CHAP. XXV.

Of the Epocha of the Regifugium, and the Establishment of the Roman Confular Dig

nity

RULE S.

1. The Characters of this Epocha are. The difcarding of the Roman Kings, and the establishment of the Liberty of the People of Rome. 2.. The establishment of the Confular Dignity in Rome. 3. The Interval of 244 years betwixt the Epocha of the building of the City of Rome and this Epocha, as may be gathered from Livy, Meffala,Corvinus, and feveral other Roman Hiftorians. 4. dodThe firft Confulate of L. Junius Brutus and L. Tarquinius Brutus, the last of which enjoyed this Dignity but for a very little time, being obliged to abdicate the Confulate by reafon of his Name and Affinity with the Royal Family, and was fucceeded by P. Valerius Poplicola. 5. Monarchy was dif carded at Rome at the fame time that the Athenians were delivered from the Tyranny of the Pififtratides, according to Pliny, Lib. 34. C. 4. 6: The firft Tarentin Games were inftituted after the expulfion of the Roman Kings, by Valerius Poplicola, according to the Teftimony of Valerius Antias in Cenforinus, c. 17. 7. Pythagoras of Samos was in Italy at the fame time that L. Brutus freed his Native Country from the Tyranny of the Roman Kings Cic. Tufc. 4. 8. Soon after the Regifugium, the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus was dedicated by M. Horatius Pulvillus who was chofen Colleague to Poplicola after the Death of Brutus who was flain in the Field, according to Tacitus Hiftor. 1. 3. and Valerius

Maximus L.5.c.10. 9. The 6th day before the Calends of March, Tarquin the last of the Roman Kings was ejected; the expulfion of the Roman Kings being by the ancient Roman Hiftorians fixed to that day.

II. Thefe and innumerable other Characters fhews the first year of this Epocha to have been coincident with the year 4206 of the Julian Period, Cycl. 0.6; >.7. in the beginning of the Spring: And this we take to be the unquestionable date of the Roman Regifugium.

Any year III. If therefore from any certain year given of the givenof the Jul. Period be fubtracted 4205 years and 2 months, Julian Period to find the Refidue fhews the year fince the Regifugium; out the year and if the beforementioned Sum be added to the fince the beyear of the faid Epocha, the Product will be correfpondent to the year of the Julian Period.

ginning of bis Epocha

§. 1. THE ancient Hiftorians make mention of these feven following Roman Kings :

The occafi §. 2. The occafion of the expulfion of the Roman on of the Kings, and the establishment of the Confular GovernRegifugi- ment, mentioned by Livy, Florus, Aurelius Victor,

um.

and other Roman Hiftorians, is contracted by Cicero in these following Words Lib. 2. de Fin. Lucretia being ravish'd by the King's Son, laid violent Hands upon her felf. The Grief conceived at fo unaccountable an Action by the People of Rome, proved the real cause of the Liberty of their City under the Conduct of Brutus.

§. 3. The

§. 3. The annual Governments of the Roman Con-Time meafuls being looked upon as so many Characters of Time fured by by the Ancients; The Antiquary's have difplayed a the feries great deal of Industry in adjusting the feries of thefe of the ConConfuls But they were all at a lofs till the year 1547, juls. that the Publick Records called Tabula Capitolina, were found at Rome, which (as it is fuppofed) were firft collected byVerrius Flaccus Grammaticus,by command of the Senate, and afterwards published under the Reign of Auguftus. Cufpinianus, Carolus Sigonius, and Onuphrius Panvinius have taken the greatest pains in taking the Lifts of the Confuls; but notwithstanding all their Ingenuity and Induftry, they have not been able to fupply the defect of four pair of Confuls that were wanting in thele Records. And indeed I cannot but agree with Calvifus, who attributes the defect of these four pair of Confuls, to the irregularity of the ancient Roman Calendar.

Of the Epocha of the first War betwixt the Greeks and Perfians, or the time of the Battel fought near Marathon.

1. All the ancient Authors who have made mention of this War, agree that the Perfians and Greeks were firft engaged in War upon the burning of the City of Sardis, and the Banishment of the Pifistratides. from Athens.

2. The Battle of Marathon was, according to Thucydides, fought in the 20th year after the Banishment of Hippias from Athens.

3. At which time Darius Hyftafpes Father of Xerxes reigned over Perfia, whofe Generals were Datis and Artaphernes, Son to Artaphernes,the Brother of Darius; the Athenians having chofen Miltiades their General; as may be seen in Herodotus, Plutarch,

tarch, Juftin, Cornelius Nepos,and a great many other Authors.

4. This defeat of the Perfians hapned in the fifth or fixth year before the Death of Darius: So that the Battle of Marathon was fought in the 31st year of the Reign of Darius Hystaípes, according to Herodotus,

5. In the fame 3 1ft year of Darius there hapned a notable Eclipfe of the Moon, which Ptolemy obferves to have been in the Night betwixt the third and fourth day of the Month Tybi, in the year of the Julian Period 4223, on the 25th day of April, the 4th Feria.

6. The Athenians obtained this fignal Victory when Phanippus was Archon (or Prince) of Athens, who was fucceded by Ariftides, as may be seen in Plutarch in vit. Arift.

7. At the fame time Macerinus and Augurinus were Confuls at Rome, according to Sulpitius Seve

rus.

8. The Battle of Marathon was fought in the 16th year after the Death of Brutus, who freed his Ndtive Country from the Kingly Government, according to Dionyfius Halicarnaflæus.

9. Of this Expedition Plato Lib. 3. de Leg. (with whom agree Thucydides Lib. 1. and Lyfias Orat.31.)has the following Words: About ten years before the Sea-fight near Salamis, Datis came with the Perfian Fleet to Greece, by the Order of Darius, who had exprefly commanded him under pain of Death to conquer and carry away Captives the Eretrians and Athenians. 10. The Athenians obtained this Victory over the Perfians towards the end of the 260th year after the Building of the City of Rome, according to the Obfervations of A. Gellius Lib. 17. c. 21. and Sulpitius Severus.

AI. The

11. The Battle of Marathon wus fought either juft before or at the time of the Full Moon, as is evident out of what Herodotus has obferved concerning the Lacedemonians, who at the request of Phidippis, were to affift the Athenians. These are his Words Lib. 6. The Lacedemonians were not unwilling to affift the Athenians against the Perfians but they were not at that time in a condition to put it immediately in Execution, by reafon of their Laws; it being the ninth day of the Month; on which day the Soldiers refufid to march, as being just upon the point of the Full Moon.

12. Plutarch in Camill. obferves that the Battle of Marathon was fought on the 6th day of the Month Boedromion, and inferts a whole Catalogue of days of the Month Boedromion, which proved fatal to the Perfians. On the 6th day of the Month Boedromion, fays be) the Perfians were defeated by the Greeks at Marathon, on the 3d of the fame month near Plata, on the fame day near Mycale, on the 26th at Abelas. The Athenians vanquished the Perfians at Sea near Naxus, under the Command of Chabrias their General, near the Full Moon of the month of Boá, edromion; and near Salamis, on the 20th day of the fame month,

13. Pursuant to thefe feveral Obfervations and Teftimonies of the Ancient Hiftorians concerning this fignal Victory, we agree with Scaliger, that this Battle was fought in the year of the Julian Period 4223, Cycl. O. 23. . 5. towards Autumn, or about the time of the Full Moon in Auguft, which hapned that year, on the 21st day of the fame Month, and which Scaliger fixed on the 5th day of October, being led into that mistake by forming to himself a new Model of the Attick year.

14. If