THE FIRST PART OF THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD: ENTREATING OF THE TIMES FROM THE REIGN OF PHILIP OF MACEDON, BOOK IV. CHAP. I. Of Philip, the father of Alexander the Great, king of Macedon. SECT. I. What kings reigned in Macedon before Philip. THE Greeks, of whom we have already made large discourse, not as yet wearied with intestine war, nor made wise by their vain contention for superiority, do still, as in former times, continue the invasion and vastation of each other. Against Xerxes, the greatest monarch of that part of the world, they defended their liberty with as happy success as ever nation had, and with no less honour than hath ever been acquired by deeds of arms. And having had a trial and experience more than fortunate against those nations, they so little regarded what might come from them, who had so often forfeited the reputation of their forces, as whatsoever could be spared from their own distraction at home they transported over the Hellespont, as sufficient to entertain and busy them withal. But as it commonly falleth out with every man of mark in the world, that they underfall and perish by the hands and arms which they least fear; so fared it at this time with the Greeks. For of Philip of Macedon (of whom we are now to speak) they had so little regard, as they grew even then more violent in devouring each other, when the fast-growing greatness of such a neighbour-king should, in regard of their own safety, have served them for a strong argument of union and accord. But the glory of their Persian victories, wherewith they were pampered and made proud, taught them to neglect all nations but themselves, and the rather to value at little the of purposes power and the Macedonians, because those kings and states, which sat nearer them than they did, had in the time of Amyntas, the father of Philip, so much weakened them, and won upon them, that they were not (as the Grecians persuaded themselves) in any one age likely to recover their own, much less to work any wonders against their borderers. And indeed it was not in their philosophy to consider, that all great alterations are storm-like, sudden and violent; and that it is then overlate to repair the decayed and broken banks, when great rivers are once swollen, fast-running, and enraged. No, the Greeks did rather employ themselves in breaking down those defences which stood between them and this inundation, than seek to rampart and reinforce their own fields, which by the level of reason they might have found to have lain under it. It was therefore well concluded by Orosius, a Græciæ civitates dum imperare singulæ cupiunt, imperium omnes, perdiderunt; "The cities "of Greece lost their command, by striving each of them "to command all.” Orosius, 1. 3. c. 12. The kingdom of Macedon, so called of Macedon the son of Osiris, or, as other authors affirm, of Jupiter and Æthra, is the next region towards the north which bordereth Greece; it hath to the east the Ægean sea; it is bounded on the north and north-west by the Thracians and Illyrians, and on the south and south-west by Thessaly and Epirus. Their kings were of the family of Temenus, of the race of Hercules, and by nation Argives, who are listed as followeth. About some six years after the translation of the Assyrian empire, Arbaces then governing Media, Caranus of Argos, commanded by an oracle to lead a colony into Macedon, departed thence with many people; and as he was marching through that country, the weather being rainy and tempestuous, he espied a great herd of goats, which fled the storm as fast as they could, hasting them to their known place of covert. Whereupon Caranus calling to mind that he had also by b another oracle been directed to follow the first troop of those beasts that should either lead him or fly before him, he pursued these goats to the gates of Edessa, and being undiscovered by the inhabitants, by reason of the darkness of the air, he entered their city without resistance, and possessed it. Soon after this, by the overthrow of Cisseus, Caranus became lord of the rest of Macedon, and held it eight and twenty years. Cœnus succeeded Caranus, and reigned twelve years. Tyrimas followed Conus, and ruled eight and twenty years. Perdiccas the first, the son of Tyrimas, governed one and fifty years; a prince, for his great valour and many other virtues, much renowned. d Solinus, Pliny, Justin, Eusebius, Theophilus Antiochenus, and others affirm, that he appointed a place of burial for himself, and for all the kings of Macedon his successors, at Ege; assuring them, that the kingdom should so long continue in his line and race, as they continued to lay up their bodies in that sepulchre ; wherein it is said, that because Alexander the Great failed, therefore the posterity of the Temenidæ failed in him; a thing Paus. Dion. Chus. Theop. Antios. 6. d Sol. c. 14. Plin. l. 4. c. 10. Euseb. in Chron. rather devised after the effect, as I conceive, than foretold by Perdiccas. e Argæus succeeded unto Perdiccas, and ruled eight and twenty years. Philip the first, his successor, reigned eight and twenty years. Europus followed Philip, and governed six and twenty years; in whose infancy the Illyrians invaded Macedon, and having obtained a great victory, they pursued the same to the great danger of that state. Whereupon the Macedonians gathering new forces, and resolving either to recover their former loss, or to lose at once both their kingdom and their king, they carried him with them in his cradle into the field, and returned victorious; for they were either confident that their nation could not be beaten, (their king present,) or rather they persuaded themselves that there was no man so void of honour and compassion, as to fabandon their natural lord, being an infant, and no way (but by the hands of his servants) able to defend himself from destruction. The like is reported by Aimoinus, of Clotarius the son of Fredegunda. Alcetas succeeded Æropus, and ruled nine and twenty years. Amyntas the first succeeded Alcetas, and reigned fifty years; he lived at such time as Darius Hystaspes, after his unprosperous return out of Scythia, sent Megabazus with an army into Europe, who in Xerxes' name required Amyntas to acknowledge him for his supreme lord, by yielding unto him earth and water. But his ambassadors, as you have heard before, were, for their insolent behaviour towards the 8 Macedonian ladies, slain by the direction of Alexander, who was the son of Amyntas, and his successor. Alexander, surnamed the Rich, the son of Amyntas, governed Macedon three and forty years. He did not only appease the wrath of Megabazus for the slaughter of the Persian ambassadors, by giving Gygæa his sister to Bubares Euseb. in Chron. f Euseb. Justin. Ammian. The. Ant. &c. Aimou. 1. 3. c. 82. of the blood of Persia, but by that match he grew so great in Xerxes' grace, as he obtained all that region between the mountains of Olympus and Hemus to be united to the kingdom of Macedon. Yet could not these benefits buy his affection from the Greeks. For Xerxes being returned into Asia, and Mardonius made general of the Persian army, h Alexander acquainted the Greeks with all his intents and purposes against them. He had three sons, Perdiccas, Alcetas, and Philip. Perdiccas the second, the son of Alexander, lived in the time of the Peloponnesian war, and reigned in all eight and twenty years. The wars which he made were not much remarkable; the story of them is found here and there by pieces in Thucydides' first six books. He left behind him two sons, Perdiccas, who was very young, and Archelaus, who was base born. Perdiccas the third, being delivered to the custody and care of Archelaus, was at seven years of age cast into a well and drowned, by his false guardian; who excusing this fact to Cleopatra the mother of the young king, said, that the child in following a goose hastily fell thereinto by misadventure. But Archelaus stayed not here; for having thus despatched his brother, he slew both his uncle Alcetas, the son of Alexander the Rich, and Alexander the son of this Alcetas, his cousin-german, and enjoyed the kingdom of Macedon himself four and twenty years. This Archelaus, of whom both Plato and Aristotle make mention, though he made himself king by wicked murder, yet he performed many things greatly to the profit of his nation. It is said, that he sought by all means to draw Socrates unto him, and that he greatly loved and honoured Euripides the tragedian. He had two sons, Archelaus and Orestes. Archelaus the second succeeded his father, and having reigned seven years, he was slain in hunting, either by chance or of purpose, by Cratæus. Orestes his younger son was committed to the education Her. 1. 8. Plut. Euseb. Just. &c. Plat. in Gorg. Arist. Pol. 5. |