out of one house into another: But when Agrippa, weeping and kiffing him, did pray and befeech him that he would not haften that to himfelf, which nature would compel, and because he might then live fomewhat longer, that he fhould referve himself as long as he might to himfelf and his friends, he ftopped his intreaties by a filent obftinacy fo when he had forborn meat two days, his fever fuddenly left him; and his difeafe feemed more easy, yet he continued his purpofe. In the fifth day, therefore, after he had taken this refolution, prid. Calend. Aprilis, C. Domitius and C. Sofius being Confuls, he died. He was raifed up in his bed, as he commanded, without any funeral pomp; all good men, and a great concourfe of the common people accompanying him: he was buried near the Via Appia, at the fifth ftone from the city, in the monument of Q. Cæcilius his uncle.

CHAP. I.

A BRIEF, CHRONOLOGICAL ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE OF ATTICUS.

SUCH was the life and death of this worthy Pomponius -Atticus, defcribed by one that was contemporary with him, and well acquainted with him, namely, Cornelius Nepos, who, as himself witneffeth, wrote this hiftory about the beginning of Auguftus, that every circumftance thereof deferves a diftinct obfervation.

And therefore I fhall proceed to do these things. First, to give a chronological account of the life of Atticus, and of thofe great occurrences that happened in the Roman ftate within the compafs of his life. Secondly, to give fome account of the reafon of thofe great motions that happened in this period in the ftate and commonwealth of Rome. Thirdly, to make fome obfervations, touching the honest and wife methods that Atticus ufed to preferve himfelf and his eftáte, without lofs or difhonour, among all thefe great motions, revolutions and dangers, that happened in the ftate of Rome by thefe civil diffentions.

Touching the firft of thefe, I fhall give a fhort chronological account of the life of Atticus, and thofe, great difturbances and civil wars that happened in Rome during the time of his life, that fo it may appear what they were when they happened, and the various fucceffes they had, whereby at

once it may appear what difficulties and ftorms happened in his time, and how they were by this man's prudence weathered in the feveral periods of his life. And herein I fhall be but brief, and mention only those of great moment, and fuch wherein this man's concernment principally lay; omitting many, which though had they been fingle, might have been worth the remembring; yet they were. but branches of these greater commotions, and fprang from them, and were but fmall in comparifon of them.

Neither fhall I be over curious in this account, but only mention them fo far as they conduce to my purpose. He that lifts to take a full view of all the hiftory, may find at large in the Roman hiftories, especially Florus, Paterculus, Dion. Caffius and Plutarchus, in the lives of Marius, Sylla, Sertorius, Pompey, Cæfar, Antony, and Octavius, afterwards Auguftus Cæfar.

I fhall difpofe of the times in their order, according as they fall in the Julian period, because of the difference among chronologers touching the computations of the years of the world, of the building of Rome, or of the Olympiades into which thefe occurrences might be otherwife aptly enough difpofed.

Pomponius Atticus died in the 77th year of his age, C. Domitius and C. Sofius being confuls, as Cornelius Nepos tells us, which was in the 12th year of Auguftus, the next year before the Pugna Actiaca between Auguftus and Marcus Antonius, and two years before the taking of Alexandria by Auguftus, which was the fatal and funeral deletion of Antony. The death therefore of Pomponius Atticus was in or very near the 4683 year of the Julian period; and by this means we come to find out the feveral periods of his birth, and other the occurrences that happened to him and the ftate of Rome, within the time of his life.

If therefore we fubduct the years of Atticus's age, namely, 77 years current out of 4683 years, it gives us the time of his birth, viz. about the year 4606 of the Julian period, in or near the confulate of Sulpitius Galba and Marcus Scaurus.

Marius, that great commander and popular citizen, whom we fhall have occafion often to mention, grew into his great power and authority by countenancing the popular intereft at Rome, against the fenate and the optimates. He laid the foundation of all thofe future ftorms in the ftate of Rome, which were the occafion of fo much bloodshed, and the final ruin of the ancient government thereof, and fetting up that empire that began in Julius Cæfar, and was completed

completed in Auguftus, his heir and fucceffor. The fixth confulate of Marius happened in the year of the Julian period 4614, at which time Pomponius was about eight years old.

And now the civil wars in Rome began to break out; the process whereof were as followeth.

4614.-In the fixth confulate of Marius, by the help of Saturninus, tribune of the people, Metellus Nonus Dicus was banished; this caufed ill blood in Rome.

4616.-For within two years after, by the folicitation of Quintus Metellus's father, Metellus was by the people recalled out of banishment; which was fo great an eyefore to Marius, that he withdrew himself from Rome, and went into Cappadocia.

After this Marius returned to Rome, when Lucius Cornelius Sylla, a valiant man, was in great efteem, a friend to the fenate and the nobility, a man that had been very fuccessful in fuppreffing the war of the confederates of Italy against Rome.

45 6.-Between Marius and Sylla there grew great animofities and emulation, which at length broke out in open violence. For Sylla was chofen by the nobility and fenate (to whom he was greatly addicted) to profecute the war against Mithridates; and in purfuance thereof, took his journey with his army. In his purfuit of this war, he took Athens by long fiege; where he was often before his final return to Rome; where he met with Pomponius Atticus, and fhewed him the refpects mentioned in his life.

Marius, to carry on his own defigns, and to root out Sylla, falls in with the common people, and by the help of Sulpitius, a bold and turbulent tribune, gets the province of Afia, and the management of the war against Mithridates, to be decreed to himself.

But the army being conftant to Sylla, would not fubmit to the government of Marius. Whereupon, Marius put divers of the friends of Sylla to death, and made a great alteration in the ftate of Rome.

4626-7.-Upon this infolence of Marius, things running into a popular confufion under the conduct of Marius and Sulpitius, the nobility gave advice thereof to Sylla: whereupon he fent Murena his legate, with the greatest part of his army, to profecute the war againft Mithridates, and takes the reft with him, and returns to Rome.

Against him Sulpitius and Marius make oppofition; but Sylla prevailed: Sulpitius is flain, and Marius flying, is by

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edict

edict banished, and fled into Africa, whither his fon, young Marius, the fchool-fellow of Atticus, fled to his father.

This is that Sulpitius mentioned in the life of Atticus, who being thus flain, Atticus feeing the ftate of Rome to grow troublefome and unfafe, all perfons of note being drawn into the one party or the other, took his journey to Athens. He was then, as it fecms, about twenty years

old.

Sylla intending to make all things as sure as he might, ufed extreme feverity against Marius' party, killing fome, and banishing others; and having fettled his bufinefs at Rome, proceeded in his expedition against Mithridates.

4628.-C. Octavius and Cornelius Cinna are made confuls. Cinna, though he had made firm promife upon his entry into his confilate, to adhere to Sylla's party, yet he was in truth of Marius' party, and quickly difcovered it after Sylla's departure.

Hereupon there grew diffention between the two confuls, and great flaughters and profcriptions used in Rome, according as either party prevailed. At length Octavius prevailed, and Cinna was banished.

Cinna, after his banishment, went into Africa, and met with his friend Marius in an obfcure condition; where they enter into new counfels, which created future difturbances for the Marian faction was not fo fuppreffed by Sylla, but that they had fufficient power to give new trouble to the fate of Rome, if they had but Marius or Cinna to head them. Thereupon Marius and Cinna return into Italy, raife a fufficient force of their friends and party, enter into Rome, fubdue Octavius, and flew him.

And now again the party of Marius and Cinna grew as high as ever; and it is incredible what flaughters they made in Roine of fuch as oppofed them, or fuch as they but fufpected not to be true and cordial to them.

4627-8.-In the very fame year of Marius' return, Marius takes his feventh confulate, Cinna being his colleague; and they held up their faction for about four years following, with great feverity against all they fufpected not to be cardial to them, with murder and banishment: fo hat most of the nobility that efcaped their fury, fled to Sylla, and folicited his return to relieve their oppreffed country. 4631-In the confulate of Scipio and Norbanus Flaccus, being the third confulate after Marius his feventh confulate, Sylla having fettled his bufinefs of Mithridates, re

turns

turns with a great army into Italy, and fubdued the two confuls Scipio and Flaccus,

But the party of Marius (who, as it feems, was flain in this battle, or as others fay, died) kept ftill the city of Rome; young Marius, the fon of Marius, and C. Carbo, are there made confuls, and exercised extreme cruelty at Rome, towards thofe that were fufpected to be of Sylla's party.

was

Against Rome Sylla draws his army and foon fubdued and flew these two confuls, and took the city, where he created dictator; and again ufed all manner of feverity against thofe of the Marian party: he lived about four years after he recovered Rome, and died in the confulate of Lepidus aud Catullus, 4636.

And these were the viciffitudes of the factions of Marius and Sylla, and their parties: firft Marius prevailed, then Sylla; then Marius again, and then Sylla again; and then the faction of Marius feemed wholly fuppreft; yet the root of this evil diffention was not utterly extirpated; but out of it there arofe the feeds of all thofe civil wars that happened in the Roman commonwealth till the final change of the government thereof in Octavius Cæfar. For all the troubles and changes that happened afterwards between Cæfar and Pompey, between Brutus and Antony, between Antony and Auguftus, did fpring from thofe parties and factions whofe foundations were laid in Marius and Sylla.

And now things being for the time fettled by the fevere government of Sylla, it feems that fhortly after the death of Sylla, Pomponius returned from Athens, being about thirty years old, and brought with him a very great acceffion of learning, reputation and honour, and the firname of Atticus, and lived in Rome. till his death.

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When Atticus was near fixty years old, thofe mutual emulations and jealoufies that had long fermented, began to break out into a more public breach; namely, prefently after the confulate of Marcellus and Lentulus, about the year of the Julian period, 4665. Prefently after this confulate, Julius Caefar being abfent in the war committed to him, made fuit to be chofen conful; Pompey being of great power and intereft, efpecially with the nobility and fenate, oppofed it as a thing unufual for any to be chofen conful being abfent. Though this were his pretence, ye the true reafon was, his fufpicion of the growing greatne

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