1
The first Trumpet.
The wars of yethe first Trumpet have these three
characters. 1 They are to be the wind wchwhich blows next after
that calmness wherewthwith yethe seventh seal begins, that is the
first notable invasion wchwhich breaks forth after yethe year
380. 2 They are to be an Eastern wind, that is a
war in yethe regions eastward of Rome. 3 In this war
there is to be one or more great battels wthwith loss to that side
signified by the earth; that is to yethe enemies of yethe Roman
Empire. ffor by Def yethe hail & fire mingled wthwith blood
signify great battels, & their being cast on the earth de
notes the overthrow of that side signified by the earth, &
yethe earth is that people wchwhich aa Apoc 12.1 takes part wthwith yethe woman against
yethe Dragon, at length swallowing up yethe waters wchwhich yethe Dra
gon cast out of his mouth, & consequently is at enmity
wthwith yethe Dragon, that is wthwith yethe Roman Empire.
The people of yethe Empire are signifed by yethe watry
element as by yethe bb Apoc. 12waters wchwhich yethe Dragon cast out of
his mouth, by yethe cc Apoc 17.1, 15.many waters where yethe whore sitteth
& by the dd Apoc 13.1sea out of wchwhich yethe ten horned Beast arose
& therefore yethe earth must be yethe enemy to yethe Empire,
becaus, as I intimated above, yethe inhabitants of yethe Earth
& Sea chap 12.12, are two sorts of people; and yethe winds
wchwhich hurt this earth & Sea ch 7.2, are yethe wars between
them whereby they are alternately hurt. Conceive there
fore that yethe compas of yethe Empire is this political sea
& ytthat yethe nations round about it, are the earth wchwhich
bounds & comprehends it as yethe natural earth does an
inland sea; for this similitude I suppose was yethe ground
of yethe figure: & thus yethe hail storm falling on the earth
will signify the overthrow in battel of yethe barbarians in
battel.
These are the characters of this Trumpet & these the two first of these direct us to
yethe invasions wchwhich brake forth immediately after the death
of Theodosius. ffor during the reign of that Emperor
yethe Empire flourished very much bearing up against yethe
indeavours of all forreign enemies, & injoying a more
then usuall tranquility. There were indeed between yethe
wars of Maximus & Eugenius some attempts upon Gallia by the 2 the Franks, but these were but short & unsuccessfull
& may be compared rather to gentle breathings then winds
But so soon as Theodosius was dead, Ruffin to whom
Theodosius left yethe tuition of Arcadius thinking to get
yethe Empire to himself called in all yethe nations of yethe
North to trouble yethe Roman waters.
And first Alaric wthwith a great Army of Goths &
other Barbarians the very same year brake out of
Thrace into Macedon sparing neither towns nor men
& going thence by Thessaly into Achaia he rased
all cities in his way but all cities in his way almost the whole country & amongst other cities Thebes & Athens. Then
rushing into Peloponnesus he laid wast Corinth Argos
& Sparta wthwith many other cities & from thence he betook himself into Epire,
where he continued yethe same depopulations. And the
next year going out of Epire he overran Achaia,
& for four years together continued to wast it &
Epire & yethe neighbouring Provinces wthwith fire & depopu
lation.
AtAbt yethe same, or immediately after happened that notable expedition of Radagaisus:
described above of wchwhich Prosper: Anno 11 Are - delevit. So Augustine De Civit. Dei lib 5
Cum Rad. inquit, - necaretur. Thes two places compared seem to confirm yethe number of
yethe army set down by Zosimus. But whereas D. August. says ytthat none of yethe Romans were wounded
ytthat is scarce to be understood wthwithout an Hyperbola. Yet this may said for it: That yethe Romans
came not in to yethe sta. till yethe Huns H & S. wthwith their H. & G. - confusion; ffor H. & S. were hired
by yethe Romans agt yethe enemy, & Marcelline writes: Huldin - confecerunt.
I told you how yethe rest of yethe this great Army after this battel betook themsels to yethe Hill Fæsula
& were for want of sustenance there were all soon forced to yield themselvs captives. Tanta
vero - pretijs. The cause of their death was probably their being famished in yethe moun
tain, & afterwards filling their bellies too suddenly. And thus was all this vast Army con
sumed as it were in a moment.
Not long after this yethe Army of Huldin also being returned into Thrace submitted to yethe common law. Namqꝫque
mimas - Let us hear Claudian who brings in Rome thus speaking to I supplicating
Iupiter - The like plagues on yethe other sidesside yethe Mediterranean Synesius in Epist
58 ad Episcopos thus briefly mentions: Avdp. - But let us hear PhilostorgiusPhilostorgius's who descriptiōon
of these things overeven all the Roman world over: Ait, saith he autem ( referente Photio) quod sua -
But Philostorgius's description is more full & universall. Philostorgius also acquaints us wthwith these
& other unusuall plagues prodigiously calamitous all yethe Roman world over.
About the same time that Alaric began these de
vastations, there breaksbrake into Thrace & Pannonia from
beyond yethe Danube a great hand of Huns, Alans, Ostrogoths Sar
matans, Quades & Marcomans, who harassed all those &
the adjacent regions for some years together, but chiefly
Thrace: aa Theodoret l 5 c 32 & 33 wchwhich also together wthwith bb Sozom. l 8 c. 4. Socrat. l 6. c 6. Asia smarted very much under yethe de
populations of Gainas a Goth & one of Arcadius's Generals who
rebelling turning traitor about yethe same time cc Sozom l 8. c 4. Socr: l 6. c 6. called out of into Thrace the Empire from beyond Ister great numbers of Ostrogoths & conspired wthwith Tribigildus or Targibilus another Goth who being set over some bands of the barbarians in Asia wthwithdrew his obedience & fell to depopulate Phrygia Pamphilia Lydia & yethe adjacent regions wthwithout allies
And that no part of yethe East might be free, there
flowed in yethe second same or the next year of the irruption (AD 397)
another very great inundation of Huns from yethe
regions of Tanais & Mæotis into both Armenias Syria Cappadocia Cilicia &c &
yethe neighbouring Provinces; wchwhich when the had wasted
for some years together they make their way through
Asia minor into Thraceswiftly overrunning & wasting those regions for some years together. [And besides all this Targibilus a Goth set over some bands of the Goths in Asia minor wthwithdrew his obedience & fell to depopulate Cappadocia Cilicia Phrygia Pamphilia Lydia & yethe adjacent regions wthwithout all mercy].
The time & occasion of Alaric's irruption you have
thus exprest in Marcelline's chronicle. Indic 9. Olybrio et
Probrino Coss. Theodosius apud Mediolanum vita decessit.
Ruffinus clam Aradio Principi insidias tendens Alaricum
Gothorum regem missis ei clam pecunijs, infestum reip.
fecit, et in Græciam misit. Porro detecto dolo suo Ruffi nus 3 nus ab Italicus militibus trucidatus est. But yethe manner
of yethe
- but chiefly a Thrace. And at yethe same time also there flowed another great in
undation of Huns from yethe regions of Tanais & Mæotis into both Armenias, Syria,
Cappadocia & Cilicia. And besides all this a Thrace & b Asia smarted very much under yethe
depopulations of Gainas a Goth & one of Arcadius's Generalls: who turning Trai
tor c called into yethe Empire from beyond Ister great numbers of Ostrogoths
& conspired wthwith Tribigildus (or Targibilus) another Goth who being set over some
bands of yethe barbarians in Asia, withdrew his obedience & fell to depopulate
Phrygia, Pamphilia Lydia & yethe adjacent regions. And after them the Isauri
from the recesses of yethe mountain Taurus overspread first Armenia Cilicia Mesopotamia, & both
Syrias, & then Cilicia all the lesser Asia to yethe very Hellespont, together wthwith the Island Cyprus. Nor did Egypt Lybia & Cyrene suffer
less by the invading Mazaces & Auxorians into both Armenias Syria Cappadocia & Cilicia. And after them yethe Isauri fom the Mountain Taurus overflowed first Mesopotamia & both Syrias, & then Cilicia. And I may add also the troubles wchwhich Gilda caused in CyrereneCyrene & part of Afric.
The grassation of Alaric is Grece is thus described by Zosimus thus describes more fully.Zosim l 5. Ala
ricus e Thracia discedebat et in Macedoniam Thessa
liamqꝫque progrediebatur interjecta cuncta diruens - Dein
transitis Therm aditu per Thermopilas in ** i.e. Achaiam Græcim
concesso, Barbari mox ad expeditam agrorum direptio
nem et universum oppidorum excidium progredieban
tur, viros quidem cujusvis ætatis interrimentes, pueros
autem et mulierculas gregatim una cum opibus uni
versis ceu partam prædam abigentes. Ac Boætia quidem
tota cæteræqꝫque Græcæ nationes, quascunqꝫque post occupa
tum aditum illum Thermopylarum transibant barbari,
plane jacebant; et eversionem suam hodièqꝫque specta
toribus intuendam exhibent, solis Thebis partim
ob urbis munitionem conservatis partim quod Ala
ricus Athenas capere properans, earum obsidioni
non inhæsisset. - Sed Atheniensium civitas hoc tem
pore in extremum conjecta periculum evasit. Ala
ricus autem Attica tota Alaricus autem Attica tota vastationis experte relicta in Mega
ridem transibat et oppido primo impetu capto, Pelop
ponnesum itinere continenti petebat obstaculum
nullum expertus Cumqꝫque Gerontius Istmi transeundi copiam ei fecisset omnes ab eo deinceps urbes citra laborem et pugnam capi poterant, quod nullis essent munitæ mœnibus propter eam securitatem & defensionem quam Istmus eis præstabat. Itaqꝫque confestim prima corinthus & & confestim prima Corinthus
cum finitimis oppidis vi capiebantur, & secundum
hanc Argos una cum ijs locis quæ inter hanc &
Lacedæmonem interjacent. Ipsa quoqꝫque in societa
tem captæ Græciæ Sparta veniebat. Although Zosimus here writes that Attica & the Cities Thebes & Athens escaped these flames yet Baronius out of Ierom Claudian & Ierom Claudian & Eunapius proves the contrary: Ad Ann. 395. sec 16 & 17. The pasage out of Claudian is this: Si tunc his - ☉
Claud in Ruffin lib 2.
☉ Si tunc his animis acies collata fuisset,
Prodita non tantas vidisset Græcia clades,
Oppida semoto Pelopeia Marte vigerent;
Starent Arcadiæ, starent Lacedæmonis arces,
Nec fera ai.e. Athenienses. Cecropias traxissent vincula matres.
In yethe passage of Eunapius, besides other things, are these words: Infinitæ &
inexplicabiles clades non multò post exundarunt (quas in historiæ spatiosis campis
diffusius narravimus -) quando Alaricus cum barbaris per Thermopylarum fau
ces pervasit non secus quàm per apertum stadium aut campum liberum & equo
rum decursui patentem. To wchwhich I may add this passage of Synesius in Epist 135
Ad Fratrem: Nihil, jam Athenæ splendidum habent præter celeberrima lo
corum nomina. Ac velut ex hostia consumpta sola pellis superest, animalis,
quod olim fuerit aliquanda fuerat, indicium: sic inde deducta Philosophia restat ut ober
rando Academiam ac Lycæum mireris - Athenæ quondam civitas fuit, domicilium Philo- Philosophorum; nunc eam mellatores celebrant.
But these & such like instances particulars it is not worth yethe while to insist on since they are but
gleaning bear wthwith bear no proportion to that store wchwhich are but a few casuall scattering instances of that store can amount to but a few instances of
those abundant judgments wchwhich Philostorgius tells us to recount particularly was above yethe power of
man
The irruption of yethe Huns from beyond yethe Danube into Armenia & yethe adjacent Provinces Sozomenus in lib 8. c 25 remembers thus. Hunni Istrūum
transgressi Thraciam populabantur. Et in Isauria la
trones in turbam congregati ad Cariam usqꝫque et Phœ
niciam civitates affligebant & vicos. And in lib 8 c 1
he touches upon the other irruption into Armenia &
& Syria. Hac, ait, tempestate (i.e. sub initio Arcadij)
Hunni Barbari Armeniani et nonnullas alias orienta
les Imperij partes devastarunt. Ferebatur autem quod
eos clanculum ad imperij limina introduxisset Ruffinus
Præfectus Orientis. But Ierom who was then in the East in
the time of this irruption, describes it more largely thus
in his thirtieth Epistle. Quærentibus, ait, nobis dignum
tantæ feminæ Fabiolæ habitaculum - ecce subito discurrentibus
nuncijs oriens totus intremuit. Ab ultima Mæotide inter 4 glacialem Tanaim et Massagetarum immanes popu
los ubi Caucasi rupibus feras gentes Alexandri claus
tra cohibent erupisse Hunnorum examina quæ per
nicibus equis huc illucqꝫque volitantia cædis pariter ac
exercitus et bellis civilibus in Italia tenebatur. In
speranti ubiqꝫque aderant et famam celeritate vincen
tes non religioni non dignitatibus non ætati parcebant
non vagientis miserebantur infantiæ Cogebantur mori
qui nondum vivere cœperant. Et nescientes malum suum
inter hostium manus ac tela ridebant. Consonus
inter omnes rumor petere eos Hierosolymam, et ob
nimiam auri cupiditatem ad hanc urbem percurrere.
Mari neglecti pacis incuria sartiebantur. Antiochia
obsidebatur. Tyrus se volens a terra abrumpere
tiōon insulam quærebat antiquam. Tunc et nos compulsi
sumus parare naves, ess in littore, adventum hostium
præcavere, & sævientibus ventis magis barbaros metue
re quàm naufragium, [non tam nostræ saluti quam
virginum castimoniæ providentes.] Erat in illo tempore quædam apud nos dissentio, & barbarorum pugnam do
mestica bella superabant. Nos in oriente tenuerunt
jam fixæ & inveteratum locorum sanctorum desiderium
And in his third Epistle the same Ierom written I suppose in the end of yethe second I suppose in
yethe second third year of yethe irruption (AD 396397) the same Ierom
describes & laments & laments yethe afflicted estate of yethe
empire on both sides yethe Hellespont. Horret, inquit, ani
mus temporum nostrorum ruinas persequi. Viginti
et eo amplius anni sunt cum inter Constantinopolim
et Alpes Iulias quitidie Romanus sanguis effunditur.
Scythiam Thraciam Macedoniam Dardaniam Daciam
Thessaliam Achaiam Epiros Dalmatiam cunctasqꝫque
Pannonias; Gothus, Sarmata Quadus, Alanus, Hunni, Van
dali Marcomanni vastant trahunt rapiunt: Quot
Matronæ, quot virgines Dei et ingenua nobiliaqꝫque cor
pora his belluis fuere ludibrio? Capti Episcopi, inter
fecti Presbyteri, et deversorum officia clericorum: Eversæ
Ecclesiæ, et ad Altaria Christi stabulati equi, Martyrum
effossæ reliquiæ: Vbiqꝫque luctus, ubiqꝫque genitus, & plurima mortis 5 mortis imago. Romanus Orbis ruit, et tamen cœpisse
non flectitur. Quid putas animi nunc habere Corinthios, A
thenienses, Lacedæmonios, Arcadas cunctamqꝫque Græciam quibus
imperant Barbari? Et ecce paucas urbes nominavi in qui
bus olim fuere regna non modica. Immunis ab his malis
videbatur Oriens et tantum nuncijs consternatus. Ecce tibi
anno præterito ex ultimis Caucasi rupibus immissi in nos
non jam Arabiæ sed Septentrionis Lupi tantas brevi Pro
vincias percurrerunt. Quot monasteria capta? Quantæ
fluviorum aquæ humano cruore mutatæ sunt? Obsessa
Antiochia, et urbes reliquæ quas Halys Cydnus Orontes
Euphratesqꝫque præterfluunt. Tracti greges captivorum.
Arabia Phœnice Palestina Ægyptus timore captivæ
Non, mihi si linguæ centum sint, oraqꝫque centum; fferrea
vox, Omni pœnarum percurrere nomina possim, Neqꝫque
enim historiam proposui scribere sed nostras breviter
flere miserias. And a little after he adds. Nostris vitijs Romanus superatur exercitus Et quasi
non hæc sufficerent cladibus, plus pene bella civilia quam
hostilis mucro consumpsit.
Claudian alsoClaud. in Ruffin lib 2. a judicious an intelligent heathen who was equally an
eye witness & sufferer in this tempest, describes it very ele
gantly in a Poem written at yethe same time, viz. AD 397 or 398:
opportunely (viz: about yethe year 398 or a little after,) comparing it to yethe relaxation of a wind as
if he meant to be an interpreter.
Ventis veluti si fræna remittat
Æolus, abrupto gentes sic obice ** Ruffinus scil.fudit
Laxavitqꝫque viam bellis. Et nequa maneret
Immunis regio, cladem divisit, in orbem
Disposuitqꝫque nefas. Alij per terga ferocis
Danubij solidata ruunt, expertaqꝫque remos
ffrangunt stagna rotis. Alij per Caspia claustra
Armeniasqꝫque nives inopion tramite ducti
Invadunt Orientis opes. Iam pascua fumant
Cappadocum voluerumqꝫque parens Argæus Equorum.
Iam rubet altus Halys, nec se defendit in quo
Monte Cilix. Syriæ tractus vastantur amœni.
Assuetumqꝫque choris et læta plebe camaram
Protexit imbellem sonipes hostilis Orientem
Hinc 6
Hinc planctus Asia; Geticis Europa catervis
Ludibrio prædæqꝫque datur, frondentis adusqꝫque
Delmatiæ fines; Omnis qua mobile ponti
Æquor et Hadriacas tellus interjacet undas
Squalet inops pecudum nullis habitata colonis
Instar anhelantis Lybiæ, quæ torrida sem
Solibus, humano nescit mansuescere
Thessalus ardet ager, reticet pastore fugato
Pelion, Emathias ignis populatur aristas.
Iam plaga Pannoniæ, miserandaqꝫque mœnia Thracum
Arvaqꝫque Mysorum, jam nulli flebile damnum
Sed cursus solennis erat: campusqꝫque furori
Expositus, sensumqꝫque malis detraxerat usus.
Eheu quam brevibus pereunt ingentia causis
Imperium tanto quæsitum sanguine, tanto
Servatum; quod mille ducum peperere labores
Quod tantis Romana manus contexuit annis
Proditor unus iners angusto tempore vertit. &c
The beginning of these miseries on this side yethe Hellespont
the Poet a little before describes more particularly,Claud. de Ruffin lib 1.speaking thus of Ruffin.
Ille avidusAvidus prædo jam non per singula sævit
Sed Scæptris inferre minas, omniqꝫque perempto
Milite, Romanas audet prosternere vires
Iam gentes Istrumqꝫque movet Scithiamqꝫque receptat
Auxilio, traditqꝫque suas hostilibus armis
Relliquias: mixtis descendit Sarmata Dacis
Et qui cornipedes in pocula vulnerat audax
Massagetes patriamqꝫque bibens Mæotim Alanus
Membraqꝫque qui ferro gaudet pinxisse Gelonus:
Ruffino collecta manus, vetat ille domari
Innectitqꝫque moras, et congrua tempora differt.
Nam ** Ad Stiliconem loquitur de Ostrogothis. tua cum Geticas stravisset dextera turmas
Vlta ducis socij letum, parsqꝫque una maneret
Debilior facilisqꝫque capi: tunc impius ille
Proditor imperij, conjuratusqꝫque Getarum
Distulit instantes eluso Principe pugnas,
Hunnorum laturus opem, quos affore bello
Norat, et invisis mox se conjungere castris.
And a little after
Aspice barbaricis jaceant quot mœnia flammis
Quas mihi Ruffinus clades quantumqꝫque cruoris
Præbeat
7
Præbeat, et quantis epulentur cædibus Hydri.
The same ClaudianClaud. in Eutropium lib. in another poem written about yethe
year 400 or soon after, thus further describes yethe desolations
beyond yethe Hellespont.
Iam vaga pallentem densis terroribus aulam
Fama quatit, stratas acies, deleta canebat
Agmina, Mæonios fœdari cædibus agros
Pamphilios Pisidasqꝫque rapi; metuendus ab omni
Targibilus regione tonat; modo tendere cursum
In Galatas, modo Bithynis incumbere fertur.
Sunt qui per Cilicas rupto descendere Tauro:
Sunt qui correptis ratibus, terraqꝫque mariqꝫque
Adventare ferant. Geminantur vera pavoris
Ingenio, longe spectari puppibus urbes
Accensas, lucere fretum, ventoqꝫque citatas.
Omnibus in pelago velis hærere favillas.
The desolation grassation of Targibilus Tribigildus you have thus described
in Zosimus. Zos. l 5 Targibilus Tribigildusalias Tirbigildus non turmis Romanis sed barbaris in
Phrygia subsistere jussis præerat. - Assumptis autem Barbaris
in quos habebat imperium quicquid erat in medio situm inva
debat, nec aut virorum aut mulierum aut puerorum cædi
bus abstinens et obvia quæqꝫque diripiens perexiguo tempore
tantam coegit multitudinem mancipiorum aliarumqꝫque vili
um personarum ut Asiam totam in extremum periculum
conijceret. Nam et Lydia plena variæ perturbationis
erat, omnibus prope dixerim ad loco maritima confugi
entibus, cumqꝫque suis universis ad insulas aliove navigantibus.
Et Asia mari finitima periculum se quantum alias nunquam
accidisset in proclivi conspecturam verebatur - TriTargibilus
dein omni vastata Phrygia Pisidas adortus est - et factum
ut obsistente nemine quævis oppida per vim caperentur,
omnes illorum incolæ cum ipsis militibus interficerentur,
nemo deniqꝫque barbarus Romanis amicus esset. After this yethe
historian declares how when yethe forces of Targibilus Tribigildus were di
minished, & his confæderate Gainas sent him new supplies:
he raged more then before for a time & consumed one of the Roman armies wchwhich was sent against him. But let us hear Clau
dian's description of thisthese Tragedy in desolations composed in yethe time
of yethe action: viz A D 399.
8
Claud. in Eutropium lib 2.
- Ostrogothis colitur mixtisqꝫque Gothunnis
Phrix ager - - - - - - -
Iam vaga pallentem densis terroribus aulam
Fama quatit, stratas acies, deleta canebat
Agmina Mæonios fœdari cædibus agros
Pamphilios Pisidasqꝫque rapi; metuendus ab omni
Targibilus regione tonat; modò tendere cursum
In Galatas, modo Bythinis incumbere fertur.
Sunt qui per Cilicas rupto descendere Tauro
Sunt qui correptis ratibus, terraqꝫque mariqꝫque
Adventare ferant. Geminantur vera pavoris
Ingenio, longe spectari puppibus urbes
Accensas lucere fretum, ventoqꝫque citatas
Omnibus in pelago velis hærere favillas.
The incursions of yethe Isauri are thus expressed briefly in Marcelline's Chronicle thus: Indic. 3: Stilicone 3o & Anthemio Coss: (i.e. A.D. 405) Isauri per montem Tauri discursantes ingens dispendium Reip. importarunt, quibus Narbaziacus Legatus majus continuò rependit incommodum. [And thus more at large in Zosimus: Dum familares Principis de vastatis [per ignem Constantinopoleos] ædificijs instaurandis cogitabant, allatus est Aulicis nuncius magnam Isaurorum multitudinem, quæ supra Pamphyliam Ciliciamqꝫque posita semper in asperrimis & inaccessis Tauri montibus degit in latronum manipulos divisam, regionem subjectam invadere. Ac opida quidem munita tentare non poterant, vicos autem mœnibus destitutos & obvia quævis irruendo vexabant: quos incursus id ipsis faciliores reddebat quod isthæc regio paulo ante fuisset ab hostibus capta Tribigilda cum barbaris suis rebellionem molito. His nunciatis Arbazacius Dux mittitur qui laborantibus Pamphyliæ rebus succurreret &c. Zosimus here sets down mentions their incursions only into Pamphylia & Cilicia, but out of Philostorgius who lived in those times it appears that they were of much greater extent.] And in Nicephorus thus Hunni Istrum gransgressi ThaciamThraciam vastantes percurrerunt Huldam ducem habentes. Et Isauri quidam prædones perquam feri ingenti coacta multitudine Phœniciam atqꝫque Cariam & quæ in medio sitæ sunt urbes excursionibus extremisqꝫque cladibus vexarunt. So Chrysostom Epist. 14 written in his journey into banishment A D 404 Cum in hoc statu res nostræ essent, subito ad nos affertur Isauros cum infinita hominum manu Cæsariensem regionem populari ac ingens quoddam oppidum incendisse, atqꝫque omni belli clade pervastasse. And in Epist 61 written afterwards from Armenia: Omnia hic cædibus tumultibus cruore atqꝫque incendijs plena sunt, Isauris nimirum cuncta ferro atqꝫque igne populantibus And again in Epist 69. Nos nuper quidem asperrima hieme loca subinde commutantes nunc in urbibus nunc in terræ faucibus & sylvis commorati sumus ab Isauris in nos impetum facientibus omni ex parte vexati & exagitati - Et præter, id quod singulos in dies, ut ita dicam, pro foribus nostris mors est, Isauris videlicet omnia invadentibus, atqꝫque igni & ferro tum corpora tum ædificia delentibus, famem etiam, quam loci angustia & eorum qui huc confugiunt multitudo minatur, pertimescimus. Sub Arcadio, saith Gothofredus (Comment. in 9 Cod. Theod. Tit. 35) multa de Isauris Iohannes Chrysostomus quæritur ante quadrennium A 404 cùm in exilium iret Cæsariæqꝫque esset, mox et exilij sui Cucusi in Tauro in Cilicia tempore: Nempe ad Olympiadem ep 13 & 14 ad Diogenem ep 114 et ad Gemellum & ep. ad Theodoritum ex Consularibus; & ep. ad Theodotum Lectorem et ep. ad Theodotum Diaconum & alijs multis: quibus locis ostendit quam formidabiles illi fuerint & quot mala perpetraverint. Videndus etiam Theodoretus, ubi de Iacobo Anachoreta, de vita sanct. patrum, in Iacobo c 21: Sed et Symesius non una epistola hoc ipsa tempore, & Zosimus superiore anno 404 lib 5 lib 5 Isauros eo tempore in Pamphiliam incursasse prolixè narrat, & ad hos comprimendo missum ducem Arbazacium (cujus meminit etiam Synesius ep 135) 234 ad Fritem ubi Artabazacus vocatur) in Pamphiliam qui Isauros latrones fuga dilapsos intra monttes persecutus fuerit complures eorum vicos cœperit, virorum multitudinem non exiguam multitudinem interfecerit. Gothofred. Comment. in 9 Cod. Theod. Tit. 35. The narration of Zosimus is this: Dum familiares Principis de vastatis [per ignem Constantinopoleos] ædificijs instaurandis cogitabant - vide pag: super. - Pamphyliæ rebus succurreret. Is ubi - latrones fuga dilapsos intra montes persecutus fuisset complures eorum villas cœpit, & virorum multitudinem non exiguam occidit &c.
Further the lapsed state of Phœnicia, CœloSyria, & Egypt, & yethe declining condition of Lybia, Synesius then Bishop of Cyrene in Epist 73 ad Troilum thus hints. Quî fit ut Phœnicibus quidem Phœnices non imperent, nec Cœlosyri Cœlosyris, Ægyptij itidem omnibus potius Provincijs? quàm patriæ, ** Λίβυει Afri autem soli patriæ præficiantur? Soline Afri fortissimi sunt, ac legibus opponere sese constitutum habent? Quibus cùm plura adversus violatores supplicia aposita fuerint, tam depravata ingenia impetu in eas graviore præcipitant. Necesse est funditus perire funditus Pentapolin quæ Cyrene adjacet: sed fames & bellum nondum quantum satis est consumpserunt sed at moram faciunt & paulatim disperdunt. Afterward in epist 103 Ad Olympium he thus expresses speaks of yethe rasing desolation of Cyrene: Si philosophiam, inquit, idoneam esse dicam ad civitates erigendas ipsa nil Cyrene arguet quæ magis quàm ulla Ponti civitas jacet. And in many other epistles, as epist 57, 78, 93, he deplores yethe lamentable state of LibyaLybya Cyrenaica under yethe invading Ausurians, but chiefly in his CastastasisCatastasis a discours written in yethe 7th year of yethe invasion when yethe enemy had newly mastered all opposition & newly rased Pentapolis. Equidem nescio, inquit, quid de ijs calamitatibus dici oporteat quæ in oculis omnium versantur. - Pentapolitanæ res heri ac nudius tertius in Romanorum potestate manserant, qui deinceps amissa ea gente in recensendis suis Præfecturis suis illam præteribunt. Prorsus nunc de Pentapoli actum est; funditus inquam illa concidit: quævarijs quidem ærumnis annum jam septimum conflictari cœperat. Sed quemadmodum animal quoddam ægre moriens sic illa spiritus sui reliquias cogebat atqꝫque contrahebat. Felix sit Anysij memoria. Is enim annum ad illius tempus adjecit cum clypeis quidem omnium, Vnegardorum verò manibus opportunè uteretur. Itaqꝫque nonnihil dilata calamitas est. Neqꝫque enim confertis copijs regionem pervagati sunt; ad latrocinia sese converterunt, fugientes identidem atqꝫque irrumpentes. Posteaquam vero ter instructa acie præliari consilium mutarunt, nunc campos longe lateqꝫque omnes eques obtinet nunc intra intra mœnia conclusi milites tenentur, alij aliò dissipati, quod Cerealis tempore malum, accidit nec utiles sibi invicem esse possunt, quod non collectus unum ac coacti sunt. Quamobrem hostium res luculentæ & prosperæ sunt Qui enim inferiore anno velites erant, & ad fugam expediti nunc oppugnato
This is enough to let you see how universal & wonderfully violent this storm was at yethe first irruption: in wchwhich when Alaric had for about four or five years together harrased yethe regions of yethe Greeks, he determins to invade yethe western Empire, & pasing into Dalmatia & Pannonia depopulated also those regions, & then breaksbrake through Noricum, comescame into Venetia, in a short time makesmade himself master of those cities, & beseigesbeseiged yethe Emperor Honorius at Hasta, so that every one began to think of leaving their seats in Italy. But Stilico (in ee Baron. Annal. An 403. sec 50 & 52. yethe year 403) beatsbeat him first at Pollentia wthwith a difficult but no table victory, & then again at Verona, compelling him wthwith yethe reliques of scattered forces to fly into Pannonia aa Sozom. l 8. c 25 where returning to his former obedience, he was honoured by Honorius wthwith a military præfecture.
Whilst these things were doing Radagaisus a Pagan & King of another dynasty of the Goths prepared a far greater Army then that of Alaric, consisting of Goths Sarmatans & Germans to yethe number of four hundred thousand if we may beleive Zosimus, or according to yethe least accounts of bb Marcellin two hundred thousand & cc Oros. l 7. c 37 upward. With these he passed yethe Alps Iulian Alps & yethe regions of Venetia, & having wasted many cities in yethe way, beseiged Florence. In wchwhich seige when Stilico understood 9understood that he was intangled & hedged in wthwith mountains on all hands so that he had no room to dilate & draw up his army to battel & that his army hay divided into three parts, he wthwith Huldin & Saxus two confederate Princes of the Huns & Goths, unawares setsset upon ff Prosper chronone of yethe three parts of his army wthwith so great success that wthwith out any considerable loss of his own soldiers he slew gg D. August. de Civ. Dei l. 5. above a hundred thousand of yethe enemy. Whereupon Radagaisus terrified wthwith so great a slaughter betakesbetooke himself wthwith yethe remains of his Army from these valleys to yethe hill of Fæsula. But Stilico pursuespursued & beseigesbeseiged him there suffering none to escape nor any thing for sustenance to be carried thither. Wherefore seing he could neither fight by reason of the straitness of yethe place, nor subsist long there for want of sustenance he fleesfled privately from his Army, but iswas taken & killed & allalmost all yethe barbarians prest wthwith famin yeilded themselves captive. Tanta vero multitudo captivorum fuisse fertur (saith OrosiusOros l 7. c 37) ut vilissimarum pecudum modo singulis aureis passim greges hominum venderentur. Sed nihil superesse Deus de eodem populo sivit, nam illico cunctis qui emebantur morientibus, quod improbi emptores eorum non impenderunt turpiter pretijs, expenderunt misericorditer sepulturis.
Having given you yethe history of yethe Eastern wind, the war to wchwhich yethe first Trumpet sounded: it remains that I now apply it to yethe particular actions exprest in that Trumpet. But for this end we are first to know what is meant by the third part of every thing in the four first Trumpets: & this we may best learn from yethe second Trumpet by considering what is meant by the third part of yethe sea. The sea I told you was yethe whole Roman Empire, & therfore yethe third part of it must be yethe third part of that Empire. And besides that wchwhich in yethe second Trumpet is called yethe third part of10 of the sea is in yethe second Viall called yethe sea, therefore it must be also a whole Empire & consequently yethe western Empire, ytthat being yethe third ꝑpart of yethe whole Roman dominions, as you may easily perceive by yethe map if you divide yethe whole into three equall parts according to yethe length. ffor Mesopotamia, Armenia major, Armenia minor, Mesopotamia, Syria, Arabia & Palestine amount to about one third part: Egypt, Cyrenaica Asia, Thrace Macedon &, Grece, & Illyricum to another third ꝑpart: & Afric, Illyricum Pannonia, Rhetia, Italy, Gallia, Spain & Brittain to yethe third. And of these yethe two first are yethe eastern Empire & yethe third yethe western. This western sea therefore I take to be that wchwhich is meant by third part of the whole Roman Ocean, & thence by the analogy of the four first Trumpets, collect that yethe third part of every thing therein is an expression used to signify yethe third part of those things wchwhich are wthwithin this Empire: so ytthat although yethe wars of these four trumpets as they are in general represented by winds, may & by the sounding of Trumpets may sometimes extend beyond the bounds of this Empire, as we see this first wind extends through all regions beyond between Rome & yethe utmost bounds of the east: yet yethe holy Ghost when he comes to describe the particular actions done in the time of these Trumpets, neglects yethe Greek dominions & converts himself wholly to this Empire as if it were to set a mark upon it for some special end: Andand no wonder, for this is yethe ten horned beast in a strict sence as you shall hear hereafter, & you may perceive by the first Viall that these plagues have a speciall relation to that beast.
Wherefore if by the earth here be understood all those BarbarbariansBarbarians wchwhich invading yethe Roman dominions come wthwithin the view of yethe Prophesy: by yethe third part of yethe trees & all hearbs wchwhich grow upon this earth we must understand that part of those barba- 11 barians wchwhich invaded yethe western Empire: that is, yethe Armies of Alaric & Radagaisus. And on these the storm of hail & fire mingled wthwith blood fell very heavy consuming yethe whole great vast army of Rhadagaisus & yethe most of Alaric's army & a good part if not the most of Gildo's, & dissipating & forcing yethe rest to submission. And this is yethe third character of this Trumpet.
Having now explained this Trumpet, I need not now say much of yethe correspondent Vial. Yet thus much is to be added noted: that yethe pouring out of a Vial is taken in a double sence, signifying some times yethe execution of a plague on that thing whereon it is poured, & sometimes yethe incitement & invigoration of that thing, as it were by a contagious virtue of yethe medicament, to execute yethe plague on another thing. This first sence is used in yethe third second third & fift Vial, & yethe second sence or rather the first & second together in yethe first fourth & sixt. ffor yethe effect of pouring yethe fourth Vial upon yethe sun was to give him power to scorch men wthwith fire, & that of pouring yethe sixt upon Euphrates was to make way for yethe Kings of yethe East to come & do ytthat execution described in yethe sixt Trumpet. And so I suppose yethe pouring out the first Vial upon yethe earth was to invigorate yethe earth wthwith a power of inflicting yethe noisom sore upon men: wchwhich for yethe better imagination of yethe figure you may conceive to be effected by raising out of yethe earth such malignant fumes as should ulcerate men, interpreting those fumes to yethe be yethe ** Def multitudes of Barbarians wchwhich invaded yethe Empire. ffor I suppose yethe noisom sore to be yethe affliction of men under that invasion whither it was in yethe Western Empire at yethe invasions of Alaric & Radagaisus or in yethe eastern at yethe irruption of yethe Huns Goths & other barbarians. ffor though yethe western Empire be yethe beast & so more directly pointed at, yet yethe subjects of yethe Eastern Empire arehave also worshippers the mark of yethe beast & worship his image (as we shall explain hereafter) & so are equally comprehended in this plague wchwhich how great it was you may easily imagin by yethe places cited out of Ierom Zosimus & Claudian, to wchwhich we may add yethe following description of it by yethe same Poet speaking thus of Ruffin
Claud in Ruffin. l 1.
Non notos egisse sat est extinguere cives
Funditus, et nomen gentis delere laborat.
Nec perimit celeri leto: crudelibus ante
Supplicijs fruitur: cruciatus, vincla, tenebras,
Dilato mucrone parat; proh sævior ense
Parcendi rabies, concessaqꝫque vita dolori.
- - - Quis prodere tanta relatu
Funera? Quis cædes posset deflere nefandas?
Quid tale immanes unquam gessisse feruntur
Vel Sinis Istmiaca pinu? vel rupe profunda
Scyron? vel Phalaris Tauro? vel carcere Sylla?
O mites Diomedis equi! Busiridis aræ
Clementes! Iam Cinna pius, jam Sparthace lenis
Ruffino collectus eris. Dejecerat omnes
Occultis odijs terror, tacitiqꝫque sepultos
Suspirant gemitus, indignariqꝫque verentur.
I beleive you will think this no easy affliction wchwhich made one of those on whom it fell cry out thus tragically
Hitherto I have spoken of nothing but war that being yethe only plague expressed in yethe Trumpet, but this Viall may be of a larger extent: for yethe sore wchwhich fell upon men is of an unlimited signification & may as wel comprehend any other kinds of affliction as yethe pestilence, or famin or undue seasons, or turbulent meteors: And if we extend it to them all, yet yethe event fully will fully answer to yethe interpretation; as you may understand by Gothofredus his notes upon Philostorgius's history cap 6. lib 11. De varijs inquit Philostorgij tempestate (sub Arcadio & Theodos jun. scil.) casibus majoribus divinæqꝫque iræ signis, quæ Xiphian astrum [anno 390 visum] portendisse ait Philostorgius, est hoc caput. Quod quidem excribit Nicephorus, lib 13 c 36 ubi ingentem hominum ubiqꝫque multitudinem mortalitatem terræqꝫque vastitatem memorat, tum a Barbaris tum a Peste fameqꝫque, terræ motibus, hiatibus terræ, illuvionibus aquarum, spiculis flammeis turbinibus igneis, grandine, nivibus, frigore. Quæ omnia vera sunt, & apud alios scriptores passim occurrunt: in Marcellini Chronico & Chronico Alexandr. ubi casus hi per singulos penè annos sub Arcadio & Theodosio jun. memorantur: vide ann. 394, 396, 401, 402, 404, 408, 417, 419, 422, 423. De grandine inter alia inusitatæ magnitudinis Constantinopoli prid. Kal. Octob. an 404 vide et Socratem lib. 6. c. 17. & prædictum Chronicon Alexandrinum: ubi dicitur magnitudine nucum eam fuisse ἐις τύπον μεγέθει Καρύων. Noster ait manuali lapide majorem, usqꝫque ad octo libras grandinem ingruisse. To this I may add a passage out of Synesius's epist 58 Ad Episcopos concerning yethe like judgments on yethe other side yethe Mediterranean Ανδρόνικος Πενταπόλεως ἐσκάτη πληγὴ μετὰ σεισμὸν, μετὰ αηριδα, μητὰ λιμον, μητὰ πυρ, μητὰ πόλεμον ἐπεξελθὼν ἀρκιβως τοις ἐκείνων εγκαταλείμμασιν. Andronicus - Pentapoleos extrema plaga fuit post terræ motum, post locustam, post pestilentiam, post incendium post bellum illorum omnium reliquias diligenter persequens. But it will not be amiss to give you here Philostorgius his description of these plagues as we have it contracted by Photius, & not only of these but of yethe other also by war: for his whole discours on this subject is very pertinent, & his authority sufficiently valid, seing he lived when these things were acted & wrote his history wthwithin a few years after. L 11. c 7. Οτι φησι καὶ ουτως &c Ait, saith Photius, quod sua tempestate tanta hominum mortalitas incesserit quantam nulla ætas ab omni seculo cognovit: & hanc vero a Xiphian [i.e. Eusiformem] astrum portendisse. Neqꝫque enim militares tantum sicut olim superioribus bellis, interiere, neqꝫque intra unam aliquam terræ partem mala hæc constitêre verum omnia hominum genera periere, omnis verò perijt Europa, Asiæ haud exigua portio simul attrita fuit, sed et Lybiæ pars magna, & maximè quæcunqꝫque Romanis paret: Nam et barbaricus ensis magnum numerum confecit & pestes famesqꝫque & ferarum greges incubuerunt, terræ motus frequentes urbes domosqꝫque a fundamentis evertentes in immensum exitium dedêre & hiatus terræ alicubi sub habitatoribus ruptæ sepultura erat præsentanea. Illuviones item aquarum ex aëre, & alibi spicula flammea, est et ubi turbines ignei immissi variam et intollerabilem labem intulere. Imo et grando manuali lapide major plurimum terræ vestavit, ad octo quippe librarum quas vocant ponderis usqꝫque visa fuit ingruens. Nivium quoqꝫque vis, frigorisqꝫque immanitas, quos alia plia plaga non corripuit, hos corripiens vita privant Et hæc manifestè aa So Nicephorus l. 13. c. 36. having numbered yethe like plagues, add's: Ad hæc, alia quoqꝫque ejus generis mala tum novo prorsus modo extitêre; quæ satis ostenderunt non naturali aliqua ratione hæc, sicuti Græcæ superstionissuperstitionis sectatores fabulantur delirantis dicunt, provenire, sed divinæ indignationis flagella ea hominibus immitti.divinam nunciarunt iram quam sigillatim recensere supra humanam vim fuerit.
Cap 8. Ait Hunnos qui Scythiæ sunt intra Istrum cum prius multum terræ occupassent devastassentqꝫque transcenso postea fluvio gelu constricto, confertim Romanum imperium adortos, perqꝫque totam Thraciam diffusos totam Europam deprædatos. Qui verò ad solem Orientem sunt fluvio Tania transito, & in Orientem effusi per Armeniam majorem in Melitinam, quæ vocatur, irruperunt: exinde Euphratensi incubuerunt, & ad Syriam Cœlem usqꝫque deprædati sunt, Ciliciamqꝫque percurrentes cædem hominum incredibilem operati sunt. Neqꝫque hic solum sed et Mazaces & Auxoriani (nec Austuriani) (hi verò inter Lybiam & Afros habitant) juxta orientalem eorum plagam Lybiam neqꝫque exiguam Ægypti partem simul vastarunt. Afros vero incur incursantes juxta solem OccidentalemOccidentem vicinæ populati sunt. Adhæc omnia & Tribigildus vir Scytha - manum barbaricam habens & in Nacolia ([Natolia)] Phrygia considens, Comitisqꝫque honorem gerens ex amicitia in inimitinimicitiam Romanorum versus, ab ipsa Nacolia exorsus plurimas Phrygiæ civitates occupavit magnamqꝫque hominum stragen cædem patravit. Adversus quem Gainas dux missus, qui et ipse barbarus erat, victoriam prodidit, paria et ipse adversus Romanos agere cogitans. Exinde Tribigildus quasi Gainam fugiens Piridiam et Pamphylium invadens deprædatus est Postea multis et ipse tum misterijs tum Isauricis pugnis attritus vires suas in Hellespontum servavit & in Thraciam transfretans, non multo post interfectus fuit Gainas vero post proditionem, ducisDucis habitu Constantinopolin reversus, eam sibi subjicere in animum induxit: bb Socrat l. 6., c. 6. Sozom l. 8, c. 4.Cœlestis vero vis quædam armata visa ijs qui eam capere cogitabant in ipso actu terrefactis urbem quidem incendio liberavit, illos vero deprehensos humano judicio dedidit multaqꝫque cædes eorum fluxit. Gainas vero in tantum metum conjectus fuit uti - fugeret urbe. Quoniam vero Thracia vastata erat neqꝫque necessariorum quicquam præbere poterat neqꝫque aliam labem ferre, Gainas ChersonesumChersonnesum transfretavit, ratibus cogitans in Asiam trajicere &c. [Comperto verò Imperatori ejus proposito mittitur adversus eum Dux Fravitus - qui cum Gainas exercitum suum ad trajiciendum ratibus præmisisset, navali prælio cum his congressus facillimè omnes ratibus tra victos fregit &c] Præter dicta mala, et Isaurorum Gens varias clades intulit: ad Solem quippe orientem Ciliciam percursarunt & conterminam Syriam non Cœlem modo sed et alteram ad Persas tendentem. Post patrata autem ibi incredunda et Thraciam et Pamphyliam aggressi sunt, & Lycios vastarunt, Cyprum insulam everterunt Lycaonas & PyPisidas in captivitatem abduxerunt & Cappadocas Pontum usqꝫque aggressi, pessimaqꝫque quæ ab alijs barbaris fieri solent, erga captivos hi fecerunt.
Lib 12. c 2. Ait etiam Quod circa prædicta tempora Alaricus Gothus Genere, circa superiores Thraciæ partes vires colligens Græciam ingressus sit & Athenas tenuerit & Macedonas et finitimos Dalmatas deprædatus sit, ingressus sit & Illyricum, Alpibusqꝫque transcensis Italiam irruperit.