ABSTRACT
Plutarch's Lives of Noble Grecians and Romanes 28 I of the water of the fountaine Clepsydra, bicause of an Oracle he had received that so commaunded him. In the meane time, Ventidius once againe overcame Pacorus, (Orodes sonne king of Parthia) in a battell fought in the contrie of Cyrrestica, he being come againe with a great armie to invade Syria: at which battell was slaine a great number of the Parthians, and among them Pacorus, the kings owne sonne slaine. This noble exployt as famous as ever any was, was a full revenge to the Romanes, of the shame and losse they had received before by the death of Marcus Crass us 1: and he made the Parthians flie, and glad to kepe them selves within the confines and territories of Mesopotamia, and Media, after they had thrise together bene overcome in severall battells. Howbeit Ventid ius durst not undertake to follow them any further, fearing least he should have gotten Antonius displeasure by it. 2 Notwithstanding, he led his armie against them that had rebelled, and conquered them againe: amongest whome he besieged Antiochus, king of Commagena, who offered him to give a thowsand talentes to be pardoned his rebellion, and promised ever after to be at Antonius commaundement. But Ventidius made him aunswere, that he should send unto Antonius, who was not farre of, and would not suffer Ventidius to make any peace with Antiochus, to the end that yet this Ii tie exployt should passe in his name, and that they should not thinke he did any thing but by his Lieutenaunt Ventidius. The siege grew verie long, bicause they that were in the towne, seeing they coulde not be received upon no reasonable composition: determined valliantly to defende them selves to the last man. Thus Antonius did nothing, and yet received great shame, repenting him much that he tooke not their first offer.3 And yet at last he was glad to make truce with Antiochus, and to take three hundred talentes for composition. Thus after he had set order for the state and affaires of Syria, he returned againe to Athens4 : and having given Ventidius suche honors as he deserved, he sent him to Rome, to triumphe for the Parthians. Ventidius was the only man that ever triumphed of the Parthians untill this present day,5 a meane man borne, and of no noble house nor family: who only came to that he attained unto, through Antonius frendshippe, the which delivered him happie occasion to achieve to great matters. And yet to say truely, he did so well quit him selfe in all his enterprises, that he confirmed that which was spoken of Antonius and Cresar: to wit,
that they were alway more fortunate when they made warre by their Lieutenants, then by them selves.1 For Sossius, one of Antonius Lieutenauntes in Syria, did notable good service: and Canidius, whom he had also left his Lieutenaunt in the borders of Armenia, did conquer it all. 2 So did he also overcome the kinges of the Iberians and Albanians, and went on with his conquests unto mount Caucasus. By these conquests, the fame of Antonius power increased more and more, and grew dreadfull unto all the barbarous nations. But Antonius notwithstanding, grewe to be marvelously offended with C<esar, upon certaine reportes that had bene brought unto him: and so tooke sea to go towards Italie with three hundred saile.3 And bicause those of Brundusium, would not receive his armie into their haven, he went further unto Tarentum. There his wife Octavia that came out of Gr<ece with him, besought him to send her unto her brother: the which he did.4 Octavia at that time was great with child, and moreover had a second daughter by him, and yet she put her selfe in jorney, and met with her brother Octavius C<esar by the way, who brought his two chiefe frendes, M<ecenas and Agrippa with him. She tooke them aside, and with all the instance she could possible, intreated them they would not suffer her that was the happiest woman of the world, to become nowe the most wretched and unfortunatest creature of all other. 5 For now, said she, everie mans eyes doe gaze on me, that am the sister of one of the Emperours and wife of the other. And if the worst councell take place, (which the goddes forbidde) and that they growe to warres: for your selves, it is uncertaine to which of them two the goddes have assigned the victorie, or overthrowe. But for me, on which side soever victorie fall, my state can be but most miserable still. 6 These words of Octavia so softned C<esars harte, that he went quickely unto Tarentum. But it was a noble sight for them that were present, to see so great an armie by lande not to sturre, and so many shippes aBote in the roade, quietly and safe: and furthermore, the meeting and kindenesse of frendes, lovinglie imbracing one an other.7 First, Antonius feasted C<esar, which he graunted unto for his sisters sake. Afterwardes they agreed together, that C<esar should geve Antonius two legions to go against the Parthians: and that Antonius should
let Cresar have a hundred gallies armed with brasen spurres at the prooes. Besides all this, Octavia obteyned of her husbande, twentie brigantines for her brother: and of her brother for her husbande, a thowsande armed men. After they had taken leave of eache other, Cresar went immediatly to make warre with Sextus Pompeius, to gette Sicilia into his handes.l Antonius also leaving his wife Octavia and litle children begotten of her, with Cresar, and his other children which he had by Fulvia: he went directlie into Asia. Then beganne this pestilent plague and mischiefe of Cleopatraes love (which had slept a lange tyme, and seemed to have bene utterlie forgotten, and that Antonius had geven place to better counsell) againe to kindle, and to be in force, so so one as Antonius came neere unto Syria. And in the ende, the horse of the minde as Plato termeth it,2 that is so hard of rayne (I meane the unreyned lust of concupiscence) did put out of Antonius heade, all honest and commendable thoughtes: for he sent Fonteius Capito to bring Cleopatra into Syria.3 Unto whome, to welcome her, he gave no trifling things: but unto that she had already, he added the provinces of Phrenicia, those of the nethermost Syria, the Ile of Cyprus, and a great parte of Cilicia, and that con try of Jurie where the true balme is, and that parte of Arabia where the Nabatheians doe dwell, which stretcheth out towardes the Ocean. These great giftes muche misliked the Romanes.4 But now, though Antonius did easely geve away great seigniories, realmes, and mighty nations unto some private men, and that also he tooke from other kings their lawfull realmes: (as from Antigonus king of the Jewes, whom he openly beheaded, where never king before had suffred like death) 5 yet all this did not so much offend the Romanes, as the unmeasurable honors which he did unto Cleopatra. But yet he did much more aggravate their malice and il wil towards him, bicause that Cleopatra having brought him two twinnes, a sonne and a daughter, he named his sonne Alexander, and his daughter Cleopatra, and gave them to their surnames, the Sunne to the one, and the moone to the other. 6 This notwithstanding, he that could finely cloke his shamefull deedes with fine words, said that the greatnes and magnificence of the Empire of Rome appeared most, not where the Romanes tooke, but where they gave much: and nobility was multiplied amongest men, by the posterity of kings, when they left of their seede in divers
places: and that by his meanes his first auncester was begotten of Hercules, who had not left the hope and continuance of his line and posterity, in the wombe of one only woman, fearing Solons lawes, or regarding the ordinaunces of men touching the procreacion of children: but that he gave it unto nature, and established the fundacion of many noble races and families in divers places. Nowe when Phraortes had slaine his father Orodes, and possessed the kingdom 1: many gentlemen of Parthia forsooke him, and fled from him. Amongst them was Momeses, a noble man, and of great authority among his con try men, who came unto Antonius, that received him, and compared his fortune unto Themistocles, and his owne riches and magnificence, unto the kings of Persia. For he gave Monreses three cities, Larisa, Arethusa, and Hierapolis, which was called before Bombyce. Howbeit the king of Parthia shortly after called him home againe, upon his faith and word. Antonius was glad to let him go, hoping thereby to steale upon Phraortes unprovided. For he sent unto him, and told him that they would remaine good frends, and have peace together, so he would but only redeliver the standerds and ensignes of the Romanes, which the Parthians had wonne in the battell where Marcus Crassus was slaine, and the men also that remained yet prisoners of this overthrow. In the meane time he sent Cleopatra backe into JEgypt, and tooke his way towards Arabia and Armenia, and there tooke a general muster of all his army he had together, and of the kings his confederats, that were come by his commaundement to aide him, being a marvelous number2: of the which, the chiefest was Artavasdes, king of Armenia, who did furnish him with six thowsande horsemen, and seven thowsand footemen. There were also of the Romanes about three score thowsand footmen, and of horsemen (Spaniards and Gaules reckoned for Romanes) to the number of ten thousand, and of other nations thirty thowsand men, reckoning together the horsemen and light armed footemen. This so great and puisant army which made the Indians quake for feare, dwelling about the contry of the Bactrians, and all Asia also to tremble: served him to no purpose, and all for the love he bare to Cleopatra. 3 For the earnest great desire he had to lye all winter with her, made him begin his wane out of due time, and for hast, to put all in hazard, being so ravished and enchaunted with the sweete poyson of her love, that he had no other thought but of her, and how he might quickly returne againe: more then how he might overcome
