was at that time about one year old, than that he was only a few days old, and that the Wife Men came to adore Chrift in his Cradle a confiderable time after the purification of his Mother, about the beginning of the fecond year of Chrift, and the forty fifth Julian year.

CHAP. XXXVII.

Of the Spanish Era, which is otherwife called the Era of CESAR, and the Era of Era's.

RULES.

I. This new Era was introduced in Spain, 1. After the Death of C.Jul. Cæfar,who had conquered Spain; at the time when Cæfar Octav. M. Anton. and M. Emil. Lep. were Mafters of the Roman Empire. 2. After they had with their joint Forces overthrown Brutus and Caffius in that bloody Battle of Philippi. 3. After they had divided the Provinces of the Roman Empire betwixt them a fecond time: of which Divifion fee Dio Caffius 1. 48. 4. This Divifion of the World was made in the year fince the Building of the City 714. 5. And when Domit. Calv. and C. Afin. Pollio were Roman Confuls, according to Dio and Joh. Mariana 1. 3. c. 24. de reb. Hifp. 6. In the 438th year of this Era in September, under the Reigns of Arcadius and Honorius, Roman Emperors, and Flav. Stilico, and Flav. Aurel. Roman Confuls, the firft Council, compofod of 19 Bifhops, was held at Toledo, against the Herefte of Prifcillianus, as is evident out of the Infcriptions of the Decrees of this Council, cited by Alph. Villadiego. 7. In the 440th year of the Spanish Era, Arcadius and Honorius were the fifth time Confuls of Rome; and the fame year there hapned an Eclipfe of the Sun in November. 8. In the year 447 of the Spanish Era,the Alani, Vandals and Suevians entred Spain. Idat. in Chronol. 9. Jul. Pomerius Bishop of Toledo fays thus, 1. 3. contr. Jud. It is no difficult matter to

trace

trace the year fince the Nativity of Chrift: For this Ara was invented 38 years before the Birth of Chrift; and we now account the 624th year of this Ara. If therefore 38 years (this being the Interval betwixt this Era and the Nativity of our Saviour) be Jubtracted from thence, the Refidne is 586

years.

II.From these and other Characters,too many to be mentioned here, it is manifeft that the Spanish Era begun with the first of January in the year of the Julian Pe riod 4676, Cycle O. 28. .2.

III. If therefore 4675 years be fubtracted from any certain year of the Julian Period, the Refidue fhews the year fince the beginning of this Epocha; and if the faid 4675 years be added to the known year of this Era, the Product will be correfpondent to the year of the Julian Period.

§. 1. Joseph Scaliger 1.5.p.445.de Em. Temp. follow. How this

ing Dion 1. 48. Hift. Rom. affirms that the Ara was Spaniards would not receive this Era till they re- introduced ceived a fignal Overthrow from the Proconful Domi- in Spain. tius Calvinus. But it being evident out of the fame Dion, that this Defeat did not happen till the fecond year of thise Era,it is much more reasonable to aquiefce in the Relation of Joh. Mariana, viz. that the Spaniards followed in this Ara the Example of the An tiochians and Egyptians, who, about 11 years after the Death of Cleopatra, began to compute their years from the Reign of Auguftus, to fhew their ready Submif. fion and Obedience to their new Prince.

S. 2. The Provinces of the Roman Empire were at This Ara two feveral times divided betwixt the Triumviri. In was introthe first Divifion Octavius had tor his fhare Italy, A- duced at frica, Sisily and Sardinia; Lepidus, Spain and Gal- the time of lia Narbonenfis, Anthony, the remaining Gaul on the ad Diboth fides the Alps; which Divifion was made accord- vifion of ing to Dion. l. 46. in the 711 year after the Building the Empire of the City. Some begin this Era with the firit Divifion, which hapned in the 4th year after the Death of Cafar; but according to the Chronological Circumftances, the fame may with more certainty be referred to the fecond Divifion, which was made in the

6th

Ara.

6th year after Cafar's Death, and in which Octavius had both the Hefperia's allotted him.

The useful- §. 3. This Era is generally made ufe of in the A&s nefs of this and Decrees of the Synods, and other Spanish Infcriptions, the most famous Synods of Spain and Africa being diftinguished and defcribed according to the Computation of the Spanish Era.

When the

S. 4, Fob Marianal. 3. c. 24. de reb. Hifp. obferves ufe of this that the ufe of this Era ceased in the year of Christ raceafed 1383, under John I. King of Caftile, who introduced in the room of it the Era of Chrift.

CHA P. XXXVIII.

Of the Epocha of the Battle of Actium used among the Egyptians.

RULES.

I. In adjusting this Epocha, we must mind the following Characters.1.Octavius took up Arms against Anthony, who having departed from the measures agreed upon betwixt the Triumviri, and being entangled in the Snares of Cleopatra, had given unto her (to the no fmall Detriment of the whole Roman Empire) the Provinces of Phoenicia, Syria, Cyprus, a great part of Scicily, Judea, and that part of Arabia Nabataa that extends it felf towards the Ocean. 2. After the Death of Sext. Pompeius, the King of Armenia was taken Prifoner, the other Nations engaged in War against Cæfar were forced to fubmit, and the Parthians lived in peace. 3. The chief Motive which induced Cæfar to take up Arms against Anthony, was, that Anthony had in his laft Will adopted Cæfario the Son of Julius Cæfar by Cleopatra, and had ranged him amongst the Family of the Cælars. 4. This Civil War betwixt Cæfar and Anthony begun after the Philippean, Perufian and Sicilian Wars, when Cn. Domitius and C. Soffius were Roman Confuls, both of the Antonian Faction. 5. The fame year that the Battle of Actium was fought, Cæfar was the third time, and Val. Meilala Roman Confuls.

See

See Dio. Caffius 1.50. Hift. Rom. Plutarch Vit. Anton. Suetonius in Octav. Auguft. Florus, Eutropius, Orofius, and others, 6. The Battle of Actium was fought in the 7th year of the Reign of Herod, at which time he was raifing Forces for the Service of Anthony, who refusing to accept of them, ordered him to employ them against the Arabians. See Jofefephus lib. 15. c. 6, 7. Ant. 7. The Battle of Actium was fought on the fecond day of September, according to Dio, fub initio lib. 51. 8. The next year Octavius undertook the fecond Expedition against Anthony and Cleopatra, who then laid violent Hands upon themselves. This hapned when Octavius was the 4th time, and M.Craffus, Confuls of Rome; ac cording to Dio Loc. Cit. and Aurel. Caffiodorus. 9. Cleopatra laid violent Hands upon her felf in the 22d year of her Reign, according to Eufeb. in Chron. Jornand-Regn-Succeff.and especially Plutarch in Vit. Anton. who fays, she was thirty nine years old when The died. 10. Cæfar reigned in Conjunction with Anthony 12 years, and afterwards 44 years. See Suetonius in Octav. Aug. 11. According to Eufeb. in Chron. Cleopatra laid violent Hands upon her felf in the 3d year of the 187th Olympiad. 12. The beginning of the Actian or rather of the Alexandrian Epocha of the Egyptians ought to fall in the year that included the 769 Nabonaffarean THOT, which is called the Actian THOT. So fays Ptolemy. 13. The 42d year of Auguftus was the 28th year after the Conquest of Egypt and the Death of Anthony and Cleopatra, the last of the Royal Race of the Lagidæ in Egypt (after they had reigned 295 years) In the fame year hapned the Nativity of our Saviour. See Eufeb. Chr. & Hift. Ecclef. 1. 1. c. 5. 14. The 1014th from the beginning of the firft Olympiad, the 991 from the building of Rome, and the 283d Julian year, was the 267th year after the Conqueft of Alexandria. See Cenforinus c. 21. de D. N. 15. Egypt was conquered by Oct. Cæfar, in the Month of Auguft. See Macrob. 1. 1. c. 12. Sat. 16, Octavius made himSelf Master of Alexandria, on the first day of Auguft. See Orofius 1. 6. c. 19. 17. On the fame day that Cæfar took Alexandria, the Rhæti were 15

years

Various

years after defeated by Drufus his General. So fays Porphyrion in Velfer.Rer.Aug.l. 2.and Horace points to the fame thing when he says

Nam tibi quo die

Portus Alexandræa fupplex, &c.

II. From these Characters it is certain that the Battle near the Promontory of Actium was fought in the year of the Julian Period 4683, Cycle 0.7. D. 9. on the 2d day of September, that Alexandria, after the Defection of Anthony's Fleet to Cæfar,was taken the next year, or the 4684th year of the Julian Period, Cycl. . 8. . 10. on the first day of August, and that in the fame Month Cleopatra following the Fate of Anthony, laid violent Hands upon her Self.

III. If therefore from any given year of the Julian Period, be fubtracted 4682 years and 8 Manths, the Refidue fhews the year fince the Battle fought near Actium. And if 4683 years and 7 Months be fubtracted in like manner, the Refidue is correfpondent to the year fince the Conquest of Alexandria and Egypt by Octavius Auguftus.

Computa- S. 1. THIS Epocha called the Atian, is taken in tions of the a threefold Sence among the Ancient HiActian ftorians. Some, particularly Dio l. 51. Hift. Rom. Æra. deduce its Origin from the Battle of Actium. Clemens Alexandrinus, and fome other Egyptian Writers, begin it from the Conqueft of the City of A lexandria,which happned the next year after that Battle. Others again begin their Computation from the time that the Egyptians received the Fulian year inftead of the Nabonaffarean, which was done in the 724th Nabonaffarean year, on the 29th of August.

CHAP