Commentary Upon Acts, Part 2 – Title page 5
PART II.
Sect. I. Affaires in the Empire. A rebellion in Parthia, &c.
AT this yeer hath Eusebius in his Chronicle, placed the Spleen of Seianus against the Jewes, which was some yeers before: and the spleene of Herod against Iames and Peter, which was some yeers after: and In Chron. Mundi l. 8.Massaeus in his Chronicle, hath placed the assumption of the Virgin Mary, which was no body knownes when. A story first published to the world by revelation, as the common cry went of it, but invented indeed by superstition, backed by ease and love of holydayes, and growne into credit and intertainment by credulitie and custome. As unconstant to it selfe for time, as her Sex is of whom it is divulged, for there is so great difference about the time when this great wonder was done, that it is no wonder if it bee suspected to have been done at no time at all. We will leave to rake into it, till wee come to find it in its place, and rubrick in Eusebius, who is the most likely man to follow: and for the present we will divert the readers eyes to a matter of farre more truth and likelihood; Phraates a King of Parthia of old, had given Vonones his eldest sonne for an Hostage to Augustus: and Augustus upon the request of the Parthians afterward, had given him againe unto them for their King. At the first hee was well accepted and well affected by them and among them, as he had been desired by them, but afterward he was disliked and displaced by Artabanus whom they had called in for their King in his stead. This Artabanus having been kept in awe by Germanicus whilest he lived, and having been a good while agoe quitted and delivered of that awe by Germanicus his death, and having at this present, a fit opportunity for the seisure of the Kingdome of Armenia, by the death of Artaxias their King, he taketh upon him to place Arsaces his own eldest son in that throne▪ demanding withall some treasures that Vonones had left in Syria and Cilicia, and challenging the royalty of Persia and Macedon, and the old possessions of Cyrus and Alexander: This was a proud scorne and defiance to the Romans, and such as was not possible for their victoriousnesse to digest, nor safe for him to offer, but that he was imboldned to it by considering the Emperours old age. But Sinnaces and Abdus and other Nobles of Parthia, not trusting their lives and liberties to the rashnesse of Artabanus, come secretly to Rome and commit the matter to Tiberius: He upon their request and glad of opportunity to correct the insolencies of Artabanus giveth them Phraates, another sonne of Phraates their old King, who also lay for an Hostage at Rome, and dispatcheth him away for his fathers Throne and the Nobles with him. And thus is Artabanus in a faire way of an equall retaliation, to lose his owne kingdome as he had usurped another mans. As they were thus travailing homeward with this designe and plot in their minds and hands, Artabanus having intelligence of the matter counterplotteth againe: and fairely inviting Abdus under pretence of great amity to a banquet, preventeth his future designes by poison, and stops the haste of Sinna…es by dissimulation and gifts. Phraates the new elected King, the more to ingratiate himself to his countreymen by complying with them in their manners, forsaketh the Roman garbe, customes, and diet, to which he had been so long inured, and betaketh himselfe to the Parthian, which being too uncouth and hard for him, especially upon a change so suddaine, it cost him his life as hee was in Syria.
But this unexpected accident, caused not Tiberius to forelet or neglect the opportunity so fairely begun, but to follow it the more earnestly. For choosing Tiridates a man of the same blood, and an enemy to Artabanus, hee investeth him in the same right and challenge to the Parthian crowne, and sendeth him away for it. Writing letters withall to Mithradates the King of Iberia to invade Armenia, that the distresse and strait of Ar…aces there might draw Artabanus thither to his reliefe and give Tiridates the more easie accesse to his countrey. For the better securing of Mithradates to this imployment, hee maketh him and his brother Pharasmenes friends, between whom there had been some feud before, and inciteth them both to this same service. This they accordingly performe, and breaking into Armenia, they shortly make the King away by bribing of his servants, and take the City Artaxata with their Army. Artabanus upon these tidings sendeth away Orodes his other sonne, to relieve and to revenge: But Pharasmanes having joyned the Albanes and Sarmatians to his party, and hee and the Iberians by this union being masters of the passages, they powre in Sarmatians into Armenia by multitudes through the straits of the Caspian mountaines, and deny passage to any that would aide the Parthian. So that Orodes commeth up to Pharasmanes, but can goe no further, and they both lie in the field so close together that Pharasmanes biddeth him battell at his owne trenches: which being stoutly and strangely fought between so many nations and so differently barbarous, it fortuned that the two Princes met in the heat of the light, and Pharasmanes wounded Orodes through the Helmet, but could not second his blow himselfe being borne away by his horse beyond his reach, and the other was suddainly succomed and sheltered by his guard. The rumour of this wound of the King by dispersion grew to a certain report of his death, and that, by as certain an apprehension, grew to the losse of the Parthians day. Nor was the rumour altogether mistaken, for the wound though it were not so sodainly, yet was it so surely deadly, that it brought him to his end. Now it is time for Artabanus to looke and stirre about him when he hath lost his two sons, and when his two kingdomes are neere upon losing. Hee mustereth and picketh up all the forces his dominions could afford, and those no more neither (if they were enough) then the present necessity and forlorne estate of himselfe and kingdomes did require. What would have been the issue, and where the storme of this cloud, and shower of these preparations would have lighted, Vitellius gave not leave and time to be determined, for raising all the legions of Syria and thereabout, (for Tiberius upon these troubles had made him ruler of all the East) he pretended an invasion of Mesopotamia. But Artabanus suspecting whither that warre might bend indeed, and his discontented subjects, upon this conceit of the assistance of the Romans daring to shew their revolt against him, which they durst not before, hee was forced to flee with some forlorne company into Scythia, hoping that his absence might remove the hatred of the Parthians, which wee shall see hereafter came accordingly to passe, and Vitellius without any blow struck, maketh Tiridates King in his stead.
Sect. II. Tiberius still cruell and shamelesse.
He was now got to Antium, so neer the City, that in a day or nights space he could have, or give a returne to any letters: For all his age which the Parthian King had despised, and for all the troubles that hee had caused, yet remitted hee nothing of his wonted rigour and savagenesse. The Seianians were as eagerly hunted after as ever, and it was no escape nor helpe to the accused, though the crimes object…d were either obsolete or feigned. This caused Fulcinius Trio for that hee would not stay for the formall accusations which hee perceived were comming against him, to end himself with his own hand, having left most bitter and invective taunts and taxations in his last will and testament, against Tiberius and his darling Macro. The executors durst not publish nor prove the will for feare of the executioner, but the Emperour, when hee heard of the contents of it, caused it to be openly read and divulged, and prided himselfe in those just reproaches. Nor wanted he more of those reproaches from others also, but hee repaid the authors in cruell discontent, though hee seemed to heare his own disgrace with delight. For Sextius Paconianus was strangled in prison for making Verses against him. It may be they were those in Suetonius. Asper & Immitis, breviter his omnia dicam? Dispeream si te mater amare potest, &c.
Granius Martianus, Trebellienus Rufus, and Poppaeus Sabinus, were accused for some other offences, and died by their owne hands, and Tatius Gratianus that had once been Praetor was condemned by a Praetorian Law, and escaped his owne hands indeed, hee did not escape the executioners.
THE CHRISTIAN HISTORY, THE JEWISH and the ROMAN, FOR The Yeare of Christ 37. And of Tiberius 22. Being the Yeare of the World 3964. And of the City of Rome, 789. Consuls
Q. Plautius.
Sextus Papinius or Papirius.
London, Printed by R. C. for Andrew Crooke, 1645.