Commentary Upon Acts, Part 2
Part II. The Roman Story.
Sect. I. The Parthian warre not yet composed.
TIridates seated in his throne, as was related before, but as it proved, neither sure in it, nor in the hearts of all his people, (the first of these being caused by the latter) hee taketh in, certaine Parthian townes, and that by the Parthians owne consent and aide. For his Roman education compared with the Scythian carriage of Artabanus made the people to hope accordingly of his demeanour, and to entertain him with present applause and future expectation. The day of his coronation being appointed, letters from Phraates and Hiero, two of the chiefest commanders in the State, desire that it might be deferred for a certain space, which accordingly was done in regard of the greatnesse of the men. The King in the meane time goeth up to Ctesiphon the Imperiall Citie, attending the comming of these two Nobles, who when they put it off from day to day, Surena, in the presence and by the approvall of very many, crowneth him on their countrey manner. These two Nobles and many others that were absent from this solemnity, some for feare of the Kings displeasure, some for hatred of Abdageses, his favorite, and some no doubt upon a plot premeditated, betake themselves to Artabanus their old King againe. Him they find in Hyrcania hunting in the woods with his bow for his food, rusty and dirty in habit and attire, and overgrown with filth and neglect of himself. At his first sight of them it is no wonder if he were stricken with amazement, but their errand being related, it converted that passion into equall joy. For they complaine of Tiridates his youth, and effeminacy, of the Diadems translation out of the blood, of the potency of Abdageses, and the losse of their old King, whom they now are come to desire againe. Artabanus beleeveth them and consenteth, and raising speedily what Scythians hee could, marcheth away towards his kingdome againe. But his royall apparell hee wore not with him, but the poore and rugged garbe of his misery & exile, thereby to move the more to pity: and used all his wits and policy to make himself a party strong on his side all the way as hee went. But hee needed not all this cautelousnesse and preparation, for Tiridates but hear…ng of his approaching towards Seleucia, under colour of going to raise up forces, departed into Syria, and parted with his new kingdome with as much facility as he had obtained it.
Sect. 2. Artabanus giveth hostages to Rome.
When the power and policy of Tiberius, and his agent Vitellius that had served to get Artabanus out of his Kingdom, would not serve the turn to keep him thence; they send to treat of friendship with him, suspecting what trouble such a spirit might procure, should it bend it selfe against the Roman Empire. The King wearyed with the toiles of Warre, and knowing without a prompter, what it was to defie the Romans, condescendeth readily to the motion, and Vitellius and hee meeting upon a bridge made over Euphrates for that purpose, each, with a guard about him; conclude upon Articles of agreement, and Herod the Tetrarch entertaineth them both, in a pavilion curiously seated in the midst of the streame. Not long after this Artabanus sendeth Darius his son for an hostage to Tiberius; and withall he sendeth Eleazar a Jew, of seven cubits high, for a present; and many other gifts.
Sect. 3. A Commotion in Cappadocia.
Whilst matters went thus unquietly in Parthia, the Calite a Nation of Cappadocia, grew discontented about paying tribute to the Romans, & so departed into the mountaine Taurus, and there fortifie, resolving as they never had used to pay such taxations; so never to learne, nor to use to doe so. Archelaus was now King, but not now King of them; for the strength of the mountains, and the desperatenes of their resolution, do animate them to withstand him and to rebell against the Romans. When tydings of this was brought to Vitellius into Syria, he dispatcheth away M. Trebellius with foure thousand legionary Souldiers, and some other Forces raised otherwayes, to bring the Rebells to obedience or to ruine. Trebellius invironeth with workes and men, two hills, Cadra and Davara, where they were the most strongly trenched, and those that were so hardy as to come forth, hee subdueth with the sword, and the rest with famishing.
Sect. IIII. Bloodshed at Rome.
These diseases of the Roman body were far from the heart, and yet was the heart, the Citie it self but little the better; for though some veines were opened in these warres which one would have thought should have turned the blood another way, yet did the Citie through the cruelty of the Emperour bleed inwardly still. For L. Aruleius and some others died by the hand of the Executioner, and C. Galba, two of the Blesii, and the Lady Aemylia Lepida by their owne hands. But the example of the greatest terror was Vibulenus Agrippa a Knight, who being at the barre, when he had heard what his accusers could say against him, and despairing to escape hee tooke poyson out of his bosome in the face of the Court (Dion saith hee sucked it out of his Ring) and swallowed it and sank downe and was ready to die, yet was hee haled away to prison and there strangled.
Sect. V. Mishaps.
Besides this deluge of blood, which overflowed the Citie continually, there was also this yeer a deluge of water. For Tiber rose so high and violently into the town, that many streets became navigable, and where men had walked lately on their feet, they might have passed now up and downe in ships. And a greater misfortune happened this yeer likewise by the contrary element: for a terrible fire consumed the buildings of the mount Aventine and that part of the Circus that lay betwixt that and the Palace; For the repaire of all which again, Tiberius out of his own treasure gave a great summe of money: Tacitus saith Millies Sestertium, which according to the value and reckoning of our English coine amounted to eight hundred thousand pounds, within nineteen thousand. A summe not strange in an Emperours coffer at Rome, where the vastnesse of the Empire brought in vast revenues, but somewhat strange out of the purse of Tiberius for so good a purpose, whose covetousnesse was larger then those whole revenues. And therefore as I cannot but observe the difference of Dion about this liberality of the Emperour from Tacitus, and the difference of his translator from his Text; so can I not but conceive his computation and account to be the more probable in regard of the niggardise of the Emperour. For whereas the summe of Tacitus is eight hundred thousand within nineteen, hee hath so farre come short of such a reckoning, that he maketh nineteen thousand pounds to bee the whole account. For Tiberius saith he gave foreign, two thousand and five hundred thousand, meaning …600. sestertia, and each sestertium containing a thousand Sestertios, this accreweth to about the summe last named, of 19000 l. and yet hath his translator forsaken his Greek, and followed Tacitus Latine, to so vast a difference.