Rome [Orosius B. C. 773: Clinton B. C. 723] the Lacedæmonians and Messenians, people of Greece, had been at war with each other for twenty years, because the Messenians were unwilling that the Lacedæmonian maidens should offer with theirs, and sacrifice to their gods. At last, when they had drawn all the people of Greece to the war, the Lacedæmonians surrounded the city of Messene for ten years; and took oaths that they would never come home till they had avenged themselves. They then reasoned among themselves, and said that they should very soon be without help from their posterity, since they thought they should be there so long, and had confirmed that by their pledges; and that they did more good than evil to their enemies. With that, they resolved that those, who were not at the taking of the oaths, should go home and have children by all their wives. The others surrounded the town, till they had taken it. They were, however, but a little while obedient to them. 2. But they chose an Athenian poet † for their king, and went again with an army against the Messenians. When they came near, then they doubted whether they were able to withstand them. Their king then began to sing and play; and by his poetry so greatly strengthened their courage, that they said, they were able to withstand the army of the Messenians. However, there were few left on either side, and the people of Greece suffered many years, as well from the Lacedæmonians, the Messenians, and the Boeotians, as from the Athenians; and they drew many other nations into the same war. 3. Thus, it is shortly stated what formerly happened before Rome was built, which, from the beginning of the world, was four thousand, four hundred, and eighty two years [Blair 3251]; and, after it was built, our Lord's birth was about seven hundred and ten years [Blair and Clinton 753]. 4. Here the first book ends, and the second begins. The famous lyric poet Tyrtæus. 1 The dates are not given in the Latin text of Havercamp [see p. 10, note 1]; but, in the first German edition by Schuszler, 1471 [v. p. 10, note 2], the following gloss has found its way into the text, and Alfred may have translated from a MS. like that, from which Schuszler printed, [see ch. III, § 2, note 1. p. 63] but differing as to the precise dates—Ab orbe condito usque ad urbem conditam anni IIII mille, CCCCLXXXVII. Ab urbe condita usque ad nativitatem Christi, DCCXV colliguntur. Ergo ab origine mundi in adventum Domini nostri anni V mille XCVIIII [5192]. Finit liber primus feliciter." Alfred's calculation, though differing in particulars, exactly agrees in result with the MS. BOOK II: CHAPTER I.* 1. I ween, said Orosius, that there is no wise man, who knows not well enough, that God created the first man just and good; and all mankind with him. And because he forsook the good, which was given to him, and chose the worse, then God at length avenged it; first on [man] himself, and afterwards on his children, with manifold miseries and wars throughout all the world: yea, he also lessened all the earth's fruitfulness, by which all moving creatures live. Now, we know that our Lord made us: we know also that he is our governor, and loves us with a more just love than any man. Now, we know that all empires are from him: we know also, that all kingdoms are from him; because all empires are from kingdoms. Now, as he is governor of the less, how much more, think we, that he is over the greater kingdoms, which had such unbounded powers. 2. The first [empire] was the Babylonian, where Ninus reigned:-The second was the Grecian,' where Alexander reigned :The third was the African, where the Ptolemies reigned :-The fourth is [that]of the Romans, who are yet reigning 2 [A.D. 412?]. These four chief empires are, by the unspeakable providence of God, in the four parts of this mid-earth. The Babylonian was the first, on the east:-the second was the Grecian, on the north: -the third was the African, on the south :—the fourth is the Roman, on the west. The Babylonian the first, and the Roman the last, were as father and son, as they could easily rule as they wished. The Grecian and African were as if they obeyed, from which Schuszler printed.-Alfred gives 4482 years, from the beginning of the world to the foundation of Rome, and from thence to the birth of Christ 710 years, making a total of 5192 years, from the Creation to Christ.-Schuszler's MS. gives, for the same periods, 4487, to which add 715, making the total of 5192 years, the same as Alfred. They both follow the calculation of Eusebius, who adopted the longer generations of the Septuagint [See Book VI, Ch. 38 § 23 note,]-The shorter generations of the Hebrew Bible are generally followed, as is seen from what is given between brackets in the text, from Dr Blair: thus to 3251 add 753, make 4004 years from the creation to the birth of Christ. Oros. 1. II. c. I, II, and III, Haver. p. 85-91: this first chap. of Alfred, therefore, contains the first three chapters of Orosius. 1. Oros. has Macedonicum, the Macedonian empire. Haver. p. 86, 7. Alfred calls it, the Grecian empire, considering Macedonia as part of Greece. 2 Orosius lived in the time of the emperor, Arcadius, who reigned in the east, twelve years, from A. D. 396 to 408; and he wrote this work, in the time of Honorius, the emperor of the west, from A. D. 4 10 to 416. See Book VI, Chapter 37, § 1. Also, Introduction, p. 14, and 15. and were subject to them. But I will tell this more fully, that it may be better understood. 3 3. The first king was called Ninus, as we said before; and, when he was slain, then Semiramis his queen seized the government, and built the city of Babylon, so that it should be the capital of all the Assyrians; and it stood as such for many years afterwards, until Arbaces, a chief officer of the Medes, slew Sardanapalus, king of Babylon. Then the empire of the Babylonians and Assyrians was brought to an end, and turned to the Medes. In the same year, in which this happened, Procas, Numitor's father, began to reign in the country of Italy, where Rome was afterwards built. This Procas was the father of Numitor and Amulius, and [grandfather'] of Silvia. This Silvia was the mother of Remus and Romulus, who built Rome. This will I say, that the kingdoms were not strengthened by the powers of man, nor by any fate, but by the providence of God. 4. All historians say, that the kingdom of the Assyrians began with Ninus, and the kingdom of the Romans began with Procas. From the first year of Ninus's reign, till the city of Babylon was built, were sixty-four years; also, from the first year, in which Procas reigned in Italy, were sixty four years, ere the city of Rome was built. In the same year, that the kingdom of the Romans began to grow and enlarge, in the days of king Procas, in the same year Babylon fell, and all the kingdom and the power of the Assyrians. After their king, Sardanapalus, was slain, the Chaldeans had free possession of the lands, which were nearest to the city, though the Medes had the government over them, until Cyrus king of the Persians began to reign, and laid waste all Babylonia, and all Assyria, and brought all the Medes under the power of the Persians. It so happened, that, at the same time, in which Babylon fell under the power of Cyrus the king, Rome was freed from the thraldom of the most unrighteous, and the proudest kings, called Tarquins. When the eastern power fell in Assyria, the western power arose in Rome. 5. I shall now, said Orosius, speak much more fully against those who say, that empires have arisen from the power of the fates, [and] not from the providence of God. How justly it hap † Oros. 1. II. c. 2. Haver. p. 87—89. 3 Book I, c. 2, § 1. p. 61. 4 A. S. eam, uncle. pened to these two chief empires, the Assyrian and the Roman, [is clear] from what we have lately 6. This || I say now, because I wish that they understood, who speak evil against the times of our Christianity, what mercy there has been since Christianity came; and, before that, how manifold was the misery of the world;-and also that they may know how seasonably our God, in former times, settled the empires and the kingdoms, the same, who is now settling, and changing all empires and every kingdom, as he wishes. How like was the beginning, that the two cities had, and how like their days were, both in good and in evil! But the ends of their empires were very unlike; for the Babylonians and their king lived in manifold wickedness and sensuality, without any remorse, [so] that they would not amend, till God humbled them with the greatest disgrace; when he took away both their king and their dominion. But the Romans, with their Christian king, served God, wherefore he gave them both their king and their empire. They, therefore, may mo Oros. 1. II: c. 3. Haver. p. 89, 90. Oros. 1. II: c. 3. Haver. p. 90, 91. 1 1 derate their speech, who withstand Christianity, if they will remember the uncleanness of their elders, and their deadly battles, and their manifold enmity, and their want of kindness, which they had to God, and also among themselves; [so] that they could not obtain any mercy, until the remedy came to them from that Christianity, which they now most strongly blame. BOOK II: CHAPTER II.* 1. The city Rome was built by two brothers REMUS and RoMULUS, about four hundred and forty years [Clinton B. C. 753] after Troy, a city of [Mysia],' was laid waste. Soon after that, Romulus sullied their beginning by killing his brother, and afterwards also by his own marriage, and [that] of his companions. Such examples he there set, when they prayed, that the Sabines would give them their daughters for wives, and they refused their prayers. Nevertheless, without their consent, they obtained them by stratagem, in as much as they prayed they would assist them, that they might the more easily sacrifice to their gods. When they granted this, then they seized their daughters for wives, and would not give them back to their fathers. There was the greatest strife about this, for many years, until they were almost entirely slain and brought to naught on both sides. They could, by no means, be made to agree until the wives of the Romans, with their children, ran into the battle, and fell at the fect of their fathers, and prayed that, for the love of their children, they would make an end of the war. So worthily, and so mildly, was the city of Rome hallowed in the beginning, with the blood of a brother, and of fathers-in-law, and with that of [Amulius] the uncle of Romulus, whom he also slew, when he was king, and afterwards took the kingdom to himself! Thus, in the beginning, did Romulus bless the kingdom of the Romans,the wall with his brother's blood, and the temples with the blood of their fathers-in-law, and the kingdom with his uncle's blood! • Oros. 1. II: c. 2. Haver. p. 92-95. 1 In A. S. Creaca burh, a city of the Greeks. An error-for the city of Priam king of the Trojans, who dwelt in Mysia, in Asia Minor. According to Alfred, the fall of Troy was B. C. 1193; for, 440 years, from the fall of Troy to the building of Rome, added to 753 years from the building of Rome to the birth of Christ, make 1193, B. C. Clinton gives the dates more accurately, thus; 430 years after the fall of Troy, added to 753, make 1183 years B. C. See Book I, 11, § 1. 2 A. S. Numetores-Numitor was grand-father to Romulus, See II, 1. § 3, p. 79. |