Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 9 · Doctrines 1 · Question 65
65. Quest. Of the yeare of the natiuitie of our blessed Sauiour.
There are three accounts to finde out the birth of Christ: 1. by the Romane Chronologie, 2. by the Greeke Olympiads, 3. by the Hebrewes computation.
1. The Romane account of yeares, is either by the yeares of the building of Rome, by the Consuls, or by the yeares of the Emperours: for the yeares of the citie, Pererius casteth the time of Christs birth into the 752. yeare, which he prooueth out of Dions Chronologie, who placeth the 15. yeare of Tiberius, when Christ at 30. yeares was baptized, in the 782. yeare. But therein he is somewhat deceiued: for setting the 1. yeare of Christ in the 752. of the citie, in the 782. beginneth the 31. yeare of Christ, as M. Bullinger casteth it: and the 15. yeare of Tiberius was in the 781. yeare. M. Lively in his table setteth downe the birth of Christ in the 751. yeare: but the receiued opinion is, that it was in the 752. yeare. which was the 42. of Augustus raigne.
Concerning the computation by the yeares of the Consuls, it is vncertaine. Sulpitius thinketh, that Sabinus and Ruffinus were then Consuls, lib. 2. sacr. histor. Cassiodorus nameth C. Lentulus, and M. M…ssalinus: but these are placed by others in the 749. yeare, not the 752. of the citie. Onuphrius in chronie. and Epiphanius in hares. 51. and Eusebius in chronic. doe hold, that Augustus was the 13. time Consul, and Syllanus; when Christ was borne: which Carolus Sigonius in his commentaries agreeth vntounto, as the most probable: yet M. Liuely setteth them in the yeare of the citie 750. the yeare before he supposeth Christ to hauehave beene borne. This account then by Consuls we leaue as vncertaine.
The surer way then by the Romane computation, is to count by the yeares of the raigne of the Emperours. Augustus Cesar is held to hauehave liued 75. yeares, and 10. moneths, and 20. daies, beeing borne as Dio doth cast his natiuitie, in the yeare of the citie 691. and ending his life in the yeare 767. But others doe place his birth in the yeare of the citie 689. as Eutropius lib. 6. and Orosius lib. 6. when Cicero and Antonie were Consuls together, which was in the yeare 689. Bulling. M. Lively. by this latter account Augustus should be two yeare elder: and so liued in all 77. yeares, and odde moneths. But Plinie is wide, who placeth the Consulship of Cicero and Antonie, in the 700. yeare, which should be aboue tenne yeares after, lib. 9. c. 39.
Now for the time of his gouernment: he raigned alone after he had ouercome Antonie at Actium, 44. yeares: 12. he had the ioynt gouernment with Antonie: so that from the beginning of his first Consulship and regiment, he gouerned 56. yeares, some say 58. yeares, Tacit. dialog. de clar. oratorib. some 57. as Iosephus counteth, l. 18. c. 3. but the most Chronologers agree that he raigned in all 56. yeares, 6. moneths: so Epiphan. in Anchorat. and Beda, lib. de 6. at…tib. Fererius thinketh he raigned not full out 56. the difference is not great.
The yeare then of Christs birth compared with Augustus raigne, beeing in the 752. yeare of the citie, falleth out to be in the 42. yeare of Augustus sole gouernment, the 62. of his age, and the 30. yeare after the conquest of Antonie. Beda thinketh it was the 27. yeare: so also Ioseph. Scalig. Clemens the 28. lib. 1. stromat. Onuphrius the 29. but it was the 30. yeare iust from the victorie of Antonie: which was the 42. yeare from the beginning of Augustus first Consulship, as it may be thus gathered: Christ in the 15. yeare of Tiberius Cesar, was 30. yeare old, Luk. 3. 1. 23. then put vntounto that number 15. more of Augustus 56. and we shal come iust to the 42. yeare of Augustus. Thus much of the Latine computation.
2. By the computation of the Greeke Olympiads, Christs birth fell out in the 3. yeare of the 194. Olympiad, as Eusebius in chronic. and Beda, lib; de 6. aetat. and Iosep. Scalig. so also M. Lively: but other cast it to be in the 4. yeare of the 194. Olympiad, Bulling. Perer. and their reason is this, because they hold Christ to hauehave died in the 33. yeare of his age, in the 4. yeare of the 202. Olympiad: by which account his birth will fall out in the 4. of the 194. Olympiad. Here Cyril. Hycrosol. is found to be in a great error, who affirmeth, catech. 12. that Christ was borne in the 4. yeare of the 186. Olympiad, which was aboue 30. yeares before, so that by this reckoning Christ in the 15. yeare of Tiberius, when he was baptized, should be aboue 60. yeares old.