safe enough. But of how fortunate a rashnesse was hee at the newes? Ouer cragges, and cliffes of mountaines, thorow wayes, and drifts [Page] of snow, till that time pathlesse, hee with lightarmed bands of souldiers got into Gall, vnited his winter-camps there, which stood farre distant, and was himselfe in person in the middle of Gallia, before the remotest part feared his comming. Then assaulting the heart-strengths of the warre, hee destroy'd Auaricum, and a garrison in it of fortie thousand, and leuel'd Alexia to the ground with fire, which had two hundred, and fiftie thousand fighting men to rescue it. The whole stresse of the warre was about Gergouia. For that most spacious citie, [Page] hauing foure score thousand defendents, walls also, a castell, and craggie cliffes, was girt-in round by Caesar with workes, stakes, and a ditch through which hee drew the riuer, and with eighteene seuerall camps in the whole compasse, and an huge counterscarpe, by which meanes he tamed it first with famine, and such of the defendents as durst sally out, being either cut in pieces in the trenches with the sword, or gored vpon the stakes, hee at last constrained it to yeeld. That very king himselfe, the principall glorie of Caesars conquest, [Page] both came like an humble suitor into the campe, and throwing his caparisons, and armes at his foote, said thus vnto him, O thou most valiant of men, thou hast conquer'd a valiant man.

CHAP. XI.
The Parthian warre.

WHile the people of Rome vtterly distrest the Galls towards the North of the world, they receiue a grieuous wound in the East, by the Parthians. For which wee cannot blame [Page] fortune. The discomfiture afforded no kinde of comfort. The greedy humor of Crassus, Consul, which had neither Gods, nor men to friend, gaping for Parthian gold, cost eleuen legions their liues, and him that head of his, vpon which Metellus, Tribune of the people, had powred hostile curses at his setting out. And when the army was past Zeugma, sudden whirle-windes threw our standards into! Euphrates where they sunke: & when he encamped at Nicephorium, ambassadours, from king Orodes summon'd him to remember the leagues which Parthians [Page] had formerly made with Pompey, and Sulla; but his minde wholy bent how to swallow the treasures of that realme, without pretending so much as an imaginary cause of warre, only said, he would answer at Seleucia. The Gods therfore, who take reuenge for violating publike leagues, did both prosper the stratagems, and strokes of the enemies. For first, Euphrates, the onely riuer to conueigh our victuals, and defend vs, was now betweene vs, and home; then againe, credit was giuen to a certaine counterfeit fugitiue, one Mazara, a Syrian, who trayning the [Page] army out into the midst of the open desarts of the country, betrayd it to the enemy on all sides, Crassus therefore was scarce approached to Carrhae, when Syllax, and Surena, the kings chiefe captaines, display'd & florisht their flags wouen of silke, and gold. And presently thereupon the enemies Cauallery gaue in on euery hand, powring their shot of arrowes vpon vs as thicke as the drops of haile, or raine. So the legions beaten miserably to the earth, himselfe allured out to a parley, had, vpon a signe giuen by the enemy, come quick into their hands, if the resistance of [Page] the Tribunes had not moued the barbarous to preuent his escape by killing him. That notwithstanding, they chopt off his head, & made themselues merrie with it. As for his sonne, they ouerwhelm'd him with shot, euen almost in his fathers sight. The remaines of that vnfortunate host shifting each man for himselfe, & scatter'd by flight into Armenia, Cilicia, and Syria, did scarce afford a man aliue to bring the newes. The head, and right hand of Crassus were brought to king Orodes, & made sport for him, nor that vnfitly. For they powr'd molten gold in at [Page] his open mouth, that hee who was on fire with the thirst of gold while hee liued, his dead, & bloudlesse carcase might haue enough thereof to serue his turne.

CHAP. XII.
The recapitulation.

THis is that third transmarine age of the people of Rome, in which employing themselues vpon exploits out of Italy, they display'd their aduenturous armes ouer the whole earth. Of which age, the first hundred yeeres were holy, pious, & (as we haue [Page] already said) the age of gold, voide of hainous fact, or foule black deed, all the while the simplenesse, and puritie of that shepheardish originall continued, and the immiuent feare of the Paenish-men maintain'd among vs ancient discipline. The other hundred yeeres (which wee reckon from the destruction of Carthage, Corinth, Numance, and from the date of the last will, and testament of king Attalus (in which hee deuised his kingdome in Asia) vp to Caesar, and Pompey, and to Augustus, who followed them) as the glorie of martial acts made stately great, [Page] of so vast domestick mischiefes made wretched, & worthie to bee blushed at. For as it was noble, and goodly to haue conquer'd Gallia, Thrace, and Cilicia, most fertil, and most powrfull prouinces, the Armenians also, & Britans, great names, but more for the honour of the empire, then for the vses thereof: so was it a brutish, and a shamefull thing to fight, and bicker at home, at the same time, with our owne citizens, associates, bondmen, fencers, and the whole Senate with it selfe. And I know not, whether it had not beene better for the people of Rome [Page] to haue rested content with Sicilia, and Africk, yea, or to haue wanted them also, hauing Italie at command, then to growe to such greatnesse as to bee consumed with their proper strengths. For what other things else bred ciuill furies, but the too much ranknesse of prosperitie? The first thing which corrupted vs, was the conquest of Syria, & next after that, the heritage of the king of Pergamus in Asia. The wealth, and riches of those countries were the things which crusht vnder them the morall vertues of that age, and ouerthrew the cōmonweal drownd in her [Page] owne vices as in a common sinke. For what cause was there why the people of Rome should stand so hard for fields, or foode, but as they were driuen by the hunger which prodigalitie had procured? From hence therefore sprang the first, and second Gracchan seditions, & that third Appuleian. And out of what other ground did it growe, that the knights, and gentlemen of Rome separated themselues from the Lords, to haue soueraigne power in seates of iudgement, but meerely out of couetousnes, that so they might conuert to priuate lucre the customary paiments due to the [Page] State, and euen iudgements in law it self? This brought in the promise of making all Latium free of Rome. from whence rose the war with associats. And what bred the warre with bondmen? what? but the great nūber of them in families? whence came the armies of fensers against their owners, but for the excessiue prodigality vsed in showes for gaining popular fauour? While the Romans giue themselues ouer to showes of sword-players, they brought that to bee a profession, and Arte, which was before those times the punishment of enemies. And, to touch our more [Page] gallant vices, was it not ouer-much wealth which stirr'd among vs riualities in honours? Or did not the stormes of Marius, and Sylla, and the magnificent furniture of feasts, & sumptuous presents, rise out of that abundance, which are long would bring forth beggerie? This was it which made Catiline fall foule vpon his countrey. To bee briefe, what other fountaine had that very desire in some of soueraignty, & to rule alone, but too much store of wealth? But that desire did mutually arme Caesar and Pompey with those mortall enmities, which like the furies [Page] firebrands set Rome on a bright blaze. Our purpose therefore is, to handle these ciuill quarrels, distinguished from iust, and foreine warres, in order as they fall.

CHAP. XIII.
Of the Gracchan Lawes.

THe power of the Tribunes stir'd the causes of all seditions, vnder pretext of defending the common people, for whose helpe that power was ordained, but in very truth that the Tribunes might ingrosse absolute authoritie to themselues, [Page] and for that cause courted the commons for their speciall fauour, & good will, by enacting lawes which allotted them land, corne, and seates of iudgement, gratis. There was a colour of equitie in each; for what so iust, as the people to receiue their right at the hands of the Fathers of the State? for them who were the lords of nations, and possessors of the earth, not to liue like strangers to their owne homes, and temples? what more reasonable, then that the poor should liue vpon their own eschequer? what could be more effectuall to make the templer of liberty euen, and [Page] indifferent? then the Senate gouerning prouinces, that the cheualrie, and gentlemen of Rome, to support their authoritie at home, should haue the as it were kingdome of iudgementseates? Yet euen these very things turnd pernicious, & the wofull common-weale came thereby to be the wages of her proper ouerthrow: for the cheualrie, and inferiour nobles being made iudges, which till then the lords of Counsell were, they purloynd the publike incomes, that is to say, the patrimonie of the empire; and the paying for the common peoples corn out of the publike money, [Page] suckt dry the very sinewes of State, the treasury: and how could the cōmon sort be made landed men, without eiecting thē who were already in possession, and were themselues also a portion of the people? and who held their seates of abode, left them from their ancestors, by prescription, as a title of inheritance.

CHAP. XIIII.
The sedition of Tiberius Gracchus.

TIBERIVS GRACCHVS, who had not his equall for birth, person, & eloquence, [Page] kindled the first firebrand of contention. This man, whether for feare that the yeelding-vp of Mancinus, might also reach to him, because hee was a surety for our part of the league at Numance, becomming popular; or carryed as in point of honour for the common good, because pittying to see the people of Rome, thrust out of their owne lands, though conquerours of nations, and owners in possession of the world, he would prouide that they should not liue like persons banished from their household Gods, and houses; or what other motiue soeuer else did set him on [Page] worke to dare so mightie a matter; true it is, that when the day of propounding the law was come, hee hauing an huge troope to guard him, mounted the Rostra, nor wanted there in readines all the nobility against him, and the Tribunes of the people in sides. At which time Gracchus seeing Marcus Octauius crosse his propositions, he pusht him downe from the Rostra with his hand, contrary to the religious respect of brotherhood in office, and the nature of their authority, and put him into that feare of present death, as he was compeld to giue ouer his Tribuneship: [Page] and after this sort getting himselfe to be created one of the three for parting the lands, when vpon a comitiall day hee labourd to haue his authoritie continued for a longer time, thereby to make good his beginnings, the nobility, and those whom hee had disseised opposing him, they fell to killing in the Forum,Caedes à faro coepit. and then through the city; and flying from thence to the Capitol, when touching his head with his hand to exhort the people, as by a signe, to stand vpon their guard for their liues, it seemd as if hee demanded a diadem: thereupon Scipie Nasica inciting the people [Page] to runne to their weapons, he was beaten to the earth, and slaine, as it were by course of iustice.

CHAP. XV.
The sedition of Caius Gracchus.

CAius Gracchus waxt forth with no lesse hot in reuenge of his brothers both death,A. V. C. DCXXX II. and lawes, and with equall vprore, and terror, as hee, putting the common sort into possession of their forefathers lands, promising to share among them the late bequeathed kingdome of Attalus, for [Page] their maintenance. And now growne ouer-mighty, and powerfull by being made Tribune againe, hee was followed with the commons as he flung vp, & downe, so that when Minucius the Tribune aduentured to abrogate his laws, he trusting to the strength of his complices, inuaded the Capitol, a place fatal to his house, and family. But beaten from that attempt with the slaughter of his nerest friends, he withdrew himselfe to mount Auentine. But the forces of the Senate meeting him, there hee was destroy'd by Opimius, Consul. There was insulting vpon the dead [Page] carcase also, and they who muthred him, had for reward the weight of his head in gold, the head of a Tribune of the people, religiously sacred, and not to haue beene violated.

CHAP. XVI.
The Appulcian sedition.

ALl this notwithstanding,A. V. C. DCLIII. Appuleius Saturninus desisted not from pressing to make good the Gracchan lawes. The fauour of Marius gaue so much boldnesse to the man, being euer an enemy to the nobility, and presuming [Page] the more because Marius was Consul, that openly killing Aulus Nonius, in the generall assembly, his competitor in the Tribuneship, hee attempted to bring in Caius Gracchus in his stead, a fellow of no tribe, nor name, but foysting in a pedigree, adopted himselfe into the family. Thus keeping such tragicall reuels in the state without being once call'd to account for them, hee bent his wittes so earnestly to establish the Gracchan lawes, as hee forced the Senate to sweare to what he would, threatning the refusers to forbid them fire, and water. There was [Page] one neuerthelesse found, who did rather choose to bee banished. Therefore when Metellus was once fled, all the lords quailing, and Appuleius tyrannizing, now the third time Tribune, grew so outragious, as hee troubled euen the very general assēblies made for election of Consuls with new slaughter. For, that Glaucias, the vpholder and minister of his madnesse, might be made Consul, he cōmanded his competitor Caius Memmius to be slain: & when in that embroilement those of his guard call'd him KING, he heard them gladly; but then, by the ioynt opposition of the [Page] Senate, Marius the Consul himselfe now also making one, because hee was not able to beare him out, the battels ioyn'd in the Forū. From whence Appuleius being beaten, he seiz'd vpō the Capitol. But there they besieged him by cutting off the condit-pipes. Whervpon his lieutenants assuring the Senate he was sorry for what was passed, hee came down out of the castell, & was receiued, together with the leaders of his faction, into the Curia. Into which the people breaking forceably, ouerwhelm'd him with clubs, and stones, and tore him also to pieces as he was in dying.

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CHAP. XVII.
The Drusin sedition.

LAST of these boute-feus was Liuius Drusus, A. V. C. DCLXII. who bearing himselfe strong not onely vpon the force of his Tribuneship, but vpon the authority of the Senate also, and hauing the consent of all Italy, attempted to induce the same lawes; and while hee serues turnes of one thing after another, hee kindled such a fire, that the very first flash therof could not be endured: and himselfe taken off by sudden death, left a long hereditarie [Page] quarrel vpon his posterity. Caius Gracchus by enacting that law, Which tooke the office of iudges from the Senate, and conferr'd it vpon the knights, and gentlemen, had diuided the people of Rome, and made it a double-headed citie, which was but single before. And the Gentrie, bold vpon their so mighty power, as hauing thereby the fates, and estates of the Senatours, and the liues of princes in their hand, forestall'd the publike reuenewes, and excises, and robb'd the common-weale in their owne right. The Senate, weakned by the banishment of Metellus, [Page]and the condemnation of Rutilius had lost all the grace of maiestie. In this condition of things, Seruilius Caepio standing for the Gentrie, and Liuius Drusus for the Senate, two men of equall riches, courage, and calling (which bred that emulation against Drusus) ensignes, standards, and banners were vpon the point to aduance. Thus differ'd they together in one citie, as if it had beene in two camps. Caepio gaue the first on-set to the Senate, and cull'd out Scaurus, and Philip, the chiefes of the nobility, as persons guilty of practising for places. Drusus, to resist [Page] these commotions, wanne the people to him by the Gracchan lawes, and drew the associats of Rome to the people, by giuing hope that they should all bee made free of the citie. This speech of his is yet remembred, that hee had left nothing in the state to bee giuen to any one, vnlesse that partie had a minde to make a partition of mudde, and clowds. The day of promulgation of the law was come, and so great was the concourse from all quarters about, that the citie seem'd as if besieged with the approach of enemies. Philip, Consul, durst notwithstanding speake against [Page] the lawes. But the vsher of the Court taking him by the throat, did not let him goe till the bloud started into his face, and eyes. So the lawes were enacted perforce, and commanded to passe for current. Our fellowes, or associats call'd out of hand for the reward of their partaking. Which Drusus vnable to performe, and sicke of the troubles into which he had rashly entred, died in season, confidering the danger. But our fellowes in armes forbare not neuerthelesse to seeke the accomplishment of Drusus his promises, by hostility.

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CHAP. XVIII.
The Social warre.

THe warre against our fellowes & associats,A. V. C. DCLXIII howsoeuer it be termed but the Social warre, that so we might extenuate the enuy; yet, if wee will haue the truth, it was a ciuill warre. Because the people of Rome hauing mixt the Etruscans, Latins, and Sabins, and deriuing one bloud out of all, made an entire body out of parts, and of them all together is but one. Nor was the rebellion of our associats within Italy, lesse heinous then that of [Page] the Romans within the citie. When therefore our fellowes, and allyes most iustly demanded equall priuiledge with the Romans, whose greatnes they had increased with their supports, and to the hope whereof Drusus had raized them vpon a desire to predominate; and when also he was opprest by the wickednesse of those at home; the same firebrand of mischiefe which consumed him, inflamed our cō panions and allyes, to take armes, and force the citie: what thing could be sadder thē this vast mischief? what more calamitous? when all Latium, & [...] [Page] Etruria, and Campania, finally Italie, rose ioyntly in armes against the mother, and foster citie? when euery armie of our most valiant, and most loyall fellowes had vnder each ensigne those municipall bad members, and monsters of men? Popedius led the Marses, and Latins, Afranius the Vmbrians, the whole Senate, and Consuls, Samnium, Telesinus led Lucania, when the people, which was the disposer of kings, and nations, could not gouerne it-selfe, so that Rome conqueresse of Asia, and Europe might bee assailed from Corfinium. The beginning of the warre was [Page] plotted to be in mount Alban, where, on the festiuali day of the Latins, Sextus Iulius Caesar, and Marcius Philippus, Consuls, should haue beene sacrificed betweene the rites,sacra. and the altars: but that treason being frustrated by discoury, the whole cōspiracie brake out in Asculum, our ambassadours who were then present in that citie, being killd in the assembly it-self, at the publike playes. This was the solemne signe of the wicked war, and from thence the alarme was euery-where taken by al the parts of Italie, Popedius posting vp and downe, as the captaine, and author of it. [Page] Neither Pyrrhus, nor Aniball committed so great a spoile. Behold, Ocriculam, behold Grumentum, behold Faesulae, Carscoli, Nuceria, and Picentes are wasted with slaughter, sword, and fire. The armie of Rutilius is discomfired, discomfited also is that of Caepio's: for Lucius Iulius Caesar himself, when the armie, which he led, was ouerthrowne, & his dead body brought all bloudy into Rome, made such a solitarinesse with the pitious spectacle, that one might haue euen past through the middle of the citie quietly. But the great good fortune of the people of Rome, alwayes better [Page] when at worst, puts at last their vniuersal forces to the worke, singling out seuerall captaines against seuerall people; Cato scatters the Etruscans, Gabinius the Marses, Carbo the Lucans, Sylla the Samnites. But Strabo Pompeius hauing made hauocke of all with fire, and sword, neuer gaue ouer destroying, till he had sacrificed the subuersion of Asculum to the ghosts of so many Consulary armies, and to the Gods of so manie ransackt cities.

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CHAP. XIX.
The bondmens warre.

THough wee fought with our associates (an hainous matter) yet were they free-men howsoeuer, and at leastwise generous persons. Who can patiently brook, that the soueraigne people of the earth should arme against their slaues? The first troubles of that base nature were attempted in the yonger dayes of Rome, & within the citie it-selfe, by Herdonius Sabinus, captaine, when the state busied with the quarrels stirred by the Tribunes, the Capitoll was [Page] besieged, and taken by the Consull. But this was rather an vprore then a war. But now, the empire being mightily enlarged with diuers countreys, who would beleeue that the Iland of Sicilie should be more cruelly wasted in the warre against slaues, then in the Carthaginian? An excellent corne countrey, and as it were a purlieu of Rome, where the Latine people had their farmes, and granges; for furniture of tillage ther wer very many bride-wels, & husbandmen kept in chaines, which ministred matter for warre. A certaine Syrian called Eunus (the great mischiefs he did, [Page] makes vs remember his name) faining himselfe inspired with a diuine furie, while hee vaunts the ceremonies of his Syrian goddesse, call'd bondmen to armes, and libertie, as it were by authoritie from heauen: and to get credit in that point, he iuggled a nut into his mouth, filld with brimstone, and fire, and blowing it softly, spat fire as he spake. This coozning wonder drew at the very first two thousand of such as came in his way, and eftsoones breaking vp the worke-iails, or bride-wells, by right of warre, he made vp an host of aboue fortie thousand: & that nothing [Page] might bee wanting to the euill, hee pranckt himselfe vp like a king in royall ornaments, and made miserable spoile of castles, towns, and villages: for a last disgrace, the campes of our Praetors were taken by him; nor shames it to tell their names; the camps of Manlius, Lentulus, Piso, Hysaeus. They therefore who ought to haue beene fetcht backe by officers as fugitiues, pursued our Pratorian Generals, whome they had made to runne away in set battell. In the end yet we had the punishing of them, Publius Rupilius, our captaine Generall: for after he had vanquisht [Page] them in the field, and last of all besieged them in Enna, where hunger, like a plague of pestilence, consumed them, hee bound the remaynes of those strong theeues, in chaines, and fetters, & trussed them on gallowses: and for this seruice contented himselfe with anouation, lest he should dishonour the dignitie of triumph, with carrying in the inscription, the title of villaines. The Iland had scarce taken breath, when by and by wee came from the bondmen, and the Syrian to the Cilician. Athenio, a shepheard swaine, murthers his master, and freeing his fellowes out of [Page] the work-iayle, puts them vnder banners into battel-ray: himselfe in a robe of purple, with a staffe of siluer, and about his head a royall wreath, pieceth together no lesse an armie then the former mad man, but rageth farre more eagerly against masters, and bondmen, as if against fugitiues, and as if he would reuenge the Sicilian bond-slaues cause, sacking castles, townes, and villages. This varlet also had the killing of Praetorian armies, the campe of Seruilius taken by him, and that of Lucullus in like sort. But Aquilius, vsing the example of Publius Rupilius, vtterly distrest the [Page] enemie by staruing, & they who were otherwise hard to ouercome by force, hee easily destroid by famine: it was their desire to haue yeelded, but through the fear of the pains of punishment, they preferred voluntarie death: nay, wee could not take vengeance vpon the ringleader himselfe, though he came aliue into our hands: for very many striuing together whose prisoner hee should be, the prey was torne in pieces while they wrangled about that interest.

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CHAP. XX.
The warre with Spartacus.

BVt bee it that wee brooke the dishonour of the bondmens warre;A. V. C. DCLXXX for they are lyable to good, or euill at fortunes pleasure, & thogh they are but as it were a second kinde of men, yet by enfranchisemēt they are neuerthelesse adopted sometime into the sweets of our freedome; the warre which Spartacus raysed, I am ignorant how to call it: for where villaines were the souldiers, and sword players the captaines, those [Page] the basest of men, these augmented the worst of euils with the scorne of so vile indignitie. Spartacus, Crixus, and Oenoma breaking vp Lentulus his schole of fence, with three score and ten such companions as themselues, or more, burst out of Capua, and calling bondmen to their banners, and assistance, when aboue ten thousand sturdie bodies were assembled, they were not then contented onely to escape, but they would also bee reuenged. The first, as it were alter, which pleased them, was mount Vesuuius. There being besieged by Clodius Glaber, they slipt [Page] downe the rifts of the hollow mountaine by ropes of twigges, and descended to the lowest rootes thereof, and suddenly forcing an entrie at an issue of the camp, where no such danger was dreamt of, did surprize it: after that, other camps also. Then roue, and wander they ouer Vhora, and all Campania▪ nor satisfied with wasting villages, and hamlers, they make a terrible destruction in Nola, Nuceria, Thurij, and Metapont. Their numbers daily so increasing; as that now they were a full army, they make bucklers of wouen osiars, couerd with hides of beasts, and [Page] forge out the yron of their worke-iayles into swords, and tooles of warre. And that no grace of a full hoste of men might be wanting, they backe the horse which they found at aduentures, to raise a cauallery, and brought to their captaine the ensignes, and fasces which were taken from our Pretors. Nor refused hee to vse them, though of an hireling Thracian becomming a souldier, of a souldier a fugitiue, then a strong theefe, and last of all, vpon trust of his abilities of body, a sword-player: who celebrated the death of his owne captaines slaine in battell, with princely exequies, [Page] commanding such as he tooke prisoners, to fight at sharp about the funerall fire, as if it would cleere all passed disgrace, if of a sword-player, he became a giuer of sword-games. After this, setting also vpon Consuls, he cut in pieces the army of Lentulus in the Appennine, raised the camp of Caius Cassius at Mutina. Puft vp with these successes, hee deliberated (which is enough to shame vs) of inuading Rome it selfe. So, in the end, we were glad to put al our strengths against a challenger at sharp,mirmillo. & Licinius Crassus was the man who recouered our honour: for the enemies (it is a [Page] shame to giue them that stile) beaten, and chased by him, fled into the farthermost nooks of Italie: there they being shut vp into a corner of Brutium, prepared to escape into Sicilie, but wanted shipping, and hauing tride to supply that defect with boats of hurdles, and barrels bound together with twigs, but al in vain, by reason the current was too swift, at last making a sally, they dyed like men, and (which was as it should bee where the captaine was a sword-player) they fought without leaue.sine missisne. Spartacus himselfe behauing himselfe most valiantly in the front, or head of [Page] the battell, was slaine as Prince and Generall.

CHAP. XXI.
The ciuill warre of Marius.

THis onely thing was wanting to make vp the euils of the people of Rome to the full,A. V. C. DCLXV. that there should bee a paricidiall warre among themselues at home, and that citizens should encounter citizens, as if they were fencers, or sword-players, in the heart, and Forum of the citie, as in a fighting ground, or theatrall Sand. Howsoeuer, it [Page] would grieue me the lesse, had the leaders of that wickednesse bin base companions, or if noblemen borne, yet debosht in their manners. But O the sinne! what men! what chiefes! when they were the ornaments, and glories of their age, Marius and Sulla, who vpheld that worst of hainous euils with their vtmost countenance. Things, so to say, were planetstrucken with three bad influences; the first slight, and little, and more properly a broyle, then a war, the cruelty, such as it was, staying among the captaines of the quarell themselues; but the next was [Page] more grimme, and bloudy, such as had the vpper hand embrewing their weapons in the bowels of all the Senate; the third outwent, in the rage thereof, not ciuill only, but hostill furie, when the madnesse of reuenge had all the strengths of Italie to bolster it, their hatred one of the other raging so long, as till none were left to kill. The beginning, and cause of the warre, was the insatiable thirst of honour in Marius, while he labourd by the law of Sulpitius to take from Sulla his decreed employment: but Sulla, impatient of the iniurie, forthwith turned about with the legions which were [Page] vnder his command, and deferring the warre of Mithridates, marcht into the citie at port Esquiline, and Colline gate in two great battalions: from whence, when Sulpitius, and Albinouanus had suddenly repulsed them, and logges, & stones, and tooles were hurld vpon all sides from off the walles, Sulla also falls to throwing, openeth his passage with fire, and possesseth as a conquerour the captiue Capitoll, that fort which had escaped the Paenish-men, yea and the Galli Senones also. Then by an act of the Senate, Sulla's aduersaries proclaimed enemies of the State, [Page] they had law on their side to rage against the present Tribune, and most of the contrary faction. Marius by seruill flight saued himselfe, or rather, fortune kept him in store for another warre. Cornelius Cinna, Cnaeus Octauius Consuls, the fire which was not well put out rose afresh, and that certainely by reason of the disagreement, when it was referred to the people, whether such as the Senate had proclaymed enemies should bee recalled. They came to this generall assembly with their swords about them: but they preuailing who wished quietnesse, Cinna, leauing the [Page] citie, posted to his party. Marius returnes from Africa, the greater for calamity, because prison, chaines, flight, and banishment had endeare his dignitie. At the name therefore of so great a man, there is flocking to him from far, and neere, bondmen (O the hainousnesse!) & sturdy rogues were armd: and the distressed Generall easily found an army: so that, as demanding restitution to his countrey, out of which he was expelled by force, he might well seeme to haue good reason for his doing, had hee not otherwise wrought his cause by cruelty: but returning discontented [Page] with Gods and men, the hauen-towne Ostia a pupill, and foster-child of Rome, was at the first assault taken, and with horrible destruction pillaged. From thence he enters the citie in foure battels, Cinna, Marius, Carbo, and Sertorius leading them, where, after that the whole band of Octauius was beaten from mount Ianiculum, presently, vpon a signe giuen, they fell to killing the princes, and chiefe lords, much more sauagely then is vsed either in a Paenish, or a Cimbrian citie. The head of Octauius, Consul, was pitcht vpon a pole before the Rostra, and [Page] the head of Antonius, a Consularie man, was set on the boord before Marius himselfe: Casar, and Fimbria were murthred in that place of their houses where their household Gods stood, and Crassus the father, and son, each insight of other. Bebius, and Numitor were drawne with the hangmans hookes through the middle of the Forum. Catulus freed himselfe from being made the scorne of his enemies by smothering. Merula, Iupiters priest, bespurtled the eyes of Ioue himself, with the bloud which sprung out of his veines in the Capitol. [Page] Ancharius was runne through, Marius himselfe looking on, because when Marius saluted him, hee reacht not out forsooth that fatall hand of his. These Senators he massacred between the Calends, and Ides of Ianuary, in that seuenth Consulship of his. What would haue become of things, if after that proportion of killing hee had beene Consul but a yeere? Scipio, and Norbanus Consuls, that third worst whirlwinde of ciuill surie thundred forth with all the violence it had; at which time seuen legions of the one side, on another fiue hundred cohorts stood in [Page] armes, and Sulla hastned out of Asia with a victorious army. And certainely, Marius hauing shewed himselfe so mercilesse towards Sulla's friends, how great cruelty was there neede of, for Sulla to bee euen with Marius? Their first encounter was at Capua by the riuer Vulturnus, and there the army of Norbanus was quickly ouerthrowne, and all Scipio's forces, vpon colourable ouerture of peace, speedily oppressed. Then Marius the yonger, and Carbo, Consuls, as if the hope they had to get the victorie were quite dead, yet not to perish vnreuenged, [Page] they parentated to themselues with the bloud of the Senate. And besetting the Senate-house, such of the Senate, whose throats they meant to cut, were drawne out from thence, as out of a sheep-penne, or prison. What slaughters were there in the Forum, in the Circus, and open Temples? For MVTIVS SCAEVOLA, the priest, embracing the altar of Vesta in his atmes, is onely not buried in her fire. Lamponius, and Telesinus, ringleaders of the Samnits, waste Campania, and Etruria more dreadfully then Pyrrhus and Annibal did, [Page] and vnder the colour of siding, reuenge themselues. The whole forces of the enemies were quite distrest at Sacriport, and port Collin, or Hill-gate. There Marius, and here Telesinus were destroyed. But warre, and slaughter ended not together. For the sword was vnsheathed euen in peace, and they who freely yeelded themselues, were also depriued of their liues. It is not lesse hainous, that Sulla, at Sacriport and Hill-gate, did cut in pieces aboue threescore and ten thousand. But then it was war. Hee commanded aboue foure thousand vnarmed [Page] citizens, who had yeelded themselues, to bee put to the sword in the publike village. These though so many slaine in cold bloud, yet are no more then foure thousand. But who can number them who were kill'd euery-where thorowout the citie by any one who lifted? till Furfidius admonished, that some ought to bee left aliue, that there might be ouer whom to commaund. Hereupon was that huge table hung out, in which two thousand by name, cull'd forth of the very flowre of the Senate, knights, and gentlemen, were proclaimed to die. [Page] A new kinde of edict. It were tedious, after al these things, to historifie the killing in cruel sport of Carbo, of Soranus, the Praetor, and of Venuleius, and how Baebius was not slaine with the sword, but torne in pieces with hands, as with the pawes of sauage beasts. How Marius, brother of the Generall Marius, was thrust with his eyes, hands, and thighes into the earth, before the tombe of Catulus, and in that state kept so aliue, as hee might sensibly feele himselfe die in euery part. To let passe almost all the seuerall formes of death vsed vpon seuerall persons: the statelyest [Page] free-townes of Italy were sold as at an outrop, who would giue most, Spoletum, Interamnium, Praeneste, Fluentia. For as for Sulmo, that ancient confederate, and friend-citie, not yet conquer'd, Sulla (O vnworthy fact!) commanded it to bee vtterly razed, condemning it no otherwise then as hostages condemn'd by the law of armes, and accordingly sentenced to death, are commanded forth to execution.

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CHAP. XXII.
The warre with Sertorius.

WHat other thing else was the Sertorian warre,A. V. C. DCLX XIV. then the inheritance of Sulla's proscription? Whether I should stile it an hostile, or a ciuill warre, I know not, as that which the Lusitanians, and Celtiberians acted, hauing a Roman to their Generall. Hee was a man of an excellent rare, but of a disastrous valour, out-law'd for his life, and flying that most deadly proclamation, hee tossed both sea, and land with [Page] mixture of his miseries: and trying his fortune now in Africa, then in the Balearies, and sent from thence into the Ocean, past thorow to the Fortunateilands, and lastly armed Spaine, where, as a man with men, hee easily made head, nor did the couragious brauerie of Spanish souldiers appeare in any place more plainely, then when a Roman led them, though not contented with Spaine alone, he minded Mithridates also, and the Ponticks, ayding him with a nauie. What had beene able to resist so potent an enemie? The world could not withstand [Page] by onely one captains meanes. Cnaeus Pompeius was ioyned to Metellus. They wasted the puissance of Sertorius in battell, though it was long first, and neuer but with doubtfull fight, nor at last by faire warre; for hee was dispatcht through the villanie, and treason of his familiar friends: and our captaines hauing traced his armies almost ouer all Spaine, did neuer encounter his, but the battell was alwayes long, and hazardous. The first proofe wee made of his abilities was by lieutenants generall, when Domitius, and Thorius vpon the one side, and the [Page] Herculeij vpon the other made some light skirmishes: but these being eftsoones slaine at Segouia, and those at the riuer Anas, the Generals themselues comming to try it out in person at Lauro, and Sucron, parted each with equall mischiefe done to either. They turning then their power to waste the countrey, and these to the subuersion of cities, wretched Spaine smarted for the quarrels of the Roman captaines one against the other, till such time as Sertorius muthered by practice of his house-hold friends, and conquer'd Perperna, submitting himselfe, [Page] the cities Osea, Terme, Tutia, Valentia, Auximia, and, which had endured the worst of hunger, Calaguris, sware feaulty to the Romans. So Spaine receiued into peace, the victorious Generals had rather it should seeme a foraine warre then a ciuill, because they would triumph.

CHAP. XXIII.
The ciuill warre vnder Lepidus.

MArcus Lepidꝰ, A. V. C. DCLXXV. Quintus Catulus, Consuls, the ciuill warre was almost sooner determined then taken in hand. [Page] But how much, and how far soeuer in compasse the firebrand of that commotion blazed, it rose all out of Sylla's ashes: for Lepidus, in his insolencie, desirous to innouate, prepared to annull the acts of that mighty man, nor without good cause, if at least wise it could haue beene done without great calamitie to the common-weale. For when Sulla, the Dictator, had by the aduantage of the vpper hand, proscribed his enemies; such of them as ouerliued, being recalled from banishment by Lepidus, to what else were they called but to warre? and when the goods of attainted [Page] citizens were adiudged, and giuen away by Sulla vnto others, though they were but badly taken, yet being they were taken by law, the repleuin of them did doubtlesly endanger the greene raw peace of the State. For which respect it was expedient that the common-weale sore sicke, and hurt, should rest it selfe howsoeuer, lest the wounds thereof should breake out, and bleede afresh in the curing. When therefore he had frighted the citie with his turbulent orations, as with an alarme, he went into Etruria, and from thence presented an armie against Rome. But, before [Page] this time, Lentulus, Catulus, and Cnaeus Pompeius, the captaines, and as it were ensigne-bearers of Sulla's tyranny, had planted an army at Miluius bridge, & mount Ianiculus: and by them repulsed at the very first brunt, and proclaimed traitor by the Senate, hee fled backe without bloudshed into Etruria; from thence retired to Sardinia; and there in sicknesse, and repentance ended his dayes. The victors, a thing rarely seene in ciuill warres, moderated their affections, and contented themselues to hold all quiet.

Deo gratias.

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THE HISTORIE OF THE ROMANS. The fourth Booke.

CHAP. I.
CATALINES warre.

CATALINE,A. V. C. DCXC. mooued to it, first with riot, and then with want, the effect of that excesse, together with the opportunitie, [Page] our armies beeing then in warfare at the vtmost bounds of the earth, was thrust into a treason for inthralment of his natiue countrey, for assassinate of the Senatours, for murther of the Consuls, for firing the citie in many places at once, for robbing the Exchequer, and in a word, for vtter extirpation of all common-weale, and for doing that, whatsoeuer else, which euen Anniball himselfe would not haue seem'd to haue wished. All which purposes, with what complices (O the sinne!) were they by him attempted? himselfe a Patritian, a Senatour of the highest [Page] ranke; but that is not so much: there were in of the Curij, Porcij, Sullae, Cethegi, Autronij, Vargunteij, and Longini: and what potentates were they by birth? what ornaments of the Senate? Lentulus likewise, chiefely at that time Praetor, had all of these for a blacke guard to his most black designes. Mans bloud was added as a pledge of the conspiracie, which carried about in cups and goblets, they dranke: a most horrible thing, had not the end, for which they dranke it, beene more horrible. The goodliest empire vnder heauen had seene the last daies of it selfe, had not [Page] that plot hapned in the Consulship of Cicero, and Antonius, one of which discouered the same by his diligence, the other confounded it by force. The intelligence of this so vast a treason was giuen by Fuluia, a base cheape trull, but not so wicked as to be guiltie of paricide. Then Cicero the Consull, calling a Senate, made an oration against the hainous traytor to his face, against the guiltie person there in presence, but wrought no greater effect then onely to make the foe shift for himselfe, and openly professing to bee such, threatned to put out the fire with pulling downe all. [Page] So he departs to the armie which Manlius had prepared in Etruria, with purpose to assaile the citie. Lentulus, diuining that himself was the man of his family, to whom soueraigntie was destinated in Sibylls verses, had in fit places, against the set day, dispersed men, fireworkes, and weapons ouer the whole citie: nor contented with complices at home onely, the ambassadours of the Allobroges, at that time, as it hapned, in towne, were dealt with, to stirre their nation to armes: and the frensie had gadded ouer the Alpes, if vpon another discouerie made by Vulturius, the letters of the [Page] Praetor had not beene attached in the going. Hands were hereupon forthwith laid, at Cicero's commandement, vpon the Allobroges: and the practice was openly proued against Lentulus in the Senate. It being put to the question what should be done with the malefactors, Caesar was of opinion, their liues should be spared, because they were persons of great honor: Cato censur'd them to death for their treason: which opinion was seconded by all, and they were strangled accordingly in prison. Though thus a part of the conspiracie was choakt, yet Catiline desisted [Page] not from his enterprise, but with ensignes spred marcheth out of Etruria, against his natiue countrey, and encountred on the way by the armie of Antonius, is beaten downe, and slaine. How grimly they fought, the euent sheweth: not a man of the enemies was left, and looke what place each one fought in, vpon the same he lost his life, and couerd it with his body. Catiline was found starke dead farre off from his own company among the carkases of his enemies: a most braue end, had he made it for his countrey.

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CHAP. II.
The warre of CAESAR, and POMPEY.

THe whole world almost being now in peace, the Roman empire was greater then that it could be extinguisht by any foraine violence. Fortune therefore beating enuie to that people, which was soueraigne of al other, armd their own selues to their owne destruction. The madnesse of Marius, and Ginna confined it-selfe within the citie, as if shee tride how it would doe; the tempest of Sulla spred wider, yet did [Page] it not thunder out of Italy; but the furie of Caesar, and Pompey did hurrie, & sucke into it both the citie, Italy, races, nations, & in a word the vniuersall empire, with a kind as it were of deluge, and gulph of fire, so farre forth, that it cannot rightly bee onely called a ciuill, neither yet a sociall, no nor a foraine, but rather a certaine, common of all together, and more then a war. For if wee looke vpon the captaines, the whole Senate was in sides; if the armies, on the one part eleuen legions, on the other, eighteen, the flower, & strength together, of all the Italian bloud; if the aides of the [Page] confederates, on this side, the choise of the Galls, & Germans, on that, Deiotarus, Ariobarzanes, Tarcondimotus, Cothus, the whole powers of Thrace, Cappadocia, Cilicia, Maccdonia, Greece, Italy, and all the Orient; if the space of the warre, foure yeeres, and that, considering the destructions it wrought, but a short time; if the place, and flage, vpon which it was acted, Italy, frō whence it turn'd it selfe into Gall, and Spaine, and fetching a compasse from the west, it sat down with the whole burthen thereof vpon Epirus, and Thessaly; thence it crosseth suddenly into [Page] Aegypt; then it glanced into Asia, and lay heauy vpon Africk; last of all, it reel'd back into Spaine, and there at length it went out, and died. But the warre, and hatred of the factions ended not together. For that rested not, til the rancour of the conquer'd parties had in the heart of the citie, & middle of the Senate, satisfide it self with the bloud of their conquerour. The cause of so monstrous mischiefs was the same, which it vseth to be of al, too too much prosperity. For Q. Metellus, and Lucius Afranius, Consuls, when the maiestie of Rome preuailed [Page] through the world, and the people chanted the fresh victories of Pompey, the Pontick, and Armenian triumphs, in Pompeis theaters, his ouer-great power (as it often falleth out) moued enuy among the leysurable citizens, Metellus for abatement of his triūph ouer Crete, Cato, who alwaies ranne bias to the mighty, detracted Pompey, & found fault with his actions. The griefe hereof draue him awrie, and compelled him to prouide strengths for vpholding his dignitie. It hapned Crassus at that time flourished in honour of bloud, riches, and authoritie, and yet still coueted [Page] more. The name of Caius Caesar was vp, for eloquence, and spirit, and had the honour of a Consulship. But Pompey ouertopt them both. Caesar therefore struggling to get dignity, Crassus to increase it, Pompey to keepe what he had, and all of them alike greedie of great power, easily made a match to set vpon the commonweale. Therefore, while each of them vseth the others strengths for his own glory, Caesar inuaded Gall, Crassus▪ Asia, Pompey Spain, three most puissant armies. And thus the whole world was now become to bee held by three princes in [Page] partnership. This domination wore out ten yeeres time. From that time forward, because til then they were ballanced among thē selues through a mutuall feare, vpon the slaughter of Crassus by the Parthians, and the death of Iulia, Caesars daughter, who marrying to Pompey, maintained concord between the son, and father in law, by the league of nuptial loue, emulation brake forth presently. Pompey now was iealous of Caesars greatnesse, and Caesar badly endured Pompeis supereminencie. The one brookt no equall, the other no superior. But O the sinne! they stroue in [Page] such sort for principality, as if so great a fortune of empire had not beene ennough for two. Therefore Lentulus, and Marcellus being Consuls, and the affiance of the first pact among them once broken, the Senate consulted to disemploy Caesar, and Pompey labour'd the same; nor was Caesar himselfe against it, if in the first comitiall assembly, or choise-moot, there had beene respect had of him, for the Consulship; which honour ten Tribunes had with Pompeis good liking decreed him in his absence, and was afterwards, vpon Pompeis dissembling, denyed it. He [Page] should haue come, & sued for it after themore maiorum. old wont. On the other side, hee earnestly demanded execution of the decree, & would not cashier his armie, vnlesse they at home were as good as their word to him. For this cause he was proclaimed enemy. Caesar, throughly nettled at the newes, resolued to maintaine with the sword, the rewards of his sword. The first field, &arena. Sand-plot of ciuil war was Italy; whose castels Pompey had furnisht with slight-garrisons. But all of them were as it were ouerwhelmed with Caesars sudden comming-on. The first alarm was sounded at [Page] Ariminū. Then was Libo more thē al Etruria, Thermus then Vmbria, Domitiꝰ then Corfinium. And the war had bin made an end of without bloud, if, as hee attempted it, he could haue oppressed Pompey at Brundisium. But he escaped by night through the closures of the besieged hauen. A shamful matter to be spokē: the late president of the Senat, vmpire of peace, & war, fled in a torne, & almost naked vessell, ouer that sea, which himself had triūpht. Nor is Pompey sooner driuē out of Italy, then the Senat out of the citie, into which almost empty of people throgh feare, Caesar entring [Page] made himself Consul. The sacred inmost treasury, because the Tribunes op'ned it somewhat too slowly, he cōmanded to be broken vp: & violently seis'd the reuenew, and patrimony of the people of Rome, sooner then he did the soueraignty. Pō pey driuen away, & fled, he had a more minde to take order for securing the prouinces, then to pursue him. He kept Sicilia, & Sardinia, the publick pledges of corn, by deputies, or lieutenants generall: there was not an enemy in Gall, himself had made it all peace there. But passing in persō against the Pompeis in Spaine, Massilia was so bold as to shut her [Page] gates. Poore Massilia, while it would faine haue peace, fel into a war, throgh feare of warre. But because it had strong walls, he commanded it should be taken for him in his absence. A Greekish citie, but which more hardly then for the name it had lopt bauins for rampire, durst burn the engins bent against it, and encounter vs at sea. But Brutus, who had the charge of the war, tamed them quite both at land, & sea: wherupon yeelding themselues, they were stript out of all they had, excepting that (which they prized aboue all) their common libertie. Caesar's war in Spaine with [Page] Petreius, & Afranius, lieutenants generall to Cnaeus Pompeius, was doubtfull, various, and bloudy, attempting to besiege their campe at Ilerda by the riuer Sicoris, and to thrust betweene them, and the towne. In the meanewhile by stopping the stream, whichin the springtime vsed to swell,verni fluminis obundatione. they depriued him of victuals. So his campe was assaulted with famine, and the besieger himselfe remain'd as it were besieged. But so soone as the water was down,sed vbi pax fluminis redit. he scowres the coasts with fire, and sword, and fiercely re-enforceth his pursuit, & ouertaking them [Page] vpon their retreate into Celtiberia, hee drew a trench about, and so compeld them to yeeld for thirst. Thus was the hither Spaine taken in, and the farther Spaine delayd not. For what could one legion do, when fiue could doe nothing? Varro therefore of his owne accord giuing way, the Gades, the streights, the Ocean, and all, followed the luckinesse of Caesar. But fortune durst doe somewhat against that captaine in his absence, on this side Illyricum, and in Africa, as if his faire successes were of purpose to be styrped, and inter-wouen with crosse accidents: for [Page] when Dolabella, and Antonius being commanded by Caesar to guard the iawes of the Adriaticke gulph, and the one had pitcht his camp vpon the Illyrian shore, the other on the Corcyrean, Pompey being master then at sea, Octauius his lieutenant generall, and Libo, with huge numbers of mariners, closed them in vpon all hands, and Antonius, despite of his most resistance, was enforced to yeelde through famin: and those long boats sent to his aide by Basillus, such as for lacke of ships they were faine to shift with, were taken as it were in an hunting toyle, by a [Page] new stratagem of the Cilicians on Pompeis side, the fastning of ropes vnder water: but the tide comming in, freed two of the vessels: one of them which carryed the Opitergins was entangled in the cords, & produced an effect worthy to be commended with honour to posterity: for a band of scarce one thousand young fellowes held play from morning till night, against the force of an whole armie, enuironing them on all sides: and when by manhood they could finde no way forth, at the encouragement of Vulteius, their Coronel, they slue one the other. In Africke also, such [Page] like was the valour, and aduersitie of Curio, who sent by Caesar with commission to receiue that prouince, & proud for hauing repulsed, and put Varus to flight, was vnable to stand the sudden comming-on of king Iuba, and the cauallerie of the Mauritanians. Hee might haue fled, but shame perswaded him to die together with that army which his temerity had cast away. But fortune now importunately demanding to make scores euen, Pompey had chosen Epirus for the seate of war: nor was Caesar slowe: for hauing made all safe at his backe, though it were the depth [Page] of winter, and so the season vnfit, yet hee embarkt for battell; and encamping at Oricum; when that part of his forces which was left behinde with Antonius, for want of shipping staid with the longest at Brundisium; hee was so impatient, that for fetching them, hee attempted at midnight, and in a frigat to venture ouer, though the sea was terrible rough. His words to the master, afraid at so great a danger, are not forgotten. What fearest thou? thou carryest Caesar. When all the forces which either side could make, were drawne together, & their camps confronted each the [Page] other the generals gouernd themselues by diffrēt courses. Caesar naturally fierce, & longing to dispatch, offers battell, eggeth, and prouoketh to it: one while by besieging the camp, about which his workes ran sixteene miles (but what could besieging hurt them, who hauing the sea open, abounded thereby with all prouisions?) another while with assaulting Dyrrhachium in vaine (for the situation of it made it inexpugnable) and besides all this, with daily skirmishes, as the enemie sallied forth (at which time captain Sceua's manhood was admired, in whose target one hundred, [Page] & twenty shot were found sticking) now with sackage of Pompeis confederate cities, as when hee wasted Oricum, and Gomphi, and other fortresses of Thessali, Pompei, on the contrarie, contriues delayes, and wayes of putting of, that, by closing the enemy on all parts, hee might breake his heart with lack of victuals, and the violent humor of his most fiery aduersarie might coole, & falter. This wholsome counsell did not long auaile the author▪ the soldier, hee blames lying idle, confederates cry out vpon delay, and the great lords tax him with ambition. So the destinies thrusting [Page]thinges headlong on, in Thessaly, and the champain fields of Philippi, chosen for the place of fight, the fortunes of Rome, the world, and all mankinde were set vpon a cast. The people of Rome neuer saw in one place together so great forces, nor fortune so many mighty persons at a time. There were aboue three hundred thousand in both the armies, besides the aides of kings, and Senators. Signes of an imminent downefall were neuer more apparent; runnings away of beasts ordaind for sacrifice, swarmes of bees, notable ouercastings of the skie in day time. Pompey [Page] himselfe dreamt ouernight, that he heard a noise in his owne theater at Rome, sounding about him in the nature of a mourning, and in the breake of day hee was seene (fie vnluckie!) before his maine battel in a black vpper garment Caesars armie was neuer more fresh,pullo amiculo. & fuller of spirit. The sound of the charge came first from Pompeis side, but the shot from the other. The iauelin of Crastinus, who began the fight, was noted: and being runne into the gaping mouth with a sword, and found dead with it so, among the carcases, did by the nouelty [Page] it selfe of the wound, well declare, with what choler, and madnesse hee fought: neither was the issue of the battell lesse admirable: for whereas Pompey had such multitudes of horse, as hee thought to circumuent Caesar easily, himselfe was circumuented: for after they had fought a long time vpon euen termes, and, at a signe giuen them by Pompey, his troupes of horse fell on in flanke, the Germane cohorts made so boystrous an impression vpon the riders, that they seemd footmen, & these to haue come on horsbacke: the ouerthrow of the light-armd souldiers ensued vpon the [Page] slaughter of the flying horstroupes: then the terrour striking farther, one companie putting another into rowt, the rest of the destruction was made as it were at a stroke. Nothing was more the bane of that day, then the hugenesse it-selfe of the armie. Caesar was much in that battell, and halfe between souldier and soueraigne: speeches of his were ouer-heard as hee rid vp, and downe; the one bloudy, but according to the Art of the sword, and powerfull for gaining the day, Souldiers, foine at the face; the other tending to vaine glorie, Souldiers, spare our countrey-men; when his [Page] owne selfe notwithstanding chased them. Happie Pompey, for all this miserie, had hee shared in the fortune of his slaughtred armie: but he ouer-liued his own glorie, that with the more dishonour he might poste for his life through Thessalian Tempe; bee beaten from Larissa; and vpon a forlorn rocke of Cilicia, studie, whether he should flie into Parthia, Africa, or Aegypt; briefely, that vpon the Pelusian shore, by the command of a most vnworthie king, by the counsell of gelded-men, and (to take all the misfortunes together) that murthred by the sword of Septimius, his fugitiue, [Page] vnder the eyes of his wife, & children, he should conclude his dayes. Who would thinke that the war should not bee determined with Pompeis life? But the embers of the Thessalian fire waxt much more hot, and forceable then euer: and in Aegypt there was warre without any partakings of ours: for when Ptolomea, king of Alexandria, had committed the most hainous act of all those other which were committed during the ciuill warre, and had, by means of Pompeis head, settled his owne termes with Caesar, fortune casting about for a reuenge, therby to appease the ghost [Page] of so great a potentate, wanted not occasion. Cleopatra, that kings sister, throwing herselfe at Caesars feet, besought restitution to her part of the realme. To plead for her, came the ladies beauty, which was doubled by this, that so rare a creature seem'd to haue wrong, & the hatred born to the king himselfe, who, in killing Pompey, gratifide the fortune of the contrarie faction, not Caesar, against whom hee would also, without all question, haue dared as much, if it would haue serued his turn. Whē Caesars pleasure therefore was, that shee should bee restored to her [Page] kingdome, by as it were a Gauelkind, he being forthwith be-set in the palace roial, by the same instrumēts who murthred Pompey, with wondrous valour, & a slender company, did beare the brunt of a mighty army. For, by firing the next tenements, & the Arsenal, he dislodged the enemie, who plide him from thence with shot. From thence he suddenly escaped to the penile of Pharus. Beaten out of that, & glad to plunge into the sea, hee got, with admirable good fortune, to the next ships, by swimming, fain to leaue his robe in the waues, whether by chance, or of purpose, [Page] that the aduersarie might pelt, & mawl it with stones, and shot, in stead of him. Receiued at last among his own mariners, & assailing the enemy in all quarters at once, hee paide the ghost of his son in law the vengeance due to it, vpon that cowardly, and trayterous nation. For not onely the kings tutor, Theodorus, (author of the whole warre) but not so much also as those maskes of men, the Eunuchs, Photinus, & Ganymedes, flying by sea, and land, came to euill ends. The yong kings body was found as it lay wallowed vnder mud, and known by the honor [Page] of a golden curace, or brest plate vpon it. New stirs were likewise in Asia, begun in Pontus, fortune watching as it were of set purpose, to make this the end of Mithridates kingdom, that the father should bee conquer'd by Pompey, and the sonne by Caesar. King Pharnaces, rather vpon trust of our discord, then his owne valour, fell vpon Cappadocia with an offensiue armie. But Caesar setting vpon him, in onely one, and that too (so to say) not an whole battell, ground him as it were to dust, after the manner of lightning, which at one, and the same moment of time, [Page] came, hit, and went away: neither was it a vaine brag which Caesar made of himselfe, that the enemie was ouerthrowne there, before euer hee set eye vpon him. Thus went matters in forreine parts. But in Africk, the fight of Romans with Romans was more deadly, then it had beene in Pharsalia. Hither the remaines of the shipwrackt faction were driuen by a certaine pang, or fit of fury: nor would you call them remaines, but a whole, and entire warre. Pompeis forces were rather scatterd then consumed. His tragedy made them more solemne, and zealous to [Page] fight. Nor did the succeeding Generals degenerate. For Cato, and Scipio founded full enough in the place of Pompeis name. Iuba, king of Mauritania, made one in the quarrell, forsooth that Caesar might haue the more to conquer. There was therefore no difference, nor oddes betweene Pharsalia, and Thapsus, sauing that the eagernesse of the Caesarians was both the more, & the more sharpe, as chafing that the war grew though Pompey was dead. To bee briefe, a thing which neuer hapned till then, the trumpets sounded a charge, through the souldiers forwardnesse, [Page] without the cōmandement of the General. The ouerthrow beganne at Iuba, whose elephants not throughly manned to fight, and but lately taken wilde out of the woods, quite confounded at the sudden shrilnesse, forthwith dis-ranked their friends army, & made that the captaines could not escape by flying, all of them comming to their ends remarkably. For Scipio was now gotten on ship-boord, but his enemies ouertaking him, he ran his sword thorow his owne belly; & one asking after him in search, he answered in these very words, The Generall is [Page]well. Iuba gotten into his palace, after a royal banquet made to Petreius, the companion of his flight, among his cuppes, and dishes call'd vpon him for a killing. And Petreius had enough of that both for the king, and himselfe: so the viands, halfe as it were eaten, and the funerall messes swam mixt with royall, and Roman bloud together. Cato was not at this battell, but encamping at Bagrada, hee lay for defence of Vtica, as at the other maine fort, or barre of Africa. But hearing the defeat of his partners, hee dallied not at all, but (as it [Page] became a wiseman) did euen ioyfully hasten his owne death. For after hee had embraced, and bidden good night to his son, and companions, hee reposed himselfe awhile in his bed, hauing perused by a light Plato's booke of the Immortality of the soule, and then, about the first releeuing of the watch, vnsheathing his sword, hee therewith thrust himselfe with a re-enforced stroke into the body. After which, the physicians presumed to wrong the braue man with laying salues, which he permitted till they were out of the roome: but then hee rashed them away, and the [Page] bloud following amaine, he left his dying hands in the very wound. Warre, and sidings brake out againe, as fresh, as if there had neuer past a stroke in the quarrell: and by how much the troubles in Africa were beyond those in Thessaly, by so much Spaines surpassed those in Africa; & the brother linesse of the Generals drew exceeding sauor to that side, when for one Pompey there stood vp two. The encounters therfore were no where so terrible, or hazardous. The first conflict was in the very mouth of the maine Ocean, Varius, and Didius oppositely lieutenants generall. [Page] but the strife with the sea it selfe, was sorer then that of Fleete with Fleete: for the Ocean, as it were to chastize owne countreymen for their madnesse, dasht indifferently of either of their nauies in pieces. What a ghastly, and hideous sight was that, when at one, and the same instant, seas, stormes and tackle fought together! Adde to all this, the fearefull situation of the place, where the shores of Spain, and Mauritania on this coast, and on that, doe offer in a manner to claspe, and meete the sea both mediterranean, & maine Ocean, and Hercules pillars, [Page] opposite mountaines, hanging ouer. At which time, foule weather, and fierce battell raged round about. After this, both parts ranged here & there, employing themselues in the siege of cities; whose case was miserable, while betweene the leaders of seuerall sides, they smarted deepely for their friendship with the Romans. The last battell of all was at Munda. Here the fight was not answerable to the felicity of other fights, but doubtfull for a long time, and discontentiue; so as fortune plainely seemed to deliberate vpon the doing of some, I know not what, thing. Certainely, [Page] Caesar himselfe was seene before the armie sadder then for his wont, whether in regard of humane frailty, or as suspecting that the excesse of prosperitie would not hold out alwayes, or as fearing the same things which Pompey found, so soone as once he came to be what Pompey was: but in the very battell it selfe, after the armies had with equall slaughter done nothing for a long space but kill, suddenly (the like whereof no man liuing could remember) in the most heate of the fight, there was a deepe silence on both sides, as if they were agreed▪ this was euery [Page] ones coneit of it. Last of all, which Caesar in foureteene yeeres before had neuer seene, the selected tride band of his old souldiers (an hainous matter) gaue backe: so that although they fell not as yet to flat running away, nothing was playner notwithstanding, then that they resisted more for pure shame, then valour. Caesar therefore putting his horse from him, ranne like a mad-man into the head of the battell: there hee staid such as were shrinking, cōfirming them, and finally cried, and flew through all the squadrons with his eyes, and hands in that perturbation, it is reported [Page] hee debated within himselfe, what to doe with himselfe, if the worst befell, and his countenance was, as of a man, who meant to make his owne hand his owne executioner, had not fiue cohorts of the Pompeian horse crossing the battell, as sent by Labienus to guard the campe in danger, giuen a semblant of flying: which either Caesar did himselfe beleeue, or cunningly laying hold vpon the occasion of that seeming, charged as vpon flyers, and did thereby both put fresh spirit into his owne people, and did also daunt his enemies: for his people [Page] thinking they had the vpper hand, followed the more boldly, and the Pompeians, while they supposed their fellowes ranne away, did fall themselues to running. How great the slaughter was of the enemies, and the wrath, and furie of the victorious, may bee by this coniectured: such as escaped out of the field, betaking themselues to Munda, and Caesar commanding them to bee forth with besieged, a rampire was made by piling vp dead bodies, dragg'd thither from all about, and fastned together with speares and iauelins. An abominable spectacle euen among the barbarous. [Page] But Pompeis sonnes despairing, in truth, of victorie, Cnaeus Pompeius flying out of the battell, and, wounded, as he was, in the legge, seeking to saue himselfe in the desarts, and vnfrequented places, was ouertaken at the towne Lauro, and there (so little he as yet despaired) was slaine by Pesennius who had him in chase. Meanewhile, fortune hid Sextus Pompeius safe in Celtiberia, reserued for other warres after Caesars death. Caesar returnes victorious home: the pomp of his first triumph was furnished from the Rhene, and Rhone, and with the image of the captiue Ocean [Page] in gold. The stuffe of the second was bay-tree of Aegypt; and, for shewes, the images of Nile and Arsinoe, and of the watchtowre Pharus, as it burnt in the top like a flaming beacon. The third was the chariot of Pharnaces, and the spoyles of Pontus. The fourth represented king Iuba and his Moores & Spaine twice conquered. Pharsalia, Thapsus, and Munda (those greater arguments, & matters then ouer which hee triumpht) were not mentioned. Here, for a while, were weapons layd aside, the following calme without bloud, and the cruelties of warre were made amends [Page] for with goodnesse: not a man put to death by commandement, except Afranius, (for whom once pardoning was enough) and Faustus Sylla, because Caesar had learnd to feare him for his father in law, and Pompeis daughter, with her vncles by Sylla's side: in this hee tooke care to make posteritie secure. His countrey therefore not ingratefull, all sorts of honours were heaped vpon this one prime man; images about the temples; in the theater a crowne deckt with rayes; a chaire of state in the Senate-house; a pinacle vpon his house top; a month in the Zodiac; and [Page] besides all these, himselfe proclaimed Father of his countrey, and perpetuall Dictator: last of all (and it was unknowne whether it were with his good liking) Antonius, Consull, the ornaments of a king were offred: all which prooued but as ribbands, or trimmings of an host ordained to be slaine in sacrifice. For the mildnesse of this prince was lookt vpon with enuious eyes, and the power it selfe, which conferred benefits, was to free mindes cumbersome. Nor was the forbearance of him an acquitall any longer: for Brutus, and Cassius, and other Patricians, Lords of the [Page]highest ranke, conspired to assassinate him. How great is the force of fate! the conspiracy was knowne far abroade; a scroll was giuen also to Caesar himselfe, vpon the very day of the fact; & though an hundred beasts were sacrificed, yet not one of them had any signe of luckines. He came into the Senate-house with a meaning to aduance a warre against the Parthians: there the Senators stabd at him, as he sat in his court-chair, & with twenty three wounds he was driuē to the ground. So, he who had embrewed the whole earth with ciuill bloud, did with his owne bloud ouerflow the Senat-house.

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CHAP. III.
CAESAR Octauianus.

CAesar, and Pompey slaine, the people of Rome seem'd to haue returned to the state of their ancient libertie, and had returned indeed, if Pompey had left no children, nor Caesar an heire; or, which was more pestilent then both, if once his fellow in office, and then his riuall in honour, that firebrand of Caesars power, and whirlewind of the ensuing age, Antonius, had not ouer-liued. For, while Sextus Pompeius seekes to recouer his fathers estate, no [Page] part of the sea was free from feare of him; while Octauius reuengeth his fathers bloud, Thessalia was againe to be stirred: while Antonius, variable-witted, either disdained that Octauius should succeed to Caesar, or for loue to Cleopatra, takes vpon him to bee a king: for hee had no other way to be safe, but by turning vassall. In so great preturbation we are to bee glad notwithstanding, that the whole power of Rome came to be setled vpon Octauius, first Caesar Augustus, who by his wisedome, and dexteritie reduced into order the body of the empire, shaken, and distempted on [Page] all sides, which without all doubt could neuer haue been brought together, and made to agree, vnlesse it had beene gouernd by the authoritie of some worthie one, as with a soule, or mind. Marcus Antonius, & Publius Dolobella, Consuls, fortune now busie in transferring the empire to the house of the Caesars, the troubles of the citie were various, and manifold: that as in the change of yeerely seasons, the stirred heauens doe thunder, and signifie their turnings by the weather; so in the change of the gouernmēt of the Romans, that is to say, of all mankind, the world troubled [Page] throughout, and the whole body of the empire was turmoiled with all sorts of perils, and with ciuill warrs both at land, and sea.

CHAP. IIII.
The Mutinensian warre.

THe first cause of ciuill breach was Caesars last will, and testament, in which Antonius being named but in the second place, he grew starke mad, that Octauius was preferred, and for that cause opposed the adoption of that most spiritfull yongman with an inexpiable warre. For seeing him not [Page] fully eighteene yeeres old, tender, & fit to be wrought vpon, and open to abuse, both defaced the dignitie of Caesar's name with reuiling termes, and diminisht his inheritance with priuie thefts, disgraced him with foule phrases, and gaue not ouer, by all the wayes hee could inuēt, to impeach his adoption into the Iulian family: lastly, enterprised a warre for ouer-bearing the yong noble gentleman, and with an armie, raised in Gall on this side the Alpes, besieged Decimus Brutus for resisting his practices. Octauius Caesar, pitied for his youth, and wrongs, & gracious for the maiestie of [Page] that name which hee assumed, calling his adoptiue fathers old souldiers to arms, hee then a priuate person (who would giue credit to it?) sets vpon the Consull, deliuers Brutus from siege, and strips Antonius out of his campe: at that time he did nobly with his owne hand: for bloudy, & wounded as hee was, hee carried vpon his owne shoulders the eagled ensigne into the campe, which the eagle-bearer deliuerd to him, dying slaine.

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CHAP. V.
The Triumuirate.

ANtonius, of his owne nature, troublesom to peace, and troublesome to commonweale, Lepidus comes in like fire to flame: because there was a necessitie of entring into the bond of a most bloudy league against two armies. The intentions of the boutefeus were seuerall in kindling these firie-blazes: Lepidus, couetous of riches, the hope whereof stood vpon troubling the state, Antonius desirous to be reuenged vpon them, who proclaimed him traitour, and Caesar[Page]for the death of his adoptiue father vpon Cassius, and Brutus, offensiue to his vnreuenged ghost. Vpon these termes of as it were a league,A. V. C. DCCXI. peace was established among the three captaines, and at Confluents betweene Perusia, and Bononia they ioyne hands, and their armies embrace: so the triumuirate is entred vpon with no good fashion. The common-weale opprest with force, Sulla's proscriptions returne, the hideous crueltie whereof containd no lesse then the number of one hundred, and fortie Senatours: the ends of such as fledde for their liues ouer all the [Page] world, were gastly, foule, and miserable.

CHAP. VI.
The warre with CASSIVS: and BRVTVS.

BRutus, and Cassius seemed to haue put by Iulius Caesar from the tyrannie, as another Tarquinius Superbus. But common libertie, the testitution whereof they principally aimed at, was lost by this assassinate of the common Father. So soone therefore as the fact was committed, they fled out of the Senate house, or Curia, into the Capitoll, as fearing [Page] Caesars old souldiers not without cause, who wanted not the minde to take reuenge, but a captaine for it. And when it now appeared what destruction hung ouer the state: the murther was disliked, & by the Consuls consent a decree of Obliuion was enacted: yet to bee out of the eye of the publike griefe, they departed into Syria, and Macedonia, prouinces giuen them euen by Caesar himselfe, whom they slew, reuenge was rather deferred then buried. The commonweale therfore being setled vpō the pleasure of the Triumuirs, rather as it might be, then as it were fit, and [Page] Lepidus one of the three, left at home for defence of Rome, Caesar addresseth himselfe, with Antonius against Cassius and Brutus. They hauing drawne huge forces to an head, took the selfe-same field which was fatall to Cnaeus Pompeius, where the tokens of their destinated ouerthrow were not obscure: for the birds which vsed to gorge themselues vpon carion, houerd about the campe as if it were already theirs, as they marcht out to batel, a black Moore meeting them, was too too plainly a sign foreboding dire successe: and to Brutus himselfe at night, when light beeing brought [Page] in, he meditated somewhat, as his maner was, all alone, a certain gloomie Image appeared to him, which being by him demanded what it was, I AM (it said) THINE EVILL SPIRIT, and therewithall vanished out of his admiring sight. In Caesars campe all presages were as much for good, as they were in the other for the bad; birds, & beasts promising alike faire fortune: but nothing was in presēt more luckie, then that Caesars physician was warnd in his sleepe, that Caesar should not stay in his own campe, for that it would be surprised, accordingly as it fel out. For the battels ioyning, & [Page] the fight maintain'd on both sides with equal manhood for awhile, although the Generals were not present, the one withdrawne through sicknesse of bodie, and the other for sloth, and feare; yet the vnvanquisht fortune both of the reuenger, and hee for whom the reuenge was vndertaken, stood for the side. The danger was as doubtfull at first, and as equal on both parts, as the euent of the fight declared: Caesars campe taken heere, and Cassius his campe there. But how much more forceable is fortune then vertue! and how true is that speech in which hee breathed out his last! THAT [Page] VERTVE WAS ONLY A VERBAL THING, AND NOT A REAL, Meere mistaking gaue away that battell: for when Cassius, a wing of his armies shrinking, saw his owne troups of horse gallop back vpon the spurre, after they had taken Caesars campe, supposing they fled, got himselfe to an hillocke; from whence not being able to discern what was done by reason of the dust, noise, & night at hād, and when the scout whom hee had emploid for discouerie, staid somewhat long before he returnd, he verily thought the day was lost; and thereupon caused one of them who was next him, [Page] to strike off his head. Brutus, when he had in Cassius, lost his own life also, not to breake in any point that faith which each of them had plighted to the other, for otherwise they meant not to ouer-liue the battel, laid his side open to the deadly blow of one of his owne companions. Who would not wonder that those most wise men vsed not their own hands at their last? vnlesse in this point also they had a ioynt perswasion, not to distaine their hands, but in letting out their most pure, and pious soules they meant the direction should be theirs, but the heinous executiō other mens.

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CHAP. VII.
The warre at Perusia.

THE partition of such lands as Caesar diuided in campe among the old souldiers for reward of seruice,A. V. C. DCCXII. raised another war. Lucius Antonius, who was alwaies in his owne nature a most wicked man, was stirred vp the more by Fuluia his wife, a virago, who had serued in the warres like a man. Therefore by encouraging such as were disseised of their tenements, there was going to armes againe. In this case, Caesar sets vpon him, not vpon [Page] his owne head, or opinion, but as vpon a person whō all the Senate sentenced an enemy: & shutting him vp within the walls of Perusia, compelled him to the extremest termes of yeelding, by such a famine as had left no filthie thing vnfed vpon.

CHAP. VIII.
The warre with SBXTVS POMPEIVS.

THe killers of Iulius Caesar being made away all,A. V. C. DCCXVII. there only now remained Pompeis house. One of the brothers fell in Spaine, the [Page] other saued himselfe by flying, who assembling the scatter'd remaines of that vnfortunate warre, and arming moreouer, to his ayde, the sturdy bodies in the worke-iails, or bride-wells euery-where, held Sicily, and Sardinia. And now his nauie wafted vp, and downe in the middle of the sea. O how differently from his father! hee rooted out the Cilicians, but this man stirred pyrats to take his part. It was so mightie a piece of martiall worke to master, and vtterly to distresse him in the straights of Sicilie, that he had carried with him to his graue [Page] the reputation of a gallant commaunder in the warre, had hee attempted nothing after that, but (which is an argument of a noble minde) TO HOPE ALVVAYES. For his powers quite defeated, hee fled, and sail'd into Asia, where hee was to fall into the hands of his enemies, and be cast into fetters, and (which of all other things doth most afflict an heroicke spirit) to die by an executioner, at the pleasure of a foe. There was no flight since that of Xerxes more miserable. For he who late was Lord of three hundred, [Page] and fiftie shippes of warre, escaped away with onely sixe, or seuen of them, putting out the light in the admirall, throwing his rings into the waues, quaking, and euer looking backe, and yet not fearing lest hee should perish. Though in Cassius, and Brutus, Caesar had ridded the power of the faction out of the world, and in Pompey had abolished the whole name, and title of it, yet could not hee settle a sound peace, while Antonius the rocke, the knot, and the common let of assured quiet, was aliue, and there was no want in him why vices [Page] made not an end of him: nay his pride, and riot hauing made triall of all things, hee first ouercame enemies, then citizens, and lastly the times with the terrour hee had raised of himselfe.

CHAP. IX.
The warre with the Parthians by Generall VENTIDIVS.

THe miserable ouerthrow of Crassus made the Parthians higher crested, and they were glad to heare the newes of the ciuill warres of Rome. So soone [Page] therefore as any occasion glimmer'd out, they stuck not to breake in vpon vs, Labienus euen inuiting them, who employed by Cassius, and Brutus, dealt with the enemie (O the madnesse of wickedesse!) for their assistance, who therevpon chase away the garrisons of Antonius, ledde on by the gallant young king Pacôrus. Saxa, deputie of Antonius, obtained of his owne sword to keepe him out of their fingers. After Syria was wonne away, the mischiefe had crept farther, the enemie, vndercolour of giuing ayde, conquering [Page] for himselfe, had not Ventidius (who also was Antonius his deputie) with incredible good fortune, both defeated the forces of Labienus, slaine Pacôrus himselfe, and followed in execution vpon all the cauallerie of Parthia, ouer the whole space of countrey betweene the riuers Orontes, and Euphrates. The slaine, were aboue twentie thousand, as Ventidius handled the matter. For counterfeiting a feare, hee suffered the enemie to come vp so close to his campe, that they wanted roome to plie their shotte of arrowes. The king [Page] himselfe most valiantly fighting was killed, and his head carryed about, and shewed to all the reuolted cities. Syria was thus recouered without warre, and so, by the slaughter of Pacôrus wee were euen for Crassus ouerthrow.

CHAP. X.
The warre of ANTONIVS with the Parthians.

THE Parthians, and Romans hauing made tryall each of other, Crassus, and Pacôrus being lessons to [Page] both sides of eithers forces, league was made againe with equall reuerence, and entirenesse of amitie, and that by Antonius himselfe. But the infinite vanitie of the man, while hee coueted to adde the conquest of Araxes, and Euphrates to the titles of his images, suddenly leaues Syria, and inuades the Parthian, without anie either cause, or wise counsell, or so much as an imaginarie colour of warre, as if so to steale-vpon were also a part of a captaines dutie. The Parthians, besides affiance in their peculiar weapons, pretend likewise to bee [Page] afraid, and flie into the open fields. Hee forthwith pursues them as victorious; when, vpon a sudden, though in no great numbers, they burst out neere twi-light at vnawares, like a showre, vpon the Romans now wearie with trauaile, and with their arrowes ouerwhelme two legions. But this was nothing, in comparison of the calamitie which hung ouer their heads the verie next day, had not the compassion of the Gods come betweene. One, whose life was spared in Crassus his ouerthrowe, comes ryding to the trench, attired like a [Page] Parthian, and hayling them in Latin, after hee had gotten to bee beleeued, informes them what was at hand, that the king would come vpon them with all the power of the realme: that therefore they should march back, and recouer the mountaines; though euen so perhaps they should haue store of enemies. By this meanes a lesser force came against them, then was in readinesse. Yet they fell on, and the remaines of the armie had beene quite destroyed, but that when the Parthian shot flying as thicke as haile, the souldiers, taught wee know not [Page] how, dropt on their knees, and casting their targets ouer their heads, seem'd as if they had beene slaine, then staid the Parthians their bowes. whereupon the Romans starting vp on their feete againe, did againe moue such wonder, as that one of the barbarous vsed this speech; Goe Romans, and fare well; fame with good cause termes you the Conquerors of nations, who can outstand the shot of Parthia. Water afterwards did no lesse mischiefe then the armed enemie: first the countrey was naturally dry off-springs, then the riuer Salmadicis was to some more noyous then [Page]the drouth, and last of all when the weake dranke deepe of the riuer, euen the sweete waters also, proued poisonous. Moreouer, the heats of Armenia, and the snowes of Cappadocïa, and the sudden change of one ayre into another, was itselfe in stead of a plague. So a third part of sixteene legions hardly remayning, when the siluer which hee had in the armie was euerywhere chipt with chisils, and himselfe betweene the fittes of the mutinie calld euer, now and then to a sword-player of his to kill him, the doughtie Generall fled at last into Syria: where, like a man in a manner [Page] besotted, hee became somewhat more brag, and loftie then before, as if he who had brought himselfe away, had gotten the victory.

CHAP. XI.
The Actian war with ANTONIE and CLEOPATRA.

THe furie of Antonie which ambition could not kill,A. V. C. DCCXXII. was quencht with wanton lust, and riot, for after his Parthian iourny growing into hatred with warre, he gaue himselfe ouer to rest, and surprised with the [Page] loue of Queene Cleopatra, solaced on her bosome, as freely as if all other matters had succeeded well. This Egyptian woman did value her companie at no lesse a rate to Antonie drunken with loue, then the whole Roman empire. & he promised it: as if the Romans were more easily to be dealt with then the Parthians. Therefore hee began to plot a tyrannie, nor that couertly, but forgetting his countrey, his name, his gowne, his fasces, hee absolutely degenerated into no lesse a monster in his vnderstanding, then he did in his affection, and fashion. hee went with a staffe of [Page] gold in his hand, a Persian sword by his side, a purple robe buttond with huge precious stones; and a diadem in readinesse. that a king might inioy a Queene. At the first bruite of these stirres, Caesar crosseth ouer from Brundisium, that hee might giue warre the meeting; and, pitching his tents in Epirus, did beset the iland Leucades, and the rocke Leucades, and the points, or nesses of the Ambracian bay, with his ships of warre, wee had aboue foure hundred saile; the enemies not fewer then two hundred, but what they wanted in number, was made vp in bulke: for [Page] they had from sixe to nine bankes of oares, besides that, their fights were raised so high with decks, and turrets, as they resembled castles, and cities, making the very sea grone vnder, & the windes out of breath to carry them: which hugenesse of theirs was it selfe their bane. Caesar's nauie had not in it any vessell but from three bankes of oares, to sixe, and none aboue: therefore they are yare, & ready for all the needes of seruice, whether to charge, recharge, or turne about. those of the other side were meere slugges, and vnwieldie for all worke: vpon euery of which many of [Page] ours setting, and plying them what with darts, and all sorts of flingings, what with beak-heads, or prows, and castings of fire, scattred them all at pleasure. nor did the greatnesse of the enemies preparations appeare at any time more then after the victorie: for the huge armada, bulged, & split in the fight, was carryed in the wracks thereof, vp, and downe ouer the whole sea, containing the spoiles of Arabia, and Saba, and of thousand other nations of Asia, and the waues stirred with the winds, did daily belch vp gold, and purple vpon the shores. the first who led the way to [Page] running away, was the Queen, who in a galleon whose poope was of gold, and saile of purple, thrust into the deepes, Antonius forth-with following her: but Caesar was at his heeles. So that neither the preparations which he had made to fly into the Indian Ocean, nor Paraetonium, and Pelusium, the two corner coasts of Aegypt, stuft by him with garrisons, stood him in any stead, all were so quickly seized. Antonius was the first of the two who slew himselfe. the Queene kneeling at the feete of Caesar, laid baits for his eyes; but in vaine; her beauties were beneath that princes chastitie. [Page] nor was life her suit▪ for that was offered, but her care was for a part of the kingdome: which when she despaired to obtaine of the prince, and saw her selfe reserued for triumph, the guard put about her being negligent, she betooke herselfe to the Mausolie (so cal they the sepulchres of their kings) where attired in most pompous habit, as her custome was, shee seated herselfe in a throne, sweetned with rich perfumes, close to her Lord Antonius, and clapping serpents to her veines, died away in a slumber.

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CHAP. XII.
Warres against foraine nations.

HEre ended the ciuill wars. the rest were against strangers, who, while the empire was turmoild with these intestiue miseries, sallied out against vs in diuers quarters of the world. For peace was but greene, and the stif-swoln necks of nations, not yet inured to the curbe of seruitude, slipt the yoke which had but newly beene imposed. the climat which is almost vnder the northpole, bare it selfe more roughly: the Noricks, Illyrians,[Page]Pannonians, Dalmatians, Mysians, Thracians, and Dacians, Getes, and Sarmatians, and Germans. The Alps, and snow vpon them, whither warre could not climbe, gaue incouragement to the Noricks. But Caesar throughly quieted all the nations of that tract, the Brenns, Senons, & Vindelicians, by his son in law whose mother hee had married, Claudius Drusus. How sauage those crafty people were, appeared wel enough by the women, who for want of mischieuous weapons, pasht their sprawling babes on the ground, and hurld them in the souldiers faces, as [Page] they came against them. The Illyrians also liue vnder the Alps, possesse the vallies between, and guard certaine passages, at it were barres, themselues wrapt in with abrupt water-falls. Against them hee went in person, commaunding bridges to be made. Here the waters, and enemies empeaching him, as our souldiers were slacke to scale, hee rasht a target out of one of their hands, and led the way, the troupe then following thick: but the Illyrian hauing with their multitude saw'd in sunder the bridge, his hands, and legges were wounded in the fall; so the [Page] bloud which dropt from him, making him shew the brauer, and his danger it selfe the more maiesticall, he assaild the enemy at the back. The Pannonians are wall'd in with two wilde forests, and three great riuers, Drauus, Sauus, and Ister, and they, hauing first foraged their next neighbours, retired themselues within their defences. For taming these hee sent out Vibius: who slue them on either banke of their riuers. The armours of the vanquisht were not consumed with fire, as the fashion of warre was, but were preserued, and throwne into the streames, that the [Page] newes of their fellowes ouerthrow might so be conueighed to the residue. The Dalmatians, for the most part, dwell close at wood-sides, which makes them wondrous forward more then all other, to commit robberies: Marcius, by burning Delminium, their principall citie, had now as it were cut off their head: Asinius Pollio amerced them with the losse of their cattell, armes, and tillage: but Augustus commanded Vibius to subdue them vtterly: Who made those fierce nations digge in mines, and to refine gold-oare, which they, the most couetous men of [Page] the world, doe search for with careful diligence, that they may seeme to hoord it for their proper vses. How wilde, and grimme the Mysians be, and how barbarous aboue all barbarisme, is horrible to bee spoken. One of their captaines stepping out before the armie, pray'd silence, and said; Who are yee? answere was made; We are lords of the world. They replide, Yee may well say so, if you conquer vs: Marcus Crassus, General, tooke the word as a faire forebodeing. The Mysians forthwith offer-vp an horse before their battalions, vowing to sacrifice, and eat the [Page] bowels of those captaines of ours whom they should kill. I may very well beleeue the Gods heard their speech: they could not stand out the sounding of a trumpet. Domitius, a captaine, strooke no little terrour into the barbarous, himselfe a man of a barbarous blunt wit, but which did well enough among his likes, who carrying, for as it were his crest, a chafing-dish, or little harth vpon his helmet, and the coales thereof kindling with the motion of his body, the flames seemed to blaze as if his head were on fire. Before them in time, the most mightie people [Page] of Thrace rebelled, who as barbarous as they were, yet were accustomed to militarie ensignes, and discipline, yea and to Roman weapons also: but being vtterly subdued by Piso, they shewed their wood rage in their very bondage it selfe. For attempting to gnaw their chaines in sunder with their teeth, they punisht their owne wildenesse. The Dacians keepe them to their mountaines, till the yce haue knit both the bankes of Danubius together; and then as often as it is hard frozen ouer, they passe it, as vnder the guidance of Cotiso their king, and destroy the border-countreys. [Page] Caesar Augustus thought good to make that practice too hot for them, though it was a most difficult matter to come where they were. Sending Lentulus therefore against them, he draue them beyond the farther banke, and planted garrisons on the hither. If Dacia was not conquer'd then, it was put by, and deferred. The Sarmatians gallop, and ride in champaine fields: and it was held enough, to command them by the same Lentulus not to approach Danubius. They haue nothing but snow, and thinne woods. Their barbarousnesse is so [Page] great, as they vnderstand not what peace meanes. Would Germany also had not thought it so great a matter to ouercome. It was more basely lost, then gloriously gained. But Augustus, forsomuch as he knew his father hauing twice past ouer Rhene by bridge, had sought warre there in honour of his memorie, he desired to make a prouince of it: and it was done, could the barbarous aswell haue brookt our vices, as obeyd our commands. Drusus, sent into those regions, first tamed the Vsipetes, then ouer-ran the Tencthers, & the Catti. For hee had trimm'd a certaine [Page] high hillock in manner of a trophea with the most speciall spoils of the Marcomanni. After that, he inuaded these other most puissant nations, the Cherusci, Sueuians, & Sicambrians at once: who burning twenty captains of ours, had bound themselues by that fact to maintaine warre against vs, with so assured hope of victory, that they diuided the prey by bargaine before-hand. The Cherusci they would haue the horse, for their share; the Sueuians the gold, and siluer; the Sicambrians the prisoners. But all went quite backward on their sides. For Drusus [Page] preuailing, did share, and sell their horses, cattel, and chaines of gold, and themselues, as lawfull prize. Moreouer, hee left garrisons euery-where behinde him, and guards for defence of the prouinces. Vpon the riuer of Mose, of Albis, of Visurgis, and the banke of Rhene, hee planted aboue fiftie castels. Hee ioyn'd Bonna, and Gelduba together with bridges, and strengthened them with shipping. Hee opened the Hercinian wood, till that time pathlesse, and vnseene. To conclude, such was the peace in Germany, that the men seemed not the same men, the soile seemed [Page] other then it had bin, and the ayre it selfe more milde, and temperate then euer. And that most gallant yong gentleman (I call him not so, out of flatterie, but as he well deserued) dying there, the Senate, which it neuer had done to any other, surnamed him of Germanie, Germanicus. But it is more difficult to keepe a prouince, then to conquer it. Prouinces are atchieued by the sword, but retayned by iustice. Therfore that reioycement was short. For the Germans were rather ouercome then tamed, and vnder Generall Drusus they rather admitted our customs, [Page] then submitted to our forces. When hee was once dead, they beganne to hate the lawlesse humour, and pride of Quintilius Varus no otherwise, then as they would haue hated crueltie. But hee durst set vp a Law-Court, and sit in iudgement within his campe, as if hee had beene able to restraine the violence of the barbarous, with his serieants roddes, and cryers voice. But they, who now a good while since had seene their blades canker'd with rust, and their horse of seruice growne foggie with ease, no sooner saw our gownes, and lawes [Page] more cruell then our weapons, but they make Arminius captaine, and fall to armes. When Varus, in the meane space, was so aduenturous vpon trust of peace, as hee tooke no heed at all, though the conspiracie of the captains was foretold, and disclosed to him by Segestes, a prince among them. Therfore (O strange securenes!) as hee sat vpon the tribunal, citing parties, they at vnawares assaile him on all hands, taken absolutely vnprouided, and fearing no such matter, sacke his campe, and destroy three legions. Varus followed the vtter [Page] losse of things there, with the same fate, and minde that Paulus Aemilius did the deadly blow at Cannae. Nothing was more bloudie then the slaughter which was made through the woods, and marshes; nothing more intolerable then the insultings of the barbarous, specially against pleaders at the bar, plucking out the eyes of some, and lopping-off the hands of other some; one had his mouth stitcht-vp, after his tongue was first cut out, which the sauage actor grasping in his hand, sayd to it: Thou viper, at last giue ouer hizzing. The body of the [Page] Consul himself, which the souldiers had in their pietie buried, was digged out of his graue. The barbarous doe as yet withhold two of our ensignes, & two of our eagles; the third the eagle-bearer plucking off, before the enemies layd hand vpon him, and carrying it hidden in the hollow of his belt, was plunged so into the bloudy marsh. By this ouerthrow it came to passe, that the course of empire which had not stopt at the Ocean, stayd vpon the banke of Rhene. These things hapned north-ward. In the South of the world there were rather hurly-burlies then war. The Musulanians, [Page] & Gaetulians who border vpon the Syrts, were chastised by Cossus captain generall, at Caesars commandement, who was therfore proper-named Gaetulicus. The victory spreds wider. Hee left the Marmarians, & Garamants for Furnius, who subdued them: & might haue return'd entituled Marmaricus, but that his modesty rated not his conquest so high. In the orient, there was more to doe with the Armenians. Thither Caesar sent one of his nephewes. Both were of short life, and the one of them inglorious. For Lucius died of sicknes at Massilia: Caius died [Page] in Lycia of a wound, as he recouerd Armenia, withdrawing it selfe to the Parthians. Pompey, hauing vanquisht king Tigranes, tide the Armenians to this only poynt of bondage, that they should haue no gouernours but at our appointment. This right of ours, hitherto intermitted, was reuiued by Caius, not without bloudshed, and yet without much bickering: for Domnes, whom the king had made gouernour of Artaxat, faining a reuolt, assailes him as he was busie in perusing a scroll, which himselfe had reacht vnto him, pretending it containd an account [Page] of the treasures; and with his drawne sword, runnes him into the forehead. but the Barbarian was tilted at on all sides by the armie, who being destroyd with sword, and fire, into which hee threw himselfe wounded,superstiti etiam non Caesari satisfecit. satisfied Caius ouerliuing him, but did not satisfie Caesar. In the west part of the world, all Spain was at quiet, excepting that quarter which abutting close vpon the rocks where the Pyrenaean mountaines end, is washt with the hither Ocean. Here, two most puisant nations, the Cantabrians, and Asturians liued free from command. the Cantabrians were the more [Page] forward of the two, the haughtier also, and stifer in holding out a rebellion: for not contented to maintaine their owne freedome, they sought to encroch vpon their neighbours, and wearied the Vaccaeans, Curgonians, and Autrigons, with often incursions. against these men, because they were said to deale more outragiously then ordinarie, Caesar commanded not an expedition to be made by any other, but went in person: came himselfe to Segisama; pitcheth his camp; and from thence euen then, diuiding his armie into diuers parts, hemd all Cantabria about, [Page] and conquerd that wilde nation, by inuironing them as beasts within a toyle. nor was the Ocean theirs: for our army well-appointed for warre, plaid vpon the backs of the enemie. His first battell against the Cantabrians was vnder the walls of Vellica. from hence they fled into that most steep high mountaine Vindius, whither they beleeued the waues of the Ocean might as soone haue clambred, as the Roman armie. thirdly, the towne Arracillum made great resistance, but yet was taken at the last. In the siege of mount Edulius, about which hee had drawne a [Page] trench of fifteene miles in compasse, the Romans mounted on all sides: and when the barbarous saw no possibilitie to escape, their strife was who should kill themselues first with fire, and sword amidst their feasts, or with poison, which is commonly there scruzed out of Tax-trees, and so the greater part of them deliuerd themselues from that which seemd to them captiuitie. Caesar had these seruices done for him by Antistius, Furnius, and Agrippa, his deputies, while himselfe wintred vpon the sea-coasts of Tarracon. He present in his owne person at the doing, drew some [Page] of the vanquished from dwelling on the moūtains, of some hee tooke hostages, and of others he made slaues, and sold them vnder garlands. It seemed to the Senate an action worthy of laurell, and a chariot: but Caesar was now at that heighth, as he might contemne to triumph. About the same time the Asturians came powring downe from their mountaines in an huge troupe, nor did they stay their owne,vt barbari impares. (as the barbarous are vnruly) but pitching their campe by the riuer Astura, and, diuiding their force into three armies, they prepared to assaile three seueral camps [Page] of the Romans all at a time. the fight had beene doubtfull, and bloudy, and had made an end of both parts, they comming then, as they did, so strong, so suddenly, and with such sound deliberation, but that the Brigaecins betrayd them, by whom Carisius hauing intelligence, he came vpon them with an armie, and destroyd their deuice, neuerthelesse, the battell euen so was not vnbloudy, such as remained vnflaine of that most puisant assembly, retired themselues into the citie Lancia: where the fight was so sharpe and hot, that when our souldiers demanded leaue to set [Page] fire on the citie after it was taken, the Generall could hardly obtaine the fauour at their hands, that it might rather bee a moniment of the Roman victory, standing, then burnt to the ground. This was the last warre of Augustus Caesar, and the last rebellion of Spaine. Constant allegiance, and eternall peace forthwith ensued, aswell by reason of their owne inclination more bent to peace, as by Caesars courses, who fearing the boldnesse which mountaines bred in them, commanded them to inhabit from thenceforth in those camps of his which were vpon [Page] plaine ground. This began to bee found a matter of high wisdome. The region round about was naturally full of gold-oare, of vermilion, orpiment, and other colours. Hee therefore commanded the groūd should bee searcht, and wrought. For while the Asturians digged their owne treasures, and riches which lay deepe hidden, to serue others turnes, themselues also began to vnderstand their value. All the West; and South of the world being at peace, and Northward also (excepting onely the Rhene, and Dababius) as likewise in the East, betweene Taurus, [Page] and Euphrates, those other countreys who were free from our power, had a feeling notwithstanding how great it was, & reuerenced the people of Romes victorie ouer nations. For both the Scythians sent their ambassadours, and the Sarmatians also, desiring friendship. The Seres moreouer, and the Indians inhabiting right vnder the Sunne it selfe, came with precious stones, and pearls, and dragging elephants also along after them among their presents, thought not so much of any thing as of the length of the way, which tooke vp foure yeeres trauell: and the very [Page] colour it selfe of the men spake for them, that they came from vnder as it were another Sunne. The Parthians in like sort, as if they repented their victorie, restored of their owne accord the ensignes taken at the destruction of Crassus. So all mankinde had euery-where an entire, and continuall either peace, or paction. And Caesar Augustus seuen hundred yeeres from after the building of Rome, durst shut the Temple of doublefaced Ianus; twice onely clozed before that time; once vnder king Numa, and the other time when the first warre of Carthage was [Page] concluded. From henceforth, bending his minde to peace, hee corrected many things in the times which were prone to all mischiefe, and which ouerflowed in riotous loosenesse, with graue, and seuere edicts. For these so many, and so wondrous great deeds of his, hee was called perpetual Dictator, and Father of his Countrey. It was also debated in the Senate, whether, because hee had founded the empire, hee should bee styled Romulus. But the name Augustus seemed to bee a more holy, and venerable word then the other, that so euen now while hee [Page] liued on the earth, hee might bee as it were deifide by the name it selfe, and title.

FINIS.

§

§

The end of the foure bookes of the Roman Histories, written anciently in Latin by LVCIVS FLORVS, and translated into English by E. M. B.

Soli Deo gloria.

[Page]

[Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

The Roman histories of Lucius Iulius Florus from the foundation of Rome, till Cæsar Augustus, for aboue DCC. yeares, & from thence to Traian near CC. yeares, divided by Flor[us] into IV. ages. Translated into English.Epitomae de Tito Livio bellorum omnium annorum DCC libri II. English

Florus, Lucius Annaeus.

Edition statement

1619

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2004-05 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A00997

ID [STC]

STC 11103

ID [STC]

ESTC S102361

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99838146

ID [PROQUEST]

99838146

ID [VID]

2509

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A00997)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 2509)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1202:08)

Source

— The Roman histories of Lucius Iulius Florus from the foundation of Rome, till Cæsar Augustus, for aboue DCC. yeares, & from thence to Traian near CC. yeares, divided by Flor[us] into IV. ages. Translated into English., Epitomae de Tito Livio bellorum omnium annorum DCC libri II. English, Florus, Lucius Annaeus., Pass, Simon van de, 1595?-1647, engraver., Bolton, Edmund, 1575?-1633?.

Extent

[24], 503, [3] p.

By Wil· Stansby,. London :: [1619]. (On p. 503, "translated into English by E.M.B.", i.e. Edmund Maria Bolton, who signs his pseudonym "Philanactophil" to the dedication.) (Translation of: Epitome rerum Romanarum.) (The title page is engraved and signed "Sim Pass scu.", i.e. Simon van de Pass; the frieze contains the words "The face of L. Florus histories".) (Running title reads: L. Florus his histories.) (The last leaf is blank.) (Reproduction of the original in the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery.)

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