— TtY '*
C.-irCa^tt^Cu .
VIEW
OF X H E
DISSERTATION
UPON THE
EPISTLES
O F
? H A L A R I S,
THEMISTOCLES,&ic.
Lately Publifh'd by the
Reverend Dr. B E N T L E T.
ALSO
Of the Examination of that Diflertation
by the Honourable Mr. BO T L E.
In order to the Manifefting the Incerti-
tude of Heathen Chronology.
'Ey# Si S-m k f«/
Ketf vdi ^.i)fi{Avoi{ x^v'omt »< fj-veioi ShpSSyrif etJt®'
tniiiiiny ei'j isSit a,vro7s, OM^oyisdiyoy Sjyaymi i&-
TViUffoi 7a( <iyv^o}i ct(. Plutarch in Vit. Solon.
LONDON:
Printed by H. C. for Johyz "JoneSt at the Dolphin
and Crown in Sc. P^n/'s Church-Yard, 1698.
THE
PREFACE-
Tt T is not my purpoje to intermeddle in
a the Controverfie concerning the Epi-
1 Jlles of Phalaris, Themiftocles, So-
crates and Euripides! Whether they
he genuine or no, I floall not trouble my
felf to enquire ; nor yet whether ^fop was
fuch a Monfter for Uglinefs as fame make
him^ or whether the Fables that go under
his Name are his, or whether we have any
thing now Extant of jFXo^^s own Co?npo-
Jing. I remember a Pafage in Quintiliaii
/Inftit.'Orat. 1. 5. c. 11. Hlae quoqueFabu-
Ix quge etiamfi originem non ab -£fopo
j acceperunt (nam videtur earum primus
auflior Hefiodus) nomine tamert TEfopi.
maxime celebrantur, &c. By which it may
feem that he was of Opinion that Hefiod
was the frjl Author of the Fables, which
bore ^EfopV Name in his time. But A
, ' jhall not tnterpofe iyi any of thefe Contro-
A 2 • verfies ;
4S'1G35
PREFACE.
•verfies ; that which I dejign is (if 1 ml
Jlake not) a .Matter of much greater mO'
ment.
pt
There are many that have fet themfelve.
highly to Extol and Magnife the fiudy o
Chronology^ and feem to have thought thai
they could never exceed in their Entomiumi
of it. And it is not my purpofe to rob it
of its due Praifes. So far as there art
hopes of attaining any certainty in it., it k
without doubt a very laudable Study ; am
therefore the acquainting our felves witi
Scripture Chronology is very neceffary, am
no lefs profitable than it is pleafant and de-
lightful. For whatfoever is plainly eX'
prefs^d in Sacred Writ^ relating to Chrono-
logy is no lefs certain, than it is that tk
Author of the Scripture is Truth it felj
Therefore^when I fpeak of the uncertainty
of Chronology, I am to be underfood o
Heathen Chronology. I grant alfo that ever,
that was of good ufe to Jofephus, Africa'
nus, Clemens Alexandrinus, Eufebius,
and other Ancients, for defiroying the Hea-
thens pretenfions to Antiquity.
lilf'
d
'kn
iU
if
■Fu
Ln-r-
mlnli
flikai
liUl, <
i
bff/i
nidi
lid
By this it appears. That I do not go a^
bout to dijfuade Men from all fiudy of
Chronology ; but there are fundry things
rvhich (1 think) are greatly to be dijliPd in
man)
P R E F ACE.
rr. many of our modern ChronographerSj that
d would have Men cautioned againjl. There
' are who cannot contend more earnefly for
the mofl necejfary and fundamental Article
fL f of Religion^ than they do for a Qhronologi-
Trifle. Thej cannot endure that any
^fljould drjfent from them^ and fall foul
upon thofe that do^ treating them many
f times with very rude and unbecoming Lan-
l^'^guagel There are alfo who will prefume ho
.' 'afjign not only the Tear^ but the Month., yea^
ferhaps the very Day, in which fuch or
fin^ fuch things were done •, Qui horas &" fin-
^'"'gulaannotarunt momenta, cum de inte-
" eris feculis nihil certi adfirmare potue-
... , C? *
, ,, 'rint, as one fatth. But that which is mofl
fl do be lamented, is Men's Expence of fo much
."time and pains in this Study, and after
leaving their Reader as unfatisjPd as
^^hhey found him. Some have fpent a great
'"""ll^fart of their Life in it (as appears by the
Y large Volumes writ upon this SubjeB) and
"'^hhefe Men of extraordinary Parts, great
' ^Learning and Diligence ; fo that they
'■' might have been ferviceable both to the Age
'^^'^^in which they liv^d, and to Poflerity, if
they had fet themfelves with the like Appli-
cation to more ufeful Studies.
W Thefe are fome of the things which I
' ^^'fcould not but dtflike in our modern Chro-
A 3 nologers^
PREFACE.
nologers^ mA a ferious Reflection-upon them
hath made me often deflre^ that fome Per
fon ft for fo great a Work tvould make h
his bufinefs to convince the World of tk
uncertainty of Chronology. But not hear-
ing of any that did apply himfelf to fo ne-
ceffary a Work, I thought it not amifs t:
lay hold of the Jdvantage offepd me by tk
late Differ tat ion upon the Kpifles of Pha
laris, Themiftocles, &c. nwerein 1 foum
many Pajfages in which the Reverend am
Learned Author doth plain f bear Tefiimon
to the uncertainty of Heathen Chronolo^
and more which may be made ufe of in or-
der to the manifefling of it. If Men wen
fully fatisffld of this, methinks there fhouli
need no more to prevent their falling inti ^ ^
lli "i
FloEf
iiwC
Tfe
ki9
Iki
Ifti
the foremention'd Errors. We might hop f
that they would not contend fo earneflly, no)
be fo impatient of contradiclion, in Mat'
ters in which they ah convindd, that tt i
impoffible to attain to any certainty ;
that-they would not throw away fo many pre-
cious Hours in the Study of them, nor la^
fo much flrefs upon the Arguments thai
are built upon them, as many' do. The]
would confider that it is not eafle to buih ■ fn
certain Concluflons upon a fandy Foundation.
How little Plutarch mov d with Argu-
ments drawn from Chronology, is apparent
from thofe Words of his, which I havi
Tran
umll
X
X
PREFACE.
^ Tranjcriyd in the Title Puge; and alfo re-
' fer to in Part II. when I enquire after the
imii time of Solon'j Death. If others had re-
Ifd upon fuch Arguments no more than
'r,(t\t Plv.ta.vch. did^ it is probable that the un-
ftufci hippy Controverfie about Phalans^s EpiJlles
had never been Jlarted.
ucfl The View of the Dijfertation was fni/Dd
iilfti not long after it was Publifij'd; but I re-
mui folv'^d to wait till I faw what Anfwer
I(fm would be made to it.^ believing that I jhould
'.kmk have more ajjtfiance frotrpthe Anfwer, than
(sfiii I have had from the' Dijfertation it felf.
\ilutf: And my Expeclation was notfrujlrated; for
kfjk'i I found that the Honourable the Author of
in^ II the Examination, had not only more fre-
quently, but alfo more plainly and directly
born Teftimony to the uncertainty of Chro-
i/ijili nology, than the Reverend Author of the
iki Dijfertation had done. So that 1 am now
i' apt to flatter my felf with the hope, that the
gffjj Authority of two fuch great Names will be
0. of force effectually to perfuade Men, not to .
Innif. / throw away fo much time upon the Study of
lij Tj Chronology, nor to rely fo much upon itf as
ID fame have done.
ink'
i iji
Tk A 4 PART
fn
VIEW
OF THE
DISSERTATION
I
UPON THE
EPISTLES
O F
Vh alar is, Themiftocles ^ 6cc.
P A R T. I.
T
HE Time of Phdaris's Ty-
ranny cannot be precifely de-
termined ; fo various and de-
" fedHveare the Accounts of thofe that
write of him. Thus the 14.
H^e
j4 View cf Dr. Bent leya/fd
Here it is plainly acknowledgM, That
the Time of Phalaris^s Tyranny is un-
certain, and the reafon that is given, is,
becaufe The Accounts of thofe that write of
him are fo various and defeliive.
If then it appear. That the Accounts
given by thofe who write of the other
Perfons mention'd in the Dijfertatidn,
are no lefs various and defeOiive, we
may as firmly conclude that the Time of
their Flourifliing or Reign is uncertain.
The fame may be apply'd to the Cities
fpoken of in the Dijfertation.
Eufebius fets the beginning of it,
Oljmp. ^1.2. Ph alar is a^ud Agrigentinos
" Tyrannidem exercet; and the end of it,
Olymg, 37. 2. Phalaridis Tyrannis de-
" jlrudta. By which reckoning be go-
vern''d 28 Years. But St. Hierome,
out of fome unknown Chronologer
'' (for that Note is not Extant in the
" Greek of Eufebius) gives a different
" time of his Reign, above 80 Years
later than the other, Olymp. 53. 3. or
as other Copies read it, 52.2. Phala-
ris Tyrannidem exercuit annos i6.Which
" is agreeable to who places him
tc wV about the '^aOlym-
^ piady Dijfert. p. 14.
Here
Mr. BoyleV DifTertations, &c.
Here the Doftor declares the uncer-
tainty of the time of the beginning,
continuance, and end of PhaUris's Ty-
ranny. It htgunOlymf. 31.2. accord-
ing to EufebiuSj but according to St. Hie-
rome, Oljmp. 53. or (as other Copies
have it) 52. 2. fo that there is above 80
Years difference. It continu'd according
to Eufebius 28 Years; according to St.
Heroine only 16. It ended according
to Eufebius^ Olymp. ^7. 2, according to
St. Herome, Olymp. 57. Thus the
Po6lor.
But the time of Phdaris's Government
is ffill more uncerfain, becaufe the Co-
pies of Eufebius's Chronicon do liere ve-
ry much vary. It feems that the Copy
which the Doftor follow'd fets the be-
ginning of it, 0lpnp.:^i.2. But other
Copies fet it, Olymp. 31.4. Vid.Edit.
Par if. A. D. 1512. Edii'. Baftl. A. D. 1570,
and Edit. Pontaci. A. D. 1604.
Likewife his Copy fets the end of his
Reign, OLjmp. 37. 2. but 'vs\ScdigeP% E-
dition, A.D. 1606. it is fet, Olymp. ^8.
2. and Pontacus's Edition, together with
that at Parts., and that at Bafd placeth
it, Olymp. 7,0). 1. So as to the later ac-
count of the Time of Tyran-
ny, which we have in Eafebius''s Chro-
nicon, and which the Dodor afcribes to
St.
4 ^ View of Dr. Bentley'^, a»d
St. Hierome^ his Copy refers it to Olymp.
5^. and yet he himfelf tells us. That
other Copies place it, Olymp. 52. 2. as
Scaliger'^s Edition fets it, Olymp. 53.4.
and the Edition at Paris, and that at Ba-
fily Olymp. 51.4. From all this I may
conclude, That it is moft certainly true
which the Doftor faith, that The time
of PhalarisV Tyranny cannot be precifely de-
termirdd.
" Stefichorus was but 6 Years old at
that fuppofed time of Phalaris''s Death.
Differt, p. i'^.
By That fuppofed Time of PhalarisV
Death, the Dodor means, Olymp. 2.
fo that the Authors whom the Dodor
follow'd, make Stefichorus to have been
6 Years old at that time and no more.
But according to Suidas'^s account, he
could not be of the Age of 6 Years at
that time, for he fays exprefly, That
Stefichorus was born in that very Olym-
piadj VIZ,. Olym. And Eufehius feems
not to agree very well either with the
Dodor's Authors, or with Suidas. For
he Stefichorus''s Death, Olymp. 55- i.
and we are told by Lucian, in his Ma-
crobity That he liv'd to the Age of 8 5
Years, according to which accopnt he
muft
Mr. Boyle'^ Differtations, &c,
muft be born, Olyrn^.n.^. and confe-
quently (not 6 only, but) 14 or 15
Years old at that fuppos'd time of Pha-
laris's Death. And we may here ob-
ferve. That Suidas neither agrees with
Enfebius^ as to the time of Steftchorus's
Death, nor with Lucim.^ as to the Age
to which he liv'd. For Saidas makes
him to have died, Oljmp. 56. (not Oljmp.
55.1. Eufebius.') And whereas
fays. That he liv'd 85. Years, according
to Suldas (who placeth his Eirth, Oljmp.
37. and his Death, Oljmp. 56) he did
not reach 80. Add hereto, That Eafe-
bius makes him to have been famous, 0-
lymp. 42. I. at which time he was but
20 Years old (if he was that) accco»*ding
to Suidash account of him ; but it is not
probable that he fhould be fo fam'd a
Poet at that Age. Tho' they that be-
lieve the relation of Pliny, Nat. Hifl.
1.10. c. 29. That a Nightingal fung in
his Mouth when he was an Infant, may
perhaps not think it ftrange,. that he
fhould be fo celebrated a Poet fo Young.
But what fhall we fay to the Marmor
Arundel, which according to Mr.6W^w,
refers Steftchorus, to Olymp. 73.3.? Or
to Conon, who ap. Photium Cod. 186. Se5t.
42. makes him Contemporary to Gelon,
of whom hereafter? If thefe fpeak of
the
6 A View of Dr. Bentley's, and
the fame , that Eufebius and
Suidxs do, there needs no more to ma-
nifeft the uncertainty of Stefichorus'^s Age
at that fuppos'd time of Phalaris's
Death, i. e. Oljmp. 37. 3. » •
Arifotle and f ambitchus make thefe
three to be Contemporaries^ Dijfert.
"Z'. 15.
The Three of whom the DoGor
fpeaks this are, Phalaris, Stef chorus and
Pythagoras. And it is true, that Arijlo-
tie Rhetor. I. 2. c. 21. makes Stefichorus
to be Contemporary to Phalaris, and
Jamblichus in the Life of Pythagoras
fhews, That he and Phalaris were Con-
temporaries. But if Pythagoras liv'd in
the Time of Numa, he could not be
Contemporary to the other Two, ac-
cording to the account that is given of
them. NowL/xy, l.i.n. 18.acquaints
us that there were who gave out that^
Numa was Pythagoras'^ Scholar ; and Di-
onyf. Halicarmf. L 2. fays, That there
were many that had writ thus. I grant
that thele two celebrated Hiftorians do
not approve of that Opinion concerning
the Time of Pythagoras''^ Flourifhing;
but it fhews however, that it was not
certain then at what Time he Fiouriili'd,
as
/
Mr. BoylcV Diflertations, &c.
ask is uncertain ftill. Thofe that agree
that he was not fo early as A^uwa's Time,
differ much among themfelves about the
Time when he liv'd. Livy fays, That
he was in ltdy when Seruius TuEiu^
Reign'd at Rome,^ but Cicero TufcuL
Quajt. I. I. and A. Gellius^ /. 17. c. 21.
fay, That he came into Italy in the Reign
or Tarquiniii^s Superbm. According to
P/wj, AUt. Hi (1.1.1. 8. he iivM about
Olymp. 42. according to Diottyf. Halicarn.
I. 2. after Olymp. 50. according to Diog.
Laertim.^ in Pythagoras^ about Olymp 60.
according to Clemens Alex. (Cid. Strom.
I. I. bis) Olymp. 62. according to Eufe-
bins, in Edit. Pontaci item Par if. and Ba-
//, Olymp. 6^. 4. in ■Scaliger''s Edition,
Olymp. P kit arch in Numa^ bears
Teftimony to the uncertainty of the
Time when Pythagoras flourifli'd, and
alfo to the incertitude of Chronology in
general. For having acquainted us that
fome affirm'd that Pythagoras convers'd
with Numa.^ but that others made him
almoft 5 Generations later, he adds. That
'tis difficult exaftly to adjufl: the Times;
nfit Ilk Xesvxs id, &c.
" Ala/a was flrfl: built by Archonides
"" a Sicilian, Olymp. 94. 2. or, as others
fay, by the Carthaginians about two
" Years
A View of Dr. Bentlcy'^, md
Years before Diod. p. 246. So that
here are above 120 Years dipt fince
" the lateft Period of Phdarts^ Differti
p. 16.
Here we have two that bear Tefti-
mony to the uncertainty of the time
when this City was built, viz,. Diodo^
rus Sic. and the Dr. Diodorus having
faid, that Jrchonides built the City Ale-
fa, a little after adds, That fome fay
that Alefa was built by-the Carthaginians,
about the time that Amilcas made Peace
with Dionyfius ; now the fame Diodorus
fpeaks of Amilcas''s making Peace with
Dionjfius, Olymp. 93.4.
1 her ides, the Corinthian Potter was
Contemporary with Arijlophanes the
** Comjedian; Athen^its, p. 470.
" Therides, with the Cups that had
" their Appellation from lam, come a-
" bove 120 Years after Pkdaris'^s Death.
" Dijfert. p. 19.
Athenauis Words are thefe ,
Tou xes'co/f which feem to
leave it uncertain whether Therides liv'd
at the fame time thzt Arijlophanes did,
or only in the Times near it. But let
it be granted, that he liv'd at the fame
time
Mr. Boyle's Differtation, &c.
0 tliit time that Arifiophanes did, ftill it will
^fince not be certain that he was above 120
Years after the Death of Fhdarts. It
muft be confefs'd that, if that was cer-
tainly true which Sttidas hath concern-
Telli- ing Ariflophanes^ that he liv'd, Olymp.
itime 114. this would make fomething to-
Dm wards the Proof of this. That Thericles
saving was above 120 Years after Fbdarish
it)' M Death. But the Authority of Dtodorus
tie fay Sic. doth utterly deftroy the certainty
Mj, ,of this account of Suidas^ fOr /. 12. he
:Peac« affirms, Th^t Arifiophattesw2iS2boutthe
mm Age of Pericles^ and withal, that Peri-
:tvt'itli ^/wdied, Olymp. 87.4. fo that according
to him, Ariftophanes liv'd before Olymp,
87. 4. Yea, Eufebius makes him not on-
ervs'js ly to have liv'd, but alfo to have been
jfj tk famous, Olymp. 85.4. and fo Thericles (if
— he was Ari/l-ophanes''s Contemporary, as
t y the DoQior fays that he was) might be
a- famous for his Cups then or before,
fyfei Whence it follows, that it cannot be
certain. That Thericles was above 120
Years after the Death of Phdaris^ for
from Olymp. 57. 3. to Olymp. 85.4. are
not 120 Years. '
Iv'd
didj ThucydideSy l.6.p.
1 let " at the Time Xerxes\ Expedition
[afot into Greece (which was, Olymp. 7^.)
tins " ^ Br " AmX'
\
lo A View of D^'. Bentley V, md,
AmxiUus^ King of Rhenium, befiegM
" Xj,ncle^ and took it, and call'd it Mef-
fcwA^ from the Peleponnefim City of
that Name, the Place of his Nativity.
" The fame fays Herodotus, /. 6. t\ 23.
and agreeably to this Narrative, Dio-
" dor us fets down the Death of Anaxi-
laus, Olyrnp. 76. i. when he had
" Reign'd 18 Years. Paufanias Meffen.
" p. 134. placeth this fame AmxiUus of
" Rhegium about 180 Years higher than
" they do, telling. That he aflifted the
Refugees of Mejfam, in Peleponnefus,
" after the fecond War with the Spar-
" tans, to take Xancle in Sicily ; which
" thereupon'wasc3.\\\\MeJfana,0lymp.2g.
TcCjTU JV €37 raj TVf itetTHi
ndt ii'iOinf f K/ii/if xd'Atav 70 Sivnpjv €y''j(
The
time of the Mejfenian War agrees with
" that Computation, and the ancient
" Catalogue of the Olympionica: puts
Chionis''s Vitfory at that very Year,
i/wVi) ivdvi Kt'ovif P)if~
" fert.p. 24, 25, 26.
Here are many Things very uncer-
tain, as ift. It is uncertain whether
Xer.xePs Expedition was Olymp. 73. for
according to Eufebius, Xerxes begun his
Reign, Olymp. 73.3. and if he came not
to
Mr. Boyle'j Diflertations, &c.
,1'^% to the Empire till that time, it is mani-
feft, as by the account given by others,
' I'' fo by the relation of Herodotus,' that his
ativti Expedition into Greece was not Oljmp.
' 7 J. For Herodotus fays, /. 7. That
ve,Dii ill t;he fecond Year after the Death of
I hit iijs pather C>arim, he made an Expedi-
lie b tion into Egypt to feduce it, and c. 20.
that having done this, he fpent Four
wiitti: Years compleat in Preparation for the
^ertla War againft Greece, and fet forward in
iilledtl! the Fifth Year. I know that there are
confiderable Writers who do not agree
with Herodotus, as to the Time that
') was taken up in Preparation againft
Greece (^Diodorus Sic. I. \i. making it
inhtd but Three Years, JuJliu. 1.2. c. 10. affirm-
ing, That he fpent Five Years in it,
—1 which number of Years, Jutiau Or at. i.
•eesftit! in laudem Confiantii, doubles, making it
anciei to have taken up Ten Years) but this
iu pii only renders it more uncertain in what
ijFffi Year Xerxes^s Expedition into Greece
idf. ft' was: To return to Eufebius, he fets his
Reduction of Egypt, Olymp. 74. i. and
his making a Bridge over the HelLe-
fpont, Olymp. y A.. ( Vid. Edit. Pari/.
rlietlif Bajii. & Pontaci) Diodorus Sic. I. 11.
1j. fc refers the Expedition into Greece to the:
runb Year following, Olymp. 75. i. with
mem whoiB Dionyf. Haltcarn. 1.9, agrees, as
It B the
'J!
A Vteiv of Dr. Bentley'^, mi
the Ma,rmor Arund. according to Mr. Sel-
den, and others agrees with Eufebtus^.
for they make the An. 217. to which the
Marble refers Xerxes's making a Bridge"
over the Reliefj/ont^ to anfwer to Oljmp.
74. 4. Clemens Alex. Stro. i. fets this
Expedition 297 Years after the firft
Olympiad., as Thucjdides^ I. i. piaceth it
in the Tenth Year after the Battle at
Marathon, fo that if that Battle was,
Olymp. 72. I. (as Eufebms fets it) Xerxes'^s
coming againlf Greece., was Olymp. 74.
But Plato de Legtbus, L 3. fays, That it
was but almoji Ten Years between Da-
tish coming into Greece, and the Fight
at Salamis. It muft then be confefs'd,
that it is not certain in what Year Xer-
xes^s Expedition into Greece was, nor
yet that it was, Olymp. 73.35 the Doftor
fets it, unlefs Olymp. 73. be the Printers
Miftake.
2dly. It is uncertain when Anaxilaus
Reign'd, and when Zj^ncle was call'd
Mejfana. For the Doffor acquaints us,
That Paufanias is fo far from agreeing
with Herodotus, Thucydides, and Diodo-
rm Sic. about the time of Ar^axilaus, and
of his changing the Name of that City,
that their Accounts differ about 180
Years. It may perhaps be faid. That
if the three other eminent Hiflorians
plainly
[j,Mr.. Boyle'j Diflertations, &c.
plainly agree upon the Time, Paufani-
Adit Diffcnt will not make it lets certain;
Biiigs foi' we may conclude tliat it was his
OJi/sj _ Mifiake. 'Idie Queftion then will be
;s tlif' whether Herodotus.^ Thucjdides, and Dio-
e Jrij dorus Sic. do plainly agree about the
cetliii- Time. And I fliall grant Herodo-
iitlej! Diodorus Sic. feena to agree
i wji as to the time of JmxiUs.^ or AmxiUuSj
1^,/, or Aiuxileos, (for the Name is written
thus differently,) Herodotus, 1.6. c. 2^,
riian 24. fignifying that he Reign'd in the
Time of Darius, the Father of Xerxes,
jfiglj and Diodorus Sic. faying, That having
mfeli'i Reign'd 18 Years, he died Oljmp. 76. i.
jryj! But of his changing the Name of Xjncle
3 uu into Me(fana, Diodorus in that place hath
not a Word, and tho' lib. 4. he doth men-
tion the change of the Name, yet there
he doth not tell us either when, or by
iixk whom it was changed. Herodotus, lib.j.
. c. 164. fpeaks of the change of the Name
Iqjj « from Zjncle to Mejfene, as Eufiatbius upon
Dionjf. Alex, alfo doth, alledging Herodo-
tus; but they do not mention Amxi-
^ .f^^-laus as the Author of the Change, nor
k, inform us when that Change was made,
jjj I grant that Herodotus fpeaks of it upon
cccafion of his mentioning one Cadmus,
■jjj who liv'd at the time of Xerxesh Expe-
•J, ^.ition Greece •, but he does not ^
• ' B 5 fay J
A View of Dr. Bentley's, and
fay that the Change was made then;
yea, he feems to fignifie that Zanck had
chang'd its Name before: His Words
are MsWcuy which had chang'd
its Name to Meffcne. To come to Thu-
cjdides., Herodotus and he feem not to
agree very well in that which they fay
of the King of Rbegium. By the per-
fuafion of Herodotns''s Anaxileos^ the Sa-
mians poffefs'd themfelves of Xancle.^ but
Thucjdides^s Anaxi/as, call: the Samikns
out of it, not long after that the Samians
had driven the Sicilians out of it ; fo
that perhaps it may be quelHon'd, whe-
ther thofe two Hilforians fpeak of one
and the fame Perfon. Befides, tho' the
Do6l:or fays, That Th/ajdides^ I. 6.
p. 414. relates, that at the time of Xer-
xesh Expedition into Greece, Anaxilaus
took Zancle, and calPd it Meffana ; yet
the truth is, That Thucjdides doth not
there make any mention of Xerxesh Ex-
pedition. He tells, That the Samians
who had driven the Sicilians out of Zan-
cle, fled from the Medes, but we cannot
infer hence, that the Name of that City
was chang'd at the time of Xerxes's Ex-
pedition into Greece., much lefs that Thu-
cydides relates it. The Conclufion is,
That Herodotus, Thucjdides, and Diodo-
rus Sic. leave us uncertain as to the Time
of
Mr. BoyleV Differtations, &c. 15
of changing its Name, and Pau-
CMias*s Teftimony alledg'd by the Doftor
^'ori feems to make the Matter ftill more ui>
certain.
^dly. It is not certain, that Chionis
lottc was Viftor, Olymp. 29. tho' PaufAnias
iyfaj doth afRrm pofitively that he was; for
2 per- in the dv^y: in Scaliger we
kit read, thus, oa. k© he 0 koei'^ot sa'/jsv.- j?
Ik ^ dt^oi, K(3>/y AdxA'v sivTi^v. Where we
ca/it ^ee that it is left doubtful, fome faid
\tr.m: ^hat Xcnofhon^ others, that Chionis was
t;j.. then Vidor. But of this fee more in
wk Part 2d.
i oii
lo'k " Some Sicilians planted themfelves,
Olymp. 96. J. upon an Hill call'd Tau-
rus, near the Ruins of Naxo^, and
built a new Town there, which they
call'd Tauromenion^ ™ .wefj"-,
from their Settlement upon Taurus \
fo Diodorus, I. 14. f. 282, and 305.
About 40 Years after this, Olymp. 105.
3. one Andromachus a Tauromenite^ ga-
ther'd all tlie remnant of the old Nax~
ians, that were difpers'd through Si-
cily, and perfuaded them to fix there j
Id. L 15. /. 411. Dijferf, p. 31,
n:
Aer.
iJK
■m!
G:?
;£v
Tk
1 is,
lok-
'iiiif
The Dodor having faid, That An-
dromachus perfuaded the Naxians to fix
B 4 there^
A View of Dr. BentleyV, and
there., fhould have added that which fol-
lows in Diodorus Sic. viz,. That having
ftay'd a long time there, he call'd it Tau-
romenium, dm nt tm mTu'vfts If the
DoTor had not conceal'd this, it would
have appear'd how uncertain it is, both
when, and by whom the Name Tauro-
menium was given, and alio that Diodo-
rus Sic. bears Teftimony to this incerti-
tude, fince I. 14. he fays, That the <SV-
ctlians, that planted themfelves there
gave it that Name, Olymp, 96 i. and
/. 15. that Andromachus gave it that Ap-
pellation, Oljmj). 105. 5. I need not
trouble my felf to enquire, how well
Diodorus Sic. his Accounts of Taurdme-
nium agree with Strabo''s, I. 6. who
makes 7 auromenium to have been a Co-
lony of the Z^amleans, and Cat ana of rhfe
Naxians ; whereas Diodorus Sic. his later
Account makes Tauromenium to have
been inhabited by the Naxians.
Democritus was too Young to
know even Pythagoras., ■mv
fays, Diogenes (in Vit. Democ^
" and yet Pythagoras furviv'd Phalaris,
" nay, depos'd him, if we will believe
" his Scholars, Dijfert. p. 34.
' it ■■ ■ i' . \
Diogenes
Mr. BoyleV DifTertations, &c. 17
["J- Diogenes Laert. (in Vit. Democ.) feems
to fay (not that Democritus .was too
hi- Young to know Pythagoras, but) that'
Etk he was too Young to be his Hearer. But
'OuH Eufeb ius makes Democritus to have been
famous before Pythagortu's Death, fetting
the Death of Pythagor.ts, Olymf. 70. 4.
feV and Democritus^s being famous, Olymp.
Krti- 69. in Edit. Pontaci item Par if. and
Bafil, Olymp.'jo. i. in ScaligePs Edition,
tliert The truth is, he that enquires into the
and Birth, Age and D^ath of Democritus,
:Ap- will find the time of every one of them
noi to be uncertain. As to his Birth, Thra-
fd fyllas fets it, Olymp. 77. 3. but JpoHodo-
!«• rus, Olymp. 80. as Diogenes Laertius tefti-
will) fies; and Suidas takes notice of this dif-
iCo fererice. I know that in Diog.
ftk Laert. and in Suidas, are rendred
later Fixit, but I tranflate them Natus fuit,
have becaufe Diog. Laert. 2iMs, That he was
a Year Elder than Socrates, and he from
LlpoEodorus tells us. That Socrates was
to born, Olymp. 77. 4. See him in Socrate.
Whether we tranflate it one way or the
m] other, it is evident, that the account of
b, the time either of his Birth, or when he
iere liv'd and became famous is various, and
fo uncertain. As to his Age, Hippar-
chus'm Diog. Laert. gives him 109 Years,
Lucian in Longavis, and P.hlegon de Mira^
' • • bilibus
18 A View of Dr. BentleyV, a»d
bilihus & Longxvis., alkw him but 104
Years; Diodorus Sic. contra.^s it to 90
Years. Laftly, as to his Death, Diodo-
rus Sic. (ibid.) fets it 94. i. but
Eufebius refers it to Oljmg. 94.4.
Simonides \v2iS but Seven Years old,
" or as others fay yet unborn, when
was kill'd, Dijfert.p. 34.
a
Here the Dodor plainly bears Tefth
mony to the uncertainty of Simonides's
Age, acquainting us, that fome fay that
he was but Seven Years old, others that
he was unborn when FlukrU died,
Whereto I add. That it is not certain
that he was either but Seven Years old,
or unborn at the time of Phalaris's Death.
In Eufebius.^ we have four different ac-
counts of the Time when Smonides flou-
riflt'd. It is fet firft, Oljmp. 28. 4. Se-
condly, afterward, 60.
or 34. laftly,0/j'w/'. 73.3. Now if we fol-
low the fecond of thefe accounts which
makes him to have flourifh'd, Olymp. 55.
I. (in Edit. Pof^taci, item Par if. and Ba-
Olymp. $5.2. (fo ScdigeP'^ Edit.') it
is fo far from being true, that he was
unborn, or but Seven Years old, that he
was famous Nine or Ten Years before
the time that the Dodor pitcheth upon
for
1
Afr. BoyleV DilTertations, &c. 19
for being (lain, viz.
And according to thefirfl: account |ie
was famous above 100 Years fooner.
Clemens Alex, fays, That Simonid.es liv'd
Ai>yfjAo:^pr, and that Archtlochus was
known after Oljmp. 20. Suidas refers him
to Oljmp. 56. and adds, That others
place him Oljmp.62. There were more
than one of that Name, which might
be the caufe of thefe fo much differing
Accounts. ; The Marmor Arund. takes
notice of two Simonides''^ both Poets,
and the one Grandfather to the other.
The former it makes to have flouriflYd
Olymp. 72. 4. the latter, Olymp. 79. 3.
according to Mr. Selderd's Computa-
tion.
From Ariflophanes, the famous Gram-
marian, we know that Euripides'^s
Philodletes was written, . (Jljmp. 87.
This alfo is uncertain, for tho' it is
true, that Arijlophmes the Gramxina-
rian in his Argument of Euripides'^s
Medea doth fay. That Medea, Philocfe-
tes, &c. were afted, Olymp. 87. yet o-
thers name his Phaniff^j &c. as having
been afted then; fo ScaligePs
as alfo Scholiaft. Arijlophan.
" Alcejlis., the firft Tragedy of Thef"
' ■' pis J was a61:ed about the 61. Olympiad,
" which
A View of Dr. BentleyV, and
which is more than Twelve Years af-
ter Phalarii's Death ; Marm. Ariind:
Suidas Differt. p. 40.
I fliall not enquire whether Alcejlis
was ThefpVs firil: Play, .it is not plainly
affirm'd either in the Marmor Arund. or
in SuidM that it was. Suidas doth not
mention it, tho' he names other Plays
of his: He fays of Thefpu^ k-m n{
Trpawf yji ^'OKviA?nsi^&, but that Alcejiis
was afted then he hath, not a Word.
The Marm. Arund. is fo defeftive, that
little or nothing can be mad.e of it. Part
of the Name which is fuppos'd to be
Alcejlis is wanting, and likewife part of
the Archons Name, yea, part of the
number that fhould denote the Years,
fo that it is only by uncertain conjeflure
that fome make the number of the
Years to be 272 or 27^, the Archon to
be AIc£US, and the Play Alcejlis. And
whereas tlte Marm. Arund. fpeaks of an
He-Goat being propos'd, Eufebius refers
that to Ol^mp. 47. 2. between which,
and Olymp. 61. there is an interval of
many Years. I add, That both Plutarch.^
and Diogenes Ltert. (in Vit. Solon.') tefti-
fie. That Thefpis made Plays in Solon's
Time, and Plutarch adds, That Solon
fawhimAd; withal, he lays, Thatac-
cordincr
o
Mr. Boyle'i- Diflertati'ons, &c.
cording to Phanias.^ Solon died when He-
gefiratm was Archon, i. e. (as fome fay)
53, 4. but (as others) Oljmp.
50. 2.
Thucydides., I. i. p. 90. and Charon
Lampfacenus fay, That Themijlocles,
" when he fled into Afia', made his Ad-
" drefs to Artaxerxes^ who was newly
" come to the Throne, wherein they,
are foliow'd by Cornelius A^epos, and
" Plutarch (in Vit. Themijloc.) againft
" the common Tradition of Ephorus,
" Heraclidesj and mofl: others, that
" make Xerxes the Father then alive.
" Dijfert. p. 80.
Here the Dothor bears Teftimony to
the uncertainty of the Time of Themi-
fiocles^ coming to the Perftan Court, and
long before him we have Plutarch., and
' Cornelius Nepos witnefling it. Plutarch
writes. That Ephorus^ Dinon, HeraclideSf
C lit arch us., and many more fay, That
Themi flocks came to Perfia in the time of
Xerxes, but that Charon Lampfacenus a-
grees with Thucjdides ; affirming, That
Themtjlocles came in the Reign of Art ax-
erxes. And when the faid Plutarch comes
to give his own Opinion, he only fays.
That Thucjdides feems to agree better
with
22 A Vim of Dr. BentleyV, and
with the Annals or Chronicles, and he ^
judg'd thofe Chronicles not to be exaQ:,
ircT' a'VTStf aiiiV'.K, fo he.
As to Cornelius Nepos^ I grant that he ; '
thought that we fhould believe Tbucydi- "
des rather than the other ; but he, with- '
al, teftiEes, That the moft were againft ^
Thucydides. If the incertitude of the
Time of Themifocles'^s coming to the '
Per fan Court was not fufficiently prov'd ."
already, it might be made more appa- ^ ^
rent from the difagreement of other Emi- ^'
nent Perfons about it. For tho' Diodo- "
rus Sic. 1.11. and Valerius Maximus^ I. 8. ;'
c. 7. together with Eufeiuus, refej; it to ,'
the time of Xerxes., yet Cicero ad Atti- ■ ■ ^
cum J I. 10. epif. 7. following Thucydides, i '
refers it to the time of Artaxerxes, Non '
vidit quid Artaxerxi polliceretur\ fo he. j '
" Hiero was come to the Crown fome '
" Years before Themtiiocles''s Banifhment | *
" and Voyage to Corcyra. 'Tis true, ' '
" the Chronology of this part of Hifto- '
" ryjs not fo fetled and agreed, as to "
" amount to a Demonftration againft "
the Tetters ; but howeverj when J"
" joinM with the Arguments preceding, I'
at ieaft it will come up to a high Pro- i'
" bability. Theophrafus in his Treatife 1«
P of Monarchy, {ap. Plutarch Themijli |«
p. 225.) I
Mr. BoyleV DilTertations, &c.
/. 225.) relates, That when Hiero had
fent Race-horfes, and a moft fumptu-
ous Tent to the Olympian Games j The-
mifiocles advis'd the Greeks to plunder
the Tyrants Tents, Cra and not
to let his Horfes run. 'Tis evident
then, if Theophrajlus fpeak properly,,
that Htero was Monarch of Syracufe^
when Themiftocles was at Olympia;
but it is moft certain he never came
thither after his Exile. But to deal
fairly, it muft be confefs'd that Ailtan
5.) in telling this Story va-
ries from Theophraflusfor he fays
Hiero himfelf came to the Games: But
that he would go thither in Perfon
after he got the Government is whol-
ly improbable. So that if j£lim be
to be believ'd, this Bufinefs muft have
been done before Hiero came to the
Throne. For even in Gelo's Life-
time, who left him the Monarchy,
he kept Horfes for the Race, and won
at the Pjthim Games. Pythiad the 26.
(Pind. Schol. Pyth. i. and 3.) which an-
fwers to Olyrnp. 74. But befides,
that Theophraflus is of much greater
Authority, the other refutes himfelf
in the very next Words. For he fays.
That Themtftocles hindred Hiero on
this pr-etence, That he that did not
" jbare
A View of Dr. Bentley V, ^nd.
Jhare in the common Danger, ought not
to jhare in the common Fejtival: Where
its certain by the common Danger, he
means Xerxes''s Expedition, when Ge/o
either refus'd or delay'd to give the
Grecians his Afliftance : This Affront
then was put upon Hiero, after that
Expedition. But the very n^'ixOljimp.
after Htero was in the Monarchy,
Diod. w.p. 29. Befides thefe Inferen-
ces and Deduftions, we have the ex-
prefs VerdiQ; and Dec'laration of mod:
of the Clironologers {Schol. Find.
Pyth. Diod. II. p. 29, 41. Eufeb. in
Chron.) who place the beginning of
Hiero's Reign, Oljmp. 75. and The-
mifiocles'^s Baniiliment feven Years af-
ter, Oljmp. 77.2. The Arundelian
Marble indeed differs from all thefe
the Periods of Gelo and Hiero^
■ffii
III],
the
Iiisli
ieCto
(lliclli
only
10
niitll
Wy
k(
lib
s'
111
which would quite confound all this
Argumentation from the Notes of
Time. But either that Chronologer
is quite out, or we can fafely believe
nothing of Hiftory. Eor he makes
Ge/o firft invade the Government two
Years after Xerxesh Expedition. But
Herodotus fpends half a dozen Pages
in the account of an Embaffy to Ge/o^
from Sparta and Athens, to defire his
Affiftance againft the Perftan, And
l:
itcte
kl
une^s
msn
s)if
<( 7
tlS'
Ski
^ Mr. Boyle's DilTertations, &c.
u agreed among all, That Ge/o's
iherc u Yi£;j;Qj.y over the Carthaginians in Si-
with
nutio (c Battle at Salamis; Herodot. I. 7,
™ " and Diod. /, 11. DilTert. p. 85, 84, 8<,
fat .< gg.
r that
It is here plainly acknowledg'd, That
™l't the Chronology of this part of Hiftory
nta ' which concerns Themijiocles and Hiero,
tie ex- is ^ot clearly fetled and agreed. And
fmoll jiot only fo, but the Dodor in his Mar-
Yd. gio ^[fo fets down the Words of Plu-
([ft. in f^rch in Themijl. wherein that Great Man
plainly declares. That the Annals or
ad ft- Chronicles are not fo exaft, that they
arsaf-: can be depended upon, duroif
nklim nrmijodfoif'
11 tilde
Him, The Dodor moreover confirms the
alltliis Truth of that Obfervation, That the
)tes of- Chronology of this Part of Hiftory is
lolcget not clearly agreed. For Firft, he lays,
lelieve That Theophraflus^ if he fpeak properly,
maket makes Hiero Monarch of Syracufe, at that
attP ivtnQwh&n Themijiocles advis'd the Gre-
, But dans not to permit his Horfes to run at
fag® the Olympian Games. Whereas (fays
Gilo, he ) if ALHan be to be believ'd, this Bu-
ehis finefs muft have been done before Hiero
And came to the Crown. Secondly, he fays,
'"tfi • G That
26
A View of Dr. Bentley V, anA
That the ArunMUn Marble differs from i&f
all thofe whom he had nam'd, Scho' lities
Uiifl. Pindar. Diodorus Sic. and Eufebius) 'J dw
in the Periods of Gelo and Hiero. Thc|nd25
Doftor perceiving that it was not very
eafie to loofe thefe two Knots refolv'di|i[iiiiii§
to cut them, by diminifhing the Autho-.
rity of jElian, and the ArundeLian Mar-,#!)
ble, and going about to prove that the
former refutes himfelf, of which At-
tempt of the DoQiors I fhall only fay, |
That I humbly conceive that he hath'
undertaken a difficult Task.
We havefeen how plainly the Do£tor
doth acknowledge, that this part of Sci
Chronology is not clearly fetled and -^Mts
agreed, and yet there are fomePaffages^lak
in him that feem to fay, That it isat teii
leaf): pretty well adjufted and agreed. Ir's
As, . jtiSfiv
Firft, He fays, That we ha'ue the ex-
prefs Verdict and Declaration of mojl of
the Chronologers, who place the beginning;
of Hieroh Reign., Olymp. 75. and-^
rhemiftocles'i' Banishment Seven Tears af- ^
ter Olymp. 77. 2. But we may obferve, ^ 155 in
Firft, That he only fays, That we have"
the Verdifl of mojl of the Chronologers^
he doth not fay of all. Secondly, Tho'
he
l0(
la I
rki
Mr. BoyleV Differtations, &c. 27
sftoo! Jie fay of mojl of the Chronologers, he
'jci names only three, Schol. Pwd. Pjth.
'jm, ^ Diod. II. f. 29, 41. Eufeb. 'mChron.
And as to the firft of thefe, the Scholiaft.
upon Pindar^ he Pyth. i. places the be-
rfolv'd ginning of Hiero's Reign,
Autb in Oljmp. 85. not 75.
«Mj: Pofhbly fome bold Critick will tell us,
tkii! That 85 is by the Scribes or Printers
li. miftake put for 75, but ftill it will not
■fllyfir well agree with that which the fame
IS Scholiaft hath, Pjth. ^. where he makes
Hiero to begin his Reign,
Oivy^x^rt/a. As to the time of Themiflc-
:Do3j. c/ePs Baniftiment, I have not found that
pan, the Scholiaft gives any account of it.
led z Diodorus Sic. is the next, and it is true
Pa% that he fpeaks of Hierd's beginning his
titisi Reign in Olymf. 75. and of Themifto-
agrei cles's Banilhment in Oljmp. 77. 2. but
we may obferve, That he fpeaks of The-
mtfocles'^ Death in the fame Year, viz,4
iilka Oljmp. 77. 2. whereas it is clear that his
mf Banilhment and Death could not be in
fum, the fame Year; and therefore from Dw-
j, IX dorush mentioning Themifiocles's Exile in
JttrsHj that Year, we cannot conclude that it
bfcm was his meaning, that it was the very
'eliavi Year of his being Banifh'd. In tliat
Year Diodorus gives an account as of
^ yk Themifocles''s Banifttrhent, fo aifo of his
' k ' C 2 going
1
fttl:
sing
usl
J View of. Dr. BencleyV, and
going to Jrgos.^ his Flight from thence i,i
to Admetus., and afterward from Adme- *'
tus into Afia., his Journey from thence
to the Per fan Court, and what befei him
there, and laftly of his Death. Notto.^
that all thefe happenM within the fpace: Malii
of one Year (for there was a confidera- i jiiflig
ble time from his Banifhment to his com- ^ iliee
ing to the Perfian Court, and a confide-
table time again from his coming thi-
ther to his Death,) but the HiltQrianlat///i
thought it beft to difpatch all that con-1
cernM Themiflocles's Fail at once. Eufe-
hius''s Chronicon only remains, in which
it is left uncertain whether the begin- Sccod
ning of Htero's Reign is to be refer'd to |
Oljmp. -75. or Oljmf. 76. We read firfti.rr(fe(
Hieron Syracufis regnat^ Oljmp. 75. 3. ando^nj
prefently after Hieron poji Gelonem Sycu- A "
cafs Tyrannidem exercet, Oljmp. y6.i. Asl ni-
to Themiftocles'^s Banifliment it is noti^Hf
mention'd in the Chronicon.^ tho' hisi
Flight to the Per fans is. And if it were. tk
ait
true, that according to Dwdorus Sic. his
Banifhment was Oljmp. 77. 2. it muft rjertlii
be confefs'd, that Eufebius differs very!j
much from hirn, who fets his Flight to 1
the Perfians, Oljmp. 76. 4, whereas his
Anc
'3)inai
BaniOiment was a confiderable time be-
fore it, as we have feen from Diodorus j
: • 'cjnrl it- rr\o\7 annpar
Sic. already and it may appear further ■
• from
1
■be:
dm,
tknc
fdli
i\c
ifpic
ifidetf
is con
eoflfKl:
ingfe
ifiorie
itCOJ
m-..
adfiir
mSp.
).2.l
isK
k'k
'inrc.
kl
itfflE
:svg
saslii'
nebC'
froiT'
Mr. BoyleV DifTcrtations, &c.
from Thucydides^ I. i. who informs us.
That his living fome time at yirgos, and
going into other Parts of Pelopomefus,
his flying thence to Corcyra^ and thence
to King Admetus^ and from him to A[ia^
did all intervene between his Banifhment
and Flight into Per^ici. By this which
hath been faid it may be judg'd, whether
we have the exprefs Verdift and Decla-
ration of mofl: of the Chronologers,
that Htero begun his Reign, Olymp.y'^.
3. and that Themiflocks was Banifli'd
Olymp. 77. 2.
Secondly, The Doflor fays, That />
is agreed among all^ that Geloh Fiitory
over the Carthaginians in Sicily, rvas got
the very fame day with the Battle at Sala-
'mis. But tho' he faith among all, he
only names Herodotus^ and Diodorus Sic.
And Herodotus, I. 7. c. 166. only fays.
That it was reported, &c. They
fay., that Geloh Victory over the Carthagi-
nians was the fame Day with the ViBory
over the Perfian at Salamis; fo he.
I
And as to Dwdorus Sic. he is fo far
from, agreeing to this, that he fays. That
Gelo overcame on the fame Day that
Leonides fought Xerxes at ThermopyU,
29 ^
3°
A View of Dr. Bentley's, an^
"0
Elft'
plao
i
mij 5tpuo■;rJ^.a( puTti Siayitia'AtM
Vipir.v ; fo Diotiorus^ l.ii.
Concerning this Gelo., I may obferve,
That the accounts of the Time both of
the beginning and continuance of his Go- »i'tf:
vernraent arefo various, that we cannot JMifi
think it ftrange that it is fo uncertain, T/otie
when his Succeffor Htero came to the :-priTai
Crown. As to the beginning of G^/o's i'ftrt.j
Government (not to take notice of the /
Marmor Arund.^ according to Pauf.wi,is
Eli AC Pof. he begun to Reign Oljmp. 72.
2. with whom Dionyf. HdicArn. partly
agrees, who, /. 7. fpeaking of an Em-
bafly which was in that Year, fays, That
Gelo was then newly come to the Go-
vernment ; but Euftbius fets the begin-
ning of his Reign, Olymp. 75. 2. andac-
cording to Diodorus Sic. it begun Olymp.
73. 4. As to the continuance of it, Sca-
ligePs Greek Eufehius fays, That he
Reign'd 17 Years, and yet the Timeof lunil]
Hiero's fucceeding him is there fet, fo that
he Reign'd but Twelve Years. The Latin
Eufehius, according to one account gives
him Twelve Years, according to ano-
ther only Nine: Jrijlotle in Polit. I. 5.
c. 12. allows him Seven, and fomething
more: Gelo (fays he) Reign'd Se'ven Tears,
and dj'd in his Eighth Tear. Finally, Dio-
dor us Sic. /. 11. allows liim only Seven
Years. Diodorm
b'tk
'idenri
i»V£ k
thidil
IflCHtt!
BamllM
'"tie
ki
one
cou
ain
'Fliil
Mr. Boyle'^ DilTertations, &c.
' " Diodorus, who hath brought all his
, " Hiftory into the method of Annals,
wi't <£ places the Death of Paufar/ias Uljmp.
" 75. 4. andtheExileof Six
iisGft a Years after, Olymp. 77. 2. -Plu-
^0! " tarch in Themi/l.p. 224. mdkesThemi-
ertaia ^ocles after his Banifhment to have
to tit « private Dealings with D//-
fert.p. 87,88.
V® If the Dodlor have rightly reprefented
fT- thefe two Eminent Hiftoriographers, we
part!; have here a clear confirmation of that:
lEffi which I have lately inculcated, 'viz. the
Incertitude of the Time of Themijlocles''s
tkfc Banifhment, for it was before the Death
kga-' of Paufanias, according to the one. Six
andai' Years after it according to the other.
% - And it will not be eafie to reconcile them,
r, unlefs we fhall fay. That Themtjiocles
rat ii had Dealings with Paufamas^ when Pau'
iinefl famas had been dead Six Years.
fok
Lati! Athen^us^ I. 11. f, $05. among 0-
: giv5 " ther Errors in Chronology, for which
)a!io. - he chaftifes P/4ro, brings this in for
t.ly'r one, that he introduces Ph^drus Dif-
(iiflg courfing with Socrates, who mufi cer-
ff/trj, " tainly be dead before the Days of that
Die- " Philofopher. Drjfert. p.
even
ks, C 4 !|^
taff
jnotb
Ictli, b
Ibflii
J View of Dr. Bentley'j, and
If Athen£us do juftly chaftife Plato for
Errors in Chronology, this alone may
feem to be a fulBcient Demonftration of
the Incertitude of it. For if Plato could
and did err in the Chronology of his
own Time, or that which was near it, _ Jtldii
how can we give Credit to the account ^ iflW
that we meet with in any Heathen
Chronographers of things done long be- : I tit
fore their Time ? Now the Inftances
"which Athen<eus 9. gives of Plato's erring,.
are in Things of his own Time, or nor ;
much remote from it, as any one that,
"Will confult him may fee, both in the
Place alledg'd by the Doctor, viz. 1.11.
f. 505. and in ^ 5. />. 217. where Athe- '
n£us fays, V 0 Ai
tsrv £*
may content our felves with the In-
ftance produc'd here by the Do£lor of
Phadrus and Socrates. That Socrates was
in Plates Time will be readily granted,
and if Ph^drus was Plato's Scholar, (as
fome Learned Men make him to have
been) he was in his {i. e. PUto''s) Time
alfo. But it will be faid. This cannot
be, for the Doftor informs us. That
Ph£drus. was certainly Dead before the '
D^ys o£ Socrates. To which I anfwer,
that it is true. That the DoHor tells
ps fp; but Athenms fays no fuch thing,
•; Athenaus's
mi e
Uifci
6
mitiii
mfm
TbJ
'' ni
"of
S'a
•aE
h
Mr. Boyle'^ Differtations, &c.
Athemus^s Words are thefe, d^^varov
(fa.'iJ'gfv y^id nv", lb that here
is nothing of Ph^drus's being Dead : But
Athenaus'^s meaning might be, That he
was not born in the Time of Socrates.^ or
at leaft too young to Difcourfe with him
in fuch fort.
I cannot but take notice, That Mi-
.crobius S tit urn d. I. i. c.x. Tranfcribes
fome of thofe Inftances which Athen^us
doth, but is not fevere upon PUto as
Athenteus is. Socrate ita Parmenides an-
tiquior.^ ut hujus pueritia vix illius apprc-
henderit feneBute?n^ dir tamen inter illos de
rebus arduis difputatur. Pardus vero &
'Ktinthippus quibus Pericles pater fuit, cum
Prctagora apud Platonem dijferunt fecundo
adventu Athenis morante, quos multo ante
infamis ilia pejlilentia Athenis abfumpferat.
Thus Macrobius. They that pleafe may
fee what Arifiides Platonica 2^® hath to
the fame purpofe.
It.
Among the reft that writ Elegies
and Encomiums on Gryllus.^ the Son
of Xenophon., Hermippus fays, Socrates
was one, Laert. in Xenophon. Which is
a Blunder of no iefs then Thirty Seven
Years, the interval between Socrates'*s
" Deathj and the Battle of Mantinea.
" Socrates
u
u
y
34 AVietv of Dr.'Etnt\Qy''sy and
" Socrates was put to Death, Oljmp. 95.1.
when Laches was Magilhrate. This
is univerfally acknowledgM ; See Dio-
doruSy Favormus, Dwg, Laert. Arijli-
deSy Marmor Arund. Eufeb. Argument.
Jfocrat. Bufir. S(C. Dijfert.p.gg.
u
ic
U
u
I do not find, that it is univerfally
acknowledg'd, that Socrates died Oljmp.
95. 1. Suidas fays, That he was born
Olymp. 77. and liv'd §0 Years, according
to which account he died Oljmp. 97. The
Chronicon Alexand. makes him to have
died Oljmp. 104.1. about which Time
the Battle of Mantinea was according to
the Docfor. Even fome of thefe whom
the Do£lor here alledges for his being
put to Death, Oljmp. 9$. i. do not ac-
knowledge it. Eufebius in Edit. Par if.
and Baftl. with Pontacus\ fets his Death
Olymp. 95. 3. in Edition, Oljmp.
95. 2. The Marmor Arund. (if Mr. Sel-
den computes right) fets it Olymp. 94. 4.
In Argument. Bufr. ap. Ifocrat. 'tis only
faid that Socraies di^ Laches being Ar-
chony there is no mention of Oljmp. 95. i.
The fame may be faid of Arijfdes.
There are then only two of all thefe
whom the Doflor names, that fay plain-
ly that he died Oljmp. 95. i. As to Her-
mippusy he doth not fay that Socrates writ
an
lit
Mr, BoyleV Diffeitations, &c. 15
5.1. an Encomium of Gryllus being Dead,
Dis he only fays in general, that he writ an
Dw. Encomium of him., which he might do
(n|i. while Gryllus was living,
w,
" We have it from good Hands
" Laert. in Socrate^ Argum. Ifocrat. Bufirl)
rfalk " that Euripides, in a Play of his, call'd
Oljof. " Palamedes, ufing thefe Words, 'E&yir'
sbon; ^c. defign'd to lafh
ordinj " the Athemans for Socrates''^ Murther,
Tk " and the whole Theatre perceiving it
ks " burft into Tears. Socrates therefore
Tin!: " died before Euripides. But 'tis well
Jffigti " known that the later died Six Years
wka " before Laches was Archon. DiJJert.
tck " p. ICO.
not at.
fn - The DoHor might well infer from
Deai that which Diogenes Laert. affirms, touch-
Ok ing Euripides lafhing the Athenians for
jr. % the Murther of Socrates, that (if he re-
ally did fo) was Murther'd be-
,onl( fore the Death of Euripides. And yet
^ jr . Philochorus in the fame Diogenes Laertius
fays the quite contrary, Tliat Euripides
died before Socrates. Mufl: we not then
t/iefr conclude that there is no certain Conjlat
plain, whether of them died fooner ? But the
//ff.. DojTor fays. That Euripides died Six
wii Years before Laches Archon, and fo
^6 A View of Dr. BentleyV, and
Six Years before Socrates^ who died in
the Time of Laches's Magiftracy. To
which I anfwer, 'Firft, The uncertainty
of the Time of Socrates's Death hath
been already manifefted. Secondly, It
is not certain that Euripides died Six
Years before Laches was Archon. If La-
ches was Archon Oljmp. 95. i. (as the
Doftor makes him to have been ) accord-
ing to Eufebiusy Euripides died above Six
Years before his Magiftracy, for he fets
his Death Olymp. 92. 4. and the Marmor
Arund. (according to Mr. Selden's com-
putation) agrees with Eufebius. But the
Chronicon Alex, differs from them both,
placing Euripides's Death Olymp. 94.
(not 6, but) only Two Years before
Laches's being Archon, fuppofing that to
have been Olymp. 95. i. Diodorus Sic.
I. II. faying. That Apollodorus fets the
Death of Euripides Olymp. 93. (Six
Years before Laches's being Archon') and
withal, That others make him to have
dy'd a little before thofe Times, plainly
bears Teftimony to the uncertainty of
the time of his Death.
" Palamedes was afted Olymp. 91. i.
" (^JElian Var. Htfi. 2.1. Schol. Ariftoph.
" p. 401.) which is Sixteen Years befori^
Laches, Dijfert. p. 100.
If
Mr.BoyleV Differtations, drc.
ed in' If Palamedes was aQ:ed after the Mur-
To' ther of Socrates, then it was not adfed
Olymp. 91. I. unlefs we will fay that So-
iW crates dy'd before the time. But the
If, It Do6lor fays, That ive have it from good
J Sx Handsy that Euripides in his Palamedes
[f L deftgrdd to lajJo the Athenians for SocratesV
as tk Murther, and then it muft be a£ted after
iccori' it. And it cannot be prov'd either from
OVoSb Ml tan or SchoL Arifoph. that Palamedes
liefc was 2idiQ.diOlymp. 91, i. vE/m;? fpeaks of
km Palamedes (not/. 2. c. i. but) /. 2. 8.
i com. and as to the time of its being aded, his
Buttk Words are nv Tfcinv inny
1 boti; of which nothing can be made; and
the Latin hath Olympiade prima fupra
befoK oclogefimam. The Scholiafts Words are
thatlt J'i Av ^
as k <Pit)jkyfiiroT. But how it can be
tk ' concluded from them that Palamedes was
, afted Olymp.gi. i. I know not. So that
. until it can be made to appear from other
; Authors when it was aded, it muft re-
,^51' main uncertain.
it\' k'
According to moft Chronologers,
" Euripides was about Seventy, and by
" the moft favourable account above
Sixty, when Archelaus came to the
" Crown. Dtjfert.p. i^i.
jj Here
A View of Dr. BentleyV, A^d
Here the Doftor plainly declares the
uncertainty of Eurf ides*s Age, when
ArcheUus came to the Crown, fince ac-
cording to him moft Chronologers fay.
That he was about Seventy, but others
only that he was above Sixty. Further
we have no certainty as to the Time of
ArcheUush coming to the Crown, Athe-
n£us, I. 5,/. 217. (the very Place alledg'd
by the Doftor in his Margin) feems to
fay plainly. That it was in the Third
Year of the Peloponneftan War, but Eu'
febtus will have it to have been fooner,
'viz. at the beginning of that War. And
the time of the beginning of that War
is not exaflily agreed and ietled. Diodo-
rus Sic. I. 12. and the
refer it to Oljmpsad 87. 2. but Eufehius
to Oljnip. 87. I. and not Eufebius only,
but alfo ThucjdideSj who writes'the Hi-
ftory of that War, for he makes it tO'"
have begun when Pjthodorus was Archon.,
now he was Archon Ol^mp. 87. i< accord-
ing to Diodorus Sic. I. 12. and the
(ivetyia<ph. Pliny, c.i. fays,
it begun a trecentefimo nofir<e urbis Anno,
but ctrcA Annum fere trecentefimum 'vicefi-
mum tertium, fays A. Gellius, I. ij. c. 21.
Now if we follow either Eufebiush or
Athenaus^s account of the Time of Ar-
thelAus\ coming to the Crown, Euripides
could
Mr, BoyleV Diflertations, &c.
ik could not be at that time either about
sb Seventy, or above Sixty Years of Age.
lii- According to Diog. Laertius in Socrate^
Euripides was born Olymp^ 75* ^od ac-
tfiera cording to Eufebius''s account, ArcheUus
,rtta came to the Throne Olymp. 87. i. njiz,.
Edf Forty Eight Years after; fo that as C/f-
Ai mens Alex. Strom. 1. fays. That there
were Forty Eight Years between Xerxes''^
srott Paffage into Greece (at which time Euri-
Tliiri' is faid to have been born) and the
uih- beginning of the Peloponnefim War, fo
[m. by this account, Euripides was only the
I, AY Age of Forty Eight Years, at the begin-
itWi' ning of Archelaus''s Reign. According
Ptuii. to Athen£us''s account, ArcheUus fucceed-
iijjKti ed in the Kingdom when Epxmeinon was
Archon^ i. e. (according to the
jonl?. Oljmp.Sj. Epaminondas (who
was Archon Oljmp. 87. 4. according to
Dwdorus Sic. 1.12.) is believ'd to be the
fame with Athenaus^s EpAmeinon. Now
scroll- ^Tom Olymp. 75. i. (the Year of Euripi-
tilt des'*s Birth) to Olymp. 87.4. are no more
J {jtt. than Fifty One Years, which are far fhort
^ 0^ , of about Seventy.^ or above Sixty.
tt'iffji-
( 21, ' Notwithftanding that the DoQor fays,
,'5 01 That according to the mofl Chronologers^
f Pi- Euripides rvas about Seventy when Arche-
hus came to the Croivny yet after all, in
id his
A Vim of Dr. BentleyV^ and
his Margin he only names Died. Sicul. &
alios apud Athen. I. 5. 217. But he had
ddne well if he had direded us to the
place in Diod. Suul. where he gives this
account of Euripides^s Age; for my part
I defpair of finding any fuch. And as
to Athenaus^ in all that 217. to which
we are refer'd there is no mention of
Euripides. I grant that, there is an ac-
count of the time o( Archelaus^s fucceed-
ing Perdiccas; but it is fuch as makes
not for the Doctor's purpofe, but wholly
againfi: him, as I have juft now declar'd.
And now that I name Perdiccas, what
can make more toward the manifefting
the uncertainty of Chronology, than
that which Athenaus in that very place
obferves, touching the wonderful Dif- ,
xord that there is about the number of
Years that Perdiccas Reign'd ? Nicomedes
Acanthius (fays he) gives him Forty One
Tears, Theopompus Thirty Five, Anaxi-
menes Forty, Hieronymus Twenty Eight,
Marfyas Philochorus Twenty Three:
Thus Athenaus. The accounts of the
Time that Perdiccas Reign'd being fo
various, it muft be more difficult to
affign the Time of Archelaus'^s fucceed-
ing him.
I
.jakifli
kldiin':
licween
■jl m n
.Correci
IW
■Iks C!
|ie Fik
■I
Mtprai
ippro
iJtioil,
[e ai
fj
ppOD, t
\m^
1,
fhat
I know
few
Mr. Boyle's Diirertations, &c. 41
I know that a Learned Critick
takes upon him to corred Athen^us,
making him to fet the Time of Ar-
cheltus's coming to the Crown much
later than it is in our Copies. But
if this was fo that he fet it later, it
would make the difference greater
between Eufebius and him. Withal,
I am not fatisfy'd with this Criticks
Corredion or Alteration, for Firflr,
1 find that the a'yaypcip!}
agrees exadly with our Copies of
■..Athenaus^ placing the beginning of
ArcheUus's Reign in the 3d Year of
the Pelopomejim War, when Epamei"
non was Archon. Secondly, He doth
not produce the Authority of any
approved Copies to warrant his Aite-
ration. Thirdly, He doth not al-
ledge any ancient Hiftorian, that
fays exprefly that Archelaus begun his
Reign that Year which he pitcheth
upon, viz. Olymp. 93. 3- He only in-
fers this from the Words of Diodorus
Sic. 1.14. whom he makes to fay.
That Archelaus dy'd Olymp. 95. 2.
having Reign'd Seven Years; and if
both thefe be true, that he Reign'd
Seven Years and no more, and dy'd
Olymp. 9$. 2. the beginning of his
D Reign
/
42 ^ View of Dr. Bcntley'j, ■a?7d
Reign mult be placed Oljmp. 93.
But not to take notice that this Cri-
tick miftakes the Year of ArcheUus's
Death (for Dtodorus Stc. fets it not
Olymp. 95. 2. but 95-1-) the fame
Dtodorus /. i^. relates, Th.d.t Archelaus
King of the Mucedonians befieg'd Pyd-
m^OLymp. 3. therefore he was King
then, and how long before that time
we know not.
brel
khit
It appears then that there is no a-
greement, either as to the time how
long Perdiccas Reign'd, or as to the
time when Jnhelaus fucceeded, or as
to Euripidesh Age at the time of his
fucceeding, but they are all uncer-
tain.
iereis
iitei
Ipoteii;
3005 31
735. P'
kTO
TO.]
'liiijiWi
) leforeCi
PUnudes lived about 2000 Years
after Afop. Differt. p, 14-9.
■'liQffii
fldjtl
The Doftor doth well in uling this ■
cautious Exprellion About 2000 Tears^
for unlefs we could be aflur'd both
when jEfopy and when Plamdes lived,
we cannot be certain how long the
one lived after the other. The Doftor
in his Margin (from good Authority
without doubt) makes Plamdes to
have
kjcc
krE
i(h
2tac
Sidis
U^i
X
Mr. Boyle'/ DilTertations, &c.
have lived J. D. 1370. but others re-
fer him to J. D. 1340. and have per-
haps as good Authority for fo doing.
And as we are thus uncertain how
long PUnudes lived after Chrift, fo
there is no certainty how long Mfop
was before him. SuiJas fays, he was
before Pjth^goras., but Heraclides de
Politiis makes him to have been fa-
mous at the Time when Pythagoras
was. Plutarch in yit. Solon. & in fep-
tern Sapientum convivio^ relates, That
he was very much in the favour of
King Crtrfusy as alfo what pafs'd be-
tween Solon and him, when Solon had
incurr'd Crcefus''s Difpleafure; but Eu-
febius will have him to have been (lain
before Craefus'^s coming to the Monar-
chy. For according to Crw"
fus came to the Crown Oljmp. 54. 2.
and Aifop was flain either 54. i.
(for fo ScaligePs Edition hath it, and
that account feems to be follow'd by
Suidas') or Olymp, 53. 4. as it is in 0-
ther Editions. And as to the Birth
of Chrift, he fets it Olymp. 194. 3. fo
that accorc(ing to him, ALfop dy'd not
much above 560 Years before it. But
if we follow Plutarch J we muft place
JEfoph Death later, viz. in the time
D 2 of
4?
A View of Dr. Bentley\% md
of Crafus's Reign, and then there
were not fo many Years between it^)
and our Savious's Birth; and if we
follow thofe Eminent Chronologers
that will not allow that ther& were ^
above 490 Years between the firft Year \
of C}rus and our Saviour's Death, we < '
muft ftill diminifh the number of
Years from JEfofs Death to the Birth
of our Saviour, and fay. That there
were not compleat 500 Years from
the one to the other. By this it ap-
pears. That there is not any certainty
how long jEfop lived before Chrift, D1
any more than there is how long Plx-
ftudes lived after him ; but tho' we
take the extream accounts, and fup-
more than 560 Years before our Lord's i
Nativity, and the other 1370 Years-i
after, yet the whole time will fall
confiderably fhort of 2000 Years.
pofe the one to have lived fomewhat
A View fi
i' M'.'EoyleV DiiTertations, &c.
thtt
ttn i;
ilwi
Jogt A
irv IE w
iber t
tU O F T H E
;t examination
' O F T ri E
md:-
ciie dissertation
S UPON THE
2 EPISTLES
rki Q P
ok
Phalaris^ ThemiHocles. &c.
part. II.
4leucus we are fure was a Fy-
^ ^ J thagorean, Porgh. in vita, Pyth.
Vief " /'• *5^ Diod. Sic. I. 12, />. 84,
Thus Mr. Boyle, /». 5^.
D J If
46 A View of Dr. BentleyV, and,
If this be certain, we muft con-
fefs that the Time both of the Ma-
Iter's and of the Scholar's flourifhing
is moft uncertain. The Scholar Zj-
leticus.^ is by Eufebius in Chron. refer'd
to Ofmp. 2g. yet the M2i^er Pjthago-
rasy is both by the fame Eufebius^ and
by leveral other Authors placed
much later. And there are others
who make Zjleucus very ancient, as
well as Eufebius doth, particularly
Clemens Alex. Strom, i. who writes,
That %j.leucus was reported to be the
firft Lawgiver, and that he receiv'd
his Laws from Minerva; the later
of which he confirms by the Tefti-
mpny of C ham Aeon Heracleotes and
Arijlotle : And I add, That Valerius
Maximus^ I. i. c. 2. fays the fame, Zj-
leucus fub nomine Minervn apud Lo-
crenfes prudenttffimus habitus ejt. But
it will not be an eafie Task to re-
concile this account to that of Diog.
Laertius in Vit. Pjithagora^ who, tho'
he fays exprefly. That Pythagoras was
Zjileucush Maftcr, yet fets Pythagoras\
flourifhing as late as Olymp. 60. above
120 Years after the Time that his
Scholar Zj-leucus was fo much cele-
brated
IS
Mr, BoyleV Diflertations, &c, 47
brated among the Locrians according
to Eufebius.
" Inftead of Oljmp. 37. he means,
" I fuppofe, Oljmp. 58. as 'tis in Ea-
" febius I'll fuppofe 17a falfe
'' Print. Thus Mr. 118.
When Dr. Bentley^ Dijfert. p. 14.
fays, That according to Eufebius^
PhaUriPs Tyranny ended Olymp. 37.
Mr. Boyle is fo Ingenuous as to fup-
pofe, That by the Printers Miftake,
Olymp. 37. is put for Olymp. 38. But
when the fame Honourable Perfon
adds, That it is Olymp. 38. in Eufe-
bius^ it is manifeft, That lie follows
ScdtgePs Edition of his Chronicle,
for in other Editions, it is not Olymp.
38. but Olymp. 39. as in that of
A.D. 1512. and that of Bap^ J. D,
1570. and Poft(acus''s; fo that it is
altogether uncertain to what Olympiad
Eufebius refers the end of Phalaris^s
Tyranny, as it is likewife uncertain
to what Year Eufebius refer'd the be-
ginning of it, whether to Olymp. 31.2.
according to ScaligePs Edition, or to
Olymp, 31.4. according to the other.
P 4 " Page
u
ii
ti
a
u
A Viem of Dr. BentleyV, and
Page I ^th, he fays, Xerxesh Ex-
pedition wasO^w/'. 73. Page 85th,
1 e fays, the very next Olympiad af-
ter Xf'JffPs Expedition, Hiero-Wds
" in the Throne; and quotes Diodo-
rus (11. />. 39.) for it: Where we
read. That Hiero came to the
Crown Olymp. 75. Therefore
here Dr. Bentley is of Opinion,
That Xerxes\ Expedition was in
the 74th Olympiad. And yet if Dio-
dorus is to be believ'd, Xerxes Ex-
pedition was neither in the 73d,
nor 74th, but 75th Thus
Mr.Boyle^ p.iic).
}fr
riifli
ill tof
((
CC
((
it
Here (if I miftake not) are two
falfe Prints, one in Mr. Boyle, another
in Dr. Bentley. In Mr. Boyle, the
Printer hath put Page 13 inftead of
Page 24, for it is in his Differt. p. 24.
that Dr. Bentley fpeaks of Xerxes''s Ex-
pedition. In Dr. Bemley, I conceive,'
1 hat by the Printers fault, Olymp. 73,
is put inftead of Olymp. I fome-
wiiat fufpefted this before, but am
now fully confirm'd in it by con-
fidering, Firft, That I cannot meet
with any Author that refers Xerxes's
Expedition to Olymp. 73. and then
Secondly,
lOlVdO
:f/s E
in the
he Mc
?al2f
It'll to
here (
hilt for
Games
toDioi
in an
Toco
epic
iMco
ing;
dljir
Mr. BoyleV Differtations, &c. 49
iEs- , Secondly, That the very fame Hifto-
rian, who is alledg'd by Dr. Bent ley ^
ik{- Dijf. 85. to prove that Hiero was
d\V2s in the Monarchy the very next 0-
liok. lymf. after Xerxes*s Expedition (viz..
re^iie Dwd. Sit.) piaceth Xerxes^s Expedi-
otk tion Olymf. 75. Suppofing then as I
:refors now do, That Dr. Bentley makes Xer-
jm ocej's Expedition to have been (not
wast in the y^d, but) in the 75th
if B pad^ then it is mod: true, That ac-
as El- cording to Diod. Sic. Hiero was in
the Monarchy the very next Olytn-
.Tk pad after it, viz. Olymp 76. And
it is to be obfervM, That Dr. Bentley
here (DiJf. p 85.) doth not take
retwi Olympiad for the fpace of Four Years,
aootk but for the time when the Olympick
le tk Games were celebrated ; and if we
yf underftand it thus, Hicro according
to Diod. Sic. was not in the Throne
;f/sEi io any Olympiad before the 76th.
mm To conclude this, from Dr. Bentlefs
quoting Diod. Sic. 1 infer that his
fooij. meaning is. That Hiero was in the
Monarchy Olymp. 76th, and that be-
iPCflD- according to him the very next
•meet Olympiad after Xerxesh Expedition, it
follows that with Diod. Sic. he refers
that Expedition to Oljmp. 75. But
5o A View of Dr. Bentley's, a^d
then I have Ihew'd in the former
part of this View, that there are who
differ from Diod.Sk. as to the Time
of it, and fo nothing can be certain-
ly concluded concerning it. I have
fhew'd there alfo, that it is uncer-
tain when Hiero came to the Mo-
narchy.
** He begins his Chronological
Obfervations with the • JEras of
fome Cities; a very flippery Foun-
dation to build an Argument up-r
on: For all thefe Cities are fo very
ancient, that it would puzzle a
good Chronologer to trace their
Originals. The olded Hiftorians
now Extant had but very (lender
Memoirs of thofe Times, and ac-
cordingly we find their Accounts
fo confus'd and contradictory, that
none fhould pretend to draw De-
monftrations from 'em. I hear the
famous Mr. Dodwell is now Print-
ing fome LeCtures at Oxford, in
which he fhews how very obfcure
and uncertain the Hiftories of thofe
Ages are ; and that from the con-
currence of thofe rude Accounts he
meets with, he hath made it pro-
bable
Mr. Boyle'i' Diflcrtations, &c. 51
nier bable, That PhaUris muft be
ybo brought much lower than even St,
Itt " Hieronie places him I hear
tain- Mr. Dodwe/l brings PhaUris down
We to Oljmp, 70. Mr. Bojle^f. 120. and
n®. 154.
Mo-
Here Mr. Boyle bears Teftimony
fo plainly and fully to the uncertain-
ogical ty of Chronology, that a cleai er Evi-
u ol dence cannot be defired. Eufebius
m fets the beginning of PhaUris''s Ty-
It up- ranny, Olyrftp. ^i. ^t. Hierome brings
overt h down to Olymp. 52. or 5 5. Mr. Dod-
zzk 1 rvell thinks it muft be plac'd ftill lower,
[ha; viz,. Oljmp. 70.
orra
lender " Thucydides fays, That AnaxiUus
ndac- " beat out the SamUns from
;ounti " cle^ and call'd it Mejfana; but
" fixes the Time of this Adion
)j ft. no otherwife than only by faying,
utk 'Twas /io^- Long after the Samians
Print- " Medes paJfe/sA it.
in " Dr. Bentley calls this Xerxes Expe-
dition, as if the Medes Inad never
[jjdfi; " made an incurfion upon Grtwi?, till
(OH- " the time of Xerxes. What Hero-
jlje " dotas fays, /. 6. is fo far from be-
pto- " ing the fame with Th(icydides''s
ible " 1' Story,
52 A VievD of Dr. BentleyV, and
Story, that it contradiQ:s it; for hq
fays, not that Anaxilaus expell'd
the Samians from Zj.ncle^ but that
" he afhfted 'em to take it. That
Anaxilaus chang'd the name of
Zj^ncle into Mejfana^ is agieed be-
" tween Dr. Bentley and me ; the
only Queftion is about the Date
of this Change. Thucydides fixes
upon no Date: Diodorus places the
Death of one Anaxilaus in the
76th Olympiad^ but does not fay
" this was the Anaxilaus that nam'd
Mejfana. Herodotus in the place
" cited, fays nothing about the change
" of the Names, but tells a ftory of
the Samians feizing Z^nclSy a lit-
" tie after Miletus was taken; and '
" all the ground that we have from
this Paffage of Herodotus, to con-
" elude the change of the Name
" Zjncle into Mejfana, to have hap-
" pen'd after this Time, is his calling
the City Xancle, and not Mejfana
" throughout this Story: Which, I
think, proves nothing more, than
" that the old Name was not yet fo
utterly abolifh'd, but that it was
call'd indifferently either Zjncle or
Mejfana ftill. So that hitherto we
" have
iC
Mr. BoyleV Differtations, &c.
have had no direct and pofitiveTe-
" itimony about the Time of Z.ancle's
changing its Name. Mr. Boyle^
p. 127,128, 129.
All this manifeftly declares how un-
certain Herodotus, Thucydides, and D/-
odorus Sic. leave us, as to the Time
of the name ZAncle^ its being ex-
chang'd for Meffam; fo that there is
no need of making any Remarks up-
on it.
5?
u
ic
u
u
u
u
c(
it
ci
Paufamas is the only Author,
that fpeaks fully up to the Point:
and he exprefly affirms this to have
happen'd in the 29th Olympiad, and
tells the ftory with a great deal of
Solemnity and Circumllance.
Againft an indirett and dubious
Proof, built chiefly on a difputable
Paflage in Herodotus, we have the
exprefs and full and undoubted Au-
thority of Paufamas. Mr. Boyle,
p. 129. and 151.
Tho' Herodotus, Thucydides, and
Diod. Sic. leave us uncertain as to the
Time of the change of the Name,
yet it feems in Mr. Boyle'^s Judgment,
we
54 of Dr. Bentley V, aud
wc may rely upon the undoubted
Authority of PaiifaniaSy and conclude
certainly that it was Olympic^. But
I crave leave to queftion, whether
we can rely fo certainly upon Pauf*-
nias's Authority in this cafe. For,
Firft, Tho' Thucydides doth not fix
the Time of the change of the Name
any otherwife than by faying, That
it was not long after the Samians flying
from the Medes, pojfejpd Zancle: Yet
this is fuflicient to make us doubt of
Paufanias'^s Aifertion, that it happened
Olyrnp. 29. unlefs feme Records can
be produc'd, which may certifie us,
That the Medes made any Incurfion
upon Greece fo early as before that 0-
lympiad. Secondly, when Herodotus.,
/. 7. 165. mentions the change of
the Name, he is fpeaking of things
done about the time of Xerjcw's Ex-
pedition ; now is it not Ifrangc that
he fhould fpeak of it fo late, if the
change was made (as Paufanias fets
it) Olymp. 29. i.e. about 180 Years
before ? Efpecially when he had oc-
cafion to fpeak of Xynele before;
Thirdly, Mr. Boyle., p. 1^0. makes
Paufamas to differ from Herodotus, and
to reje£t his Teftimony concerning
the
Mr. Boyle'j Differtations, &c. 5 5
the Age of AmxiUus\ now if the
Name was chang'd from Zj-ncle to
■g Meffana. in his Time (as they fay it
, was) from their differing as to the
' 5 Age in which AnaxiUus liv'd, it muft
T follow, that they alfo difterM as to
p' the Time when the change of the
. ^ Name was made. Now whatever
r!® Paufamas's Authority may be in other
. things, I queftion whether it is fuch,
as that we can certainly rely upon
g him, when two fuch Hiftorians as
, Herodotus and Thucydides differ from
. him. I may add. That if Diodorus
Sic. who places the Death of one A-
naxilaus Olymp. 76. fpeaks of tlie Amx-
iUus that nam'd Meffamy he alfo dif-
fers from Paufamas.
cm
ige d a jn t;]^e 29th Olympudy when Chi'
^'"5? " onis won the Prize the fecond time.
" Mr. Boy/e, />. 129.
■jfk y X 7
It is true, that Paufamas in Mef-
^ ® femcts, p. 134. hath thefe very "W ords,
and yet afterward in the fame Page
"I"''' he fays, That Xenophon the Cor in-
thtan won the Prize in the 29th 0-
vv ijrnpiad ; fo that I know not how to
reconcile him to himfelf, unlefs by
iing putting
tlis
56 JTien) of Dr. BentleyV, and .
putting a difference between -uj
raf ivinf w' ♦<xoriiJ» & 'ura riy
iv<iviy OavjuWa. siWi/. He ufeth the -iCi;
former Words concerning the hn
later concerning Xenophon ; and the fa
later we muft tranflate (not /», but) rojii
Jhut the 2gth Olympiad. But then jH/f
what is the meaning of Jhout the ja'
2gth Olympiad? If it be faid that his
meaning is, That Xenophon was Viclor '
in the next Olympiad to it, 'viz. the
30th, I ask why did he not plainly -^gl
fay fo ? Befides, Paufanias in Arcadi-
cis, p. 269. fays (not that Xenophon^
but) Chionis was Viftor the third
iapi
time in the 30th Olympiad. Here I .ion
might alfo obferve. That Paufanias
agrees not with himfelf as to the Time jji;
when Miltiades was Archon. In Mef-
femcis, p. 134. he fays it was in the
29th Olympiad.^ in which Chionis won
the Prize the 2d time; but in Area-
dicis, p. 269. he fays it was in the 2d
Year of the 30th Olympiad., in which ii,,,;
Chionis won it the 3d time.
Ipe
" The moft Eminent Chronolo-
" gers, and Men beft vers'd in thefe 4^]^
Things, fall in with this account of |([j^
!! P'i^faftias, Vbbo Emmius follows it
in
10 f
Mr. BoyleV DifTertations, &c. 57
, ■ /'V in his Hiftory of ancient Greece, 1.1.
18. Ljdiat^ in his Notes on the
KHfte « Cljromcoft Marmoreum, Jof. Scaliger^
tk. « in his Animadverfions upon Eufe-
p tk « p. 27. and in his 'ApAy^a^H
i», bat): <£ 'okvi/.tiaAvfo does Petavius too,
ktbffi " Temp. par. 1. p. ^8. and Meiir-
im tet« L 2. c. 23. Mr. Bojle,
itnatlii|« ft jnQ jn
Mk[ ^ ^ ^
m. tk Sncii Eminent Chronologers fol-
[plainl) lowing Paufanias'^s account of the time
\kili- of the change of the Name frorn
hicfk,' %j,ncLe to Meffana., fome Perfons may
lie tW' be apt to look upon it as certain i
But on the other fide, I fay, Firlf,
'lufim: Suppofe it true. That they do all fol-
leTini! low his account, yet if they do not
h-W'^ alledge fome other ancienr Hifltorian
IS in tk; that agrees with it, it fignifies little ;
wwoEtfor it depends upon Paufanias''s fole
in Authority ftill. Secondly, It doth
1 tk 2(1 not appear that they follow it. Vhbo
w'M' Er/imias, in his firil Book mentions
Mejfam, but of the change of the
(Name from Zjncle to Meffam (as far
'0lo- as I perceive) he fays nothing. In
itlieft his7th Book, hefpeaksof the change
untO) of the Name, but is wholly filent
Dwsii as to the Time of it. I add, that in
" ill K his
58 " A View of Dr. Beiitley's, dftd
his firft Book he quotes Paufamas,^^
when he is fpeaking of the Arcades,^ .
and the fecond Mejjenian War; but,.^^
certainly we cannot conclude hence,''''.
that he follow'd Paufanias'^s account® t
of the Time, when the new Name ,
Meffana. was given to the City, which
was before call'd Xj-nde. Scdiger both
in his Ammadverfions, p. (mihi) 21.'
and in his Ohuj.-^ilJ'av ^if that ,
be his) refers the change of the Name'"'®''
to Oljimp. ^o. not to Oljmp. 29. as®®
^ Paufmias doth. Petavius agrees not'^1 ,
either with Paufanias or Scdiger, but'f" ■
as Scdiger fixes the Time latter than'"")
Patifanias, fo Petavius fets it fooner, '"?^
•viz,. Olymp.i']. See him, de Docirim^\
Temper am, /. and in Rat. Temp:H"
far. 1.1.1. c.%. pylearfius is fo far froni|'!'^'^
agreeing with Paufanias, that he"""''
plainly fliews how little Paufanias is,
at agreement with himfelf ; and he')^'^
takes upon him to correQ: Paufanias^'^
inftead of following him. LydUt oikt
ly remains, and if by his Notes on')^^'
the Chronicon Marmoreum, Mr.
means the Not^c PUjlorictz ad Chronicot^
Marmoreum., I grant that he doth falf
in with Paafanias^s account. To con-
elude then, fince none of thefe Mo-
dern
ml A/r, Boyle'j Diflertations, 59
Pwfat Chronologers (except Lj/dtat) do
with Paufania^^ and fince the
|j ancient Hiftorians, Herodotus and Thu-
deagree with him, what
's certainty as to the Time
the City had the new Name
given it?
y/j; " Diodorus in his 14th Book fays,
That fome Sicilians planted them-
tlieNV" f^ives upon Taurus, and from their
i.| " fettlement there, call'd the place
jjjjjjj," they built Tauromenium : In the-
16th Book he fays. That about
lai? Forty Years after this, Jndroma-
it foor' planted fome of the old Nax-
leDair' Taurus, and from his
j-j/' long ftay there, calPd the place
ibjirfr" ^vhere he planted them Taurome-
tht" Mr. B^/e, /». 152.
Here this Honourable Perfon ob-
p f ferving. That Diodorus plainly gives
J accounts of the Time rvhen
^^^theplace rvasnam^d TdiXxvom^mum, and
contradi^ory one to the other, fays
i, ..^-jfnough lo.fatisfie us of the Incertitude
Ir "There
y
j/A
do J View of Dr. Bentley'^, and „
• 'W
" There was a River Tauromemus
(if Vibius Seque(ber is to be credited,
who fays the I'owu had its Name
" from thence) before there was
Tmromenimn. }Ar.Bo)le^ 135. -^ytQjii
Here the Time when the Town .,jjjj,
was firftcall'd Taurome/iium, is made^^ jp
ftill more uncertain ; for If it had_),i
, p , ^ . rr- P»5 ^
Its name rrom the River 1 ^
nius^ it might have it long before the
former of the Times mention'd
Diodorus Sic. j.,.
^Clibk dvU
Diomedes Grammaticus, I. 3. die ; y
Scholia ft. of Jrijfophmcs in ]_,jj
*' gom. and Clemens jdlexandrinus S!'ro."n,'
" I. attribute the invention of
raedy to SuJ^rion. But that he was^ j,
not the inveiuer of it, the Chroni-
con Mar more um does more than in-""'!!!!
" timate, when it fays only of him,
That he ftrft erecied a Stage in'
<1. k
Athens.^ to Aft Comedies uponJ';^'^
cc
if
Mr. Boyle P.\±i.
All this tends direftly to manifeft' 4
the uncertainty of the Time when;®
Comedy was invented. The Autho-®n
ritv of Clemens Alex, with the other^®
two,
m
Mr. Boyle'j" DiiTertations, &c.
two, aiBrming, That Sufarion was
the inventer of it, is oppos'd to that'
of the Marm. Jnind. which more
•g than intimates, That it was invented
. before Sufano/j, and attributes this
only to him. That he eredded a Stage
Athens.^ to AO; Comedies upon.
istiiBut then fuppofe it was ceitain,
'•j-TThat it was not invented before .SV
Time, and that he was the
r • 1 • 1
I r inventer or it, what certainty have
LiSve of the Time when Sujarion liv'd ?
All that Mr. Bojle can fay of it, is,
That according to the Marble, his
, erefting a Stage at Athens mufi be be-
\Jore the Tjrcifinj of Pifilf ratus, and that
y^^^^^thofe Learned Men, vAjo have taken pains
fto ilUifrate that Chronicle^ have by the
^ concurrence of other Hiftories plainly
^Kyfjeivn^ That the Time oj Sufario mufi
fall between the 6\oth and afifih Tear
before Chrifi. Thus Mr. Boyle, p. 140,
'1141. Jkit by the Printers fault 489
put inftead of 589. This will ap-
^'''^pear, if we confuit Lydiat^s Annota-
tions upon the Chronicon iMarrnoreum^
^^^i^Epoch. 40. where his Words SLrQ'Sufa-
ic wl
according to Lydiat. l:he Martn. Arund.
■ E 5 makes
M
in Pfi-
rion innuitur claruijfe inter annum610.
iand 589. ante Evangeliurn^ So that
J View of Dr. Bentley'j, md
makes Sufarion to have flourifh'd be-
tween the 6ioth, and 589th Year 'Oy
(not before Chrift, but) before the
Gofpel, i. e. before the Time of the
firft Preaching, or Publifhing of
Gofpel. In the Not£ HiJloric£ ad Chro-
nicon Marmoreum^ Epoch, ^o. we read
thus, Sufarionem inter Olympiadem 50.
and 540. JloruiJfe indie at mutilum Mar-
mor ; but 540. is by the fault of the
Prefs inftead of fomething elfe, per-
haps inftead of 54. for as Mr. SeldenW'
computes the Marm. Arund. fets ^ufa-
rion between Olymp. 49. 3. 2^\A0lymp.'^^'\
54.4. All this while Sufarion*s Time
is made to depend-upon the fole
thority of the Marm. Arund. if there
be Learned Men, who have by the grat
concurrence of other Hiftories plainly ;lget
fhewn. That the Time of Sufario^^%
muft fall between the Years which Tb
Ljidiat mentions: As Mr.Boyle doth notislsffli
tell us who they are, fo I have not^miiity
feen them.
/S'Solo
" If there are feveral material Cir-l^lr.i
cumftances that difparage this one
" Witnefs's Teftimony; if he liv'd 1);^.
" at a great diftance from the Time
he writes of; if he fpeaks by re- feb
port
W Mt. Boyle'/ Diflertations, &c.
lli'd k port and hearfay only, without
vouching any Authority; if he ex-
:fore ti " prelTes himfelf, fo that we have
le of ft " room to doubt, whether we know
^oft!> " his Mind ; or fhould we know his
'.iiOni " Mind, yet if he contradifts himfelf
were" immediately afterward: I fay, if
Aj:" thefe things appear againft him,
ilmiithen this one Witnefs is fo far from
sit oft:'' being as good as a Multitude, that
is, pe" he is as good as none. Mr.
km" p. 148.
indOlii', Mr. Bojle fays all this of Athenms^
®'sfir and both in this, and in the fix Pages
following, makes it his Bufinefs to
Demonftrate, how little credit is to
•e bf! be given to his Teftimony concerning
espte the Age in which Thericles liv'd, and
fiY/to which we owe the invention of
jrsfffethe Thericlean Cup;" fo that more
Mi: "^®ds not be faid to manifeft the un-
^ve 11^ certainty of it.
" Solo/f was JrcJx>n Oljmp, 46.
jj^CrMr. Boj/e^ p. 166.
this oc'
y: Dwg. Laertius alledged by Mr. Bojk
Jiff in his Margin, fays, That Solon was
y^ Archon Oljmp, 46. ,if we may be-
f B 4 lieve
1
J Vierv of Dr. Bentley V, and
lieve Softerates^ So'
fcrates is followed alfo in the
avtyejfipn. But what fhall we fay then
to Tattanus Or at. con. Gr^ecos in fin.
who makes Solon to have been Archon
I
flu
HJPI'
ml w
about the 40th Oljmpiad, and toA.„
Gellius.. who makes him to have writ i'®®
his Laws about the 49th Olympiads
Now as Dioz. Laertius in Solon, ob-
o
ferves, He writ his Laws when he *
W2iS Archon. The Words of A. Gel-
lius, I. ly.c. 11. arethefe, Solonem ac-;\'^^
cepimus, unum ex illo nohili numero Sa-
fientum.^ leges fcripfitfifie Athenienfitum
Tarquinio Prifco Roma regnante anno
regni ejus tricefimo & tertio. Now if ^
Tarquinius Pnfcus begun his Reign llf
Oljmp. 0^1.2. (as Dionyfius Halicarnaf- toLr?
fasts., I. 3. fays he did) his 33d Year fet
mulf be Olymp. 49. 3. Mr. Boyle's Mar- ^ Ji
gin tells us, That Eufebius in his Chro- Iwi
nicon puts Solonh Archonfhip a Tear Tbt
later than Olymp. 46. 3. but he fhould Oejt
rather have faid,' That he fets it a Year tlierel
fooner, for fo it is in all the Editions iOi
of his Chronicon that I have feen. Sobi
5]-
" Solon dy'd at the end of the 53 d, the
" or the beginning of the 54th Olym- \m
2iad y Plut. Fit. Sol. Mr. Boyle.p. 166. iatl:
, • Plutarch
s
\
Mr. Boyle's Differtations, &c.
Plutarch only fays, That according
to Phanias^ Solon dy'd when Hegefira-
tus was Archon^ and there is no Con-
flat as to the Year in which he was
Archon. Some fay in the firlf Year
of the 55th Olympiad^ others in the
fourth Year of the 53d, others in the
fecond Year of the 50th Olympiad.
Diog. Laertius gives us an Epiftle from
Solon to Crctfus, and it is apparent,
That it was writ after that Crcefus
came to the Kingdom. In it, Solon
tells Craefus^ That he would come to
him, which he accordingly did; not
immediately after his writing that
Letter, but from Athens he went to
Algypty thence to Cyprus^ and thence
to Crcefus, with whom he remain'd
fome time. Thence he went to Cili-
cia^ and at laft dy'd in Cyprus; Thus
Laertius. By all which it appears.
That Solon^ Death was long after
Crcefus''s coming to the Throne, and
therefore if Crcefus did not come to it
till Olymp. 54. 2. (as Eufebius hath it)
Solon muft have liv'd long after Olymp.
55. or $4. And this is confirm'd by
the Teftimony of Theophilus ad Auto-
lycum., who makes Solon to have liv'd
in the Time oi Cyrus and Darius, and
' according
66 A Vterv of Dr. Bentley V, md
according to Eufehias, the beginning
of Cyrus's Reign was not till Oljmp. X'J''
55.1. But we need go no further than
Plutarch the Author here quoted, who ^,
fays indeed, That Phamas makes So-
Ion not to have liv'd two Years after
the beginning of PifiJlratuPs Tyran-
ny ; but withal, tells us. That Hera- "
elides reports that he liv'd xesvor "
a long time after it. Can we defire a "
clearer and more authentickTeftimony "
of the uncertainty of the Time when
Solon dy'd than this is ? And here I " Mi
cannot but take notice of another paf-
fage in the fame Life of Solon, which W!
Ihews how little Arguments drawn fijfr,
from Chronology did fway with Plu-
torch. Some (as he tells us) would not, I
refute the Hiftory of Solon's conver- inor'i
fing with ro"ts by Ar- tf.PI
guments drawn from the confidera- foili
tion of the Times; but (fays he) their ofT
Chronological Canons (as they call ingt
them ) will not perfuade me to reject ofSi
fo illuftrious an Hiftory, attefted by (ah'
fo many Writers, and' fo agreeable to ingi
Solon''s Prudence, Magnanimity and [jefc
Manners. tAf Poyov 'ivJh^ov
ToaKTKf xdl (» is))
jS 'Xih.aVos >iA ns SKwins pwjaAo.
Mr. Boyle'^ Diflertations, &c.
i&i evp'tof i /uo' Ji»im
Xe^viMn "nvt Kiy'nivoif i£^»o»'/r, &;C. So P/tf-
tarch.
" That Fififlratus fiez'd the Go-
vernment of Athens fome Years be-
" fore Solon's Death, Dr. Bentl^, I
" dare fay, will grant me: That he
was turn'd out in, or rather before
Phalarish Reign, he will not 1 hope
" deny me; becaufe he has ownM it
" in Terms, of his Differ tat ion.
Mr. Bojle^ p. 167.
Whether Dr. Bentley will grant that
Ptftfiratus fiez'd the Government fome
Years before Solon's Death I know
not, but I am fure that they who are
mov'd with the Authority of Phanias
ap. Plut. Vit. Sol. will not grant it;
for he fays exprefly. That the interval
of Time between Pijijiratus^s invad-
ing the Government, and the Death
of Solon was lefs than two Years,
(i/Ldrlota ^aiv stoo and therefore accord-
ing to him, the one was not fome Tears
before the other. It is true (as was
lately obferv'd) that according to He-
raclides ap. Plut. the one was fome
Years, perhaps many Years before.thc
68 A View of Dr. BentleyV, and
other, but this diflPerence between He-
raclides and Phamas only fhews how
uncertain it is, how long it was be-
fore Solon's Heath, that Pifi'lratus^s
Tyranny began. Phanioi ap. Plut.
fays, That Pififintus fiez'd the Go-
vernment when Comias was Archon^
and that Solon dyM when his imme-
diate Succeffor Hegefiratm was Archon;
but if is not agreed in what Year ei-
ther of them was Archon. Some re-
fer Comias's Archonfiip to Oljmp. 53.5.
others to Olymp. 50. i. in iht Marm.
Arund. it is refer'd to Olymp. 54. 4.
(if the Learned Men who have taken
pains to illuftrate that Marble, inter-
pret it rightly) as it alfo makes Pifi-
flratm to have begun his Tyranny
then. But the ' 'Av^ypj/'ph
refers the Government of the Pififlra-
tid£ or the Sons of Pifijlratus^ to Olymp.
50. I. as both Tatianus Or at. con. Gr.a-
cos, and Clemens Alex. Stro. i. fay,
That the Time of their Government
was about the i^oth Olympiad .- So that,
if thefe be in the right, the Time of
the Fatliers fiezing the Government
muft be fet much higher. For Jujlin,
/. 2. c. 8. fays. That Piftfiratus ReignM
Years, with whom agrees Hera--
elides.
Mr. Boyle'j Differtations, &c. 69
tlUes de Politiis, and alfo Arifiotle de
Repuhlica^ /, 5. 12. if I dot not mi-
ftake his meaning, when he fays,
That in Thirty three Tears Pififtratus
Reigrdd only Seventeen Tears, i. e. (if I
underftand him rightly) tho' there
were Thirty three Years in all be-
tween Ptfifiratus'^s invading the Ty-
ranny and his Death, yet he enjoy'd
it only Seventeen Years, the other
Sixteen Years he liv'd in Exile. After
all, I freely confefs. That, if it could
be made out, that the Word Piftfira-
tidit is not always ufed fl:ri6:ly as it
denotes the Sons of Piftfiratus^ but
fometimes in a more comprehenfive
Senfe, as including Pififiratus and his
Sons too, this Argument from the Au-
thority of Tatianus, Clemens Alex.
would lofe all its force; But till that
be made appear, it plainly Demon-
ft rates how little certainty there is of
the Time when Pififiratus firft feiz'd
the Government. Nor is it more cer-
tain when he was turn'd out of it.
Dr. Bent ley, Dijf. 41. fays. It was
in the Days of Phalaris, but Mr. Boyle
will have it rather to have been be-
fore Phalaris'^s Reign ; both which ac-
counts leave us uncertain when he
was
'■'-31
A Viet^} of Dr, Bentley V, And
was driven out, unlefs it could be cer-
tainly known what time Phalaris
Reign'd. Herodotus, /.i.e. 5.
informs us, That Piftfiratus was dri-
ven out twice, and as often recover'd
the Tyranny ; therefore we fhould
have been inform'd of whether turn-
ing out they fpeak, otherwife we
cannot fo well judge of the Time of
it.
It is not to be doubted, but the
*' Alcefis of Phrjnichus (that Phryni-
chus, who was Thffpish Scholar)
" wasa£l:edbeforeO^«i!/>.67. Mr.B<y/e,
p. 168.
But (craving this Honourable Per-
fons leave) I cannot but doubt of it,
for as I know not that any Author
affirms it, fo he doth not declare what
ground he hath for fuch alTurance.
I know that Suidas affirms. That
Phrynkhus won the Prize in that very
Olympiad, and mentions Alcefiis as one
of his Plays; but it cannot be infer'd
hence. That Alceftis was a^fed before
that Olympiad ; Yea, if I fhould fay
that it was one of thofe Plays of his
that ^ere a6:ed then, and by which
he^
Mr. BoyleV Diflertations, &c.
he won the Prize, or that it was a£led
after that Time, it would not be eafie
to difprove it.
Tragedy is of ancient Vfage in this
^ Country.^ nor did it take its Rife from
" Thefpis and Phrynichus, as fome
imagine; but if you confider the thing
mil J you find that it is extreamly an-
dent; Plato in Minoe. Mr. Royle.,
f 170,171.
Here Rlato bears Teftimony to the
uncertainty of the Antiquity of Tra-
gedy, in telling us his own Opinion,
'viz. That it is very anci-
ent, and yet withal, that others were
of a contrary Opinion, that it took
its Rife from Thefyis. Befides, he
doth not tell us how ancient he be-
liev'd Tragedy to be. I know Mr.
Boyle fays. That he (i. e. Plato) thought
it almojl as ancient as Minos, and that
the reafon of his introducing the Re fie-
ciion fhetvs it; but, if we confult Pla-
tOy we lhall find that the reafon of
his introducing it fhews no fuch thing.
Whether Plato thought Tragedy more
ancient than Minos^ or only as anci-
ent, or but almoft as ancient, cannot
A View of Dr. Bentley% and
be determin'd from the reafon of his
introducing the Refleftion. Mr. Bojle
knows not what to make of a Paffage
of Plutarch^ in his Life of Solony
"v 7!\tx ©iiTOTjf nJx nv Tgcf.ynJ'ia.v
y-ivHv, i.e. Thefpis now beginning to
move or fet on foot the Play called
Tragedy ; but (fays he) he could not
mean., That there was no fuch thing as ■
Tragedy of any kind before the Days oj
Thefpis, and be confijlent with himfelf;
for he exprefly tells us in another place
(the Life of Thefeus) that the aciing of
Tragedies was one part of the funeral
Solemnities which the Athenians per-
formed at the Tomb of Thefeus : Thus
Mr. Boyle., p. 176. But I do not find
any fuch thing in the Life of Thefeus.
Indeed, in the Life of Cimon, there is
a Paifage which fome Ignorant or lefs
confidering Perfons may poffibly con-
ftrue to fuch a Senfe, but Mr. Boyle
could not. I add, that if there be
any fuch Paffage in Plutarch, it doth
not contradift this. That Tragedy
took its Rife from Thefpis, for Thefeus
had no Tomb at Athens, before the
Days of Thefpis. So that not with-
Handing any thing that Mr. Boyle al-
ledges, Plutarch by thofe Words in
the
' or
Mr. Boyle'^ Differtations, &c.
the Life of Solon might mean, That
there was no fuch thing as Tragedy
of any kind before the Days of Thef-
pis. To proceed, Mr. Boyle, p. 171.
brings Diqg. Laertius as a Witnefs,
That Tragedy is more ancient than
\ Thefpis; but on the other fide, p. 177.
he fpeaks of Authors in the Plural
i Number, who make the In-
\ venter of it, and/". 176. he calls them
; old Writers ; fo that he acknow-
ledges that there are ancient Writers
for the one Opinion, as well as the
other. I know that he would per-
fuade us. That when thefe Authors
make Thefpis the In venter of Tragedy,
their meaning is. That he was the
Improver of it, or that he was the
Inventer of that fort of Tragedy which
confified in Imitation, and a Fable, (See
him, p 174.) whereas there was Tra-
gedy (the' not of tliat fort) before:
But he hinifelf is not very confident
that this was their meaning, for he
fays, p. 177. In this Senfe it is that
we mufi underfand thofe Authors who
make'Th&^fis the Inventer 0/ Tra-
gedy, or allow that they fpake inconf-
derately. We are left ( you fee)
to our liberty whether we will
F under-
A View of Dr. Bentley's, and
underftand thofe Authors in the
forementioned Senfe, or allow that
they fpake inconfiderately. But for
my part, I am not forward to pafs
fuch a Cenfure upon ancient W riters,
that they fpake inconfiderately and
unwarily, particularly I am not for-
ward to believe either that Clemens
Alex, fpake inconfiderately, or that
he fpake of this or that fort of Tra-
gedy, but of it in general, wheii
i^eaking of the Inventers of other
things he comes at length to Tragedy,
and fays, That Thefpis de-
vis'd or invented it. But it may be
Xaid, If Thefpis was the Inventer of
it, then the Date of Tragedy is not
uncertain. To which I anfwer. That
this would follow, if we were certain
of the Time when Thefpis liv'd and
flourifh'd ■ but Mr. Boyle fufBciently
makes it appear how far we are from
being certain of that. For/?. i66. he
fays, That Plutarch and Diog. Laer-
tins exprejlj affirm^ That Thefpis was
Contemporary with Solon, telling us "very
particularly what pafs^d between Solon
and Thefpis, in relation to the Plays of
the later ; and adds, That Solon dy''d
at the end of the 5^, or the beginning
of
I Mr. Boyle'j' DilTertations, &c.
tk of the 54 Olympiad. In p. 167. he
fays. That the Arundel Marble fixes
utfjj the acling of Alceftis, one of ThefpisV
Plays as low as the 60th Olympiad.
And p. 170. he tells us, That Suidas
y jjii fays, Thefpis jhurijyd in the 6ifi O-
lympiad. Mr. Boyle further teUs us,
That taking our account at the loweft,
[]j, we muft make him to have written
ippj, according to Plutarch, and Diog. La^
ertius two ot" three Tears before SolonV
Death; but we may take it higher,
and make him to have begun to write
I Plays near the time of Sdon's Archon-
jj jfjip, which according to Mr. Boyle,
was Olymp. 46. and we may the
ij, rather do this, becaufe Eufebius Chro-
nicon placeth the Rife of Tragedy at the
ccrar Olympiad, as Mr. Boyle obferves,
p. 166. Now between 47. and
■ ij Olymp. 61. are above Fifty Years.
f Thus it fully appears from the Au-
ju thors alledg'd by Mr. Boyle, how lit-
tie certainty we have of the time of
the Rife of Tragedy ; thofe that fay
it is more ancient than Thefpis, not
afcertaining us how much more am
^ cient it is, and thofe that make Thej-
pis the Inventer of it, not being a-
greed about the Time when he liv'd,
n ° Fa and
4- i W
I
;U
r1<'^
• -itas^vc-.
76-
A Vim of Dr. Bentley'^, and,
and begun to write Tragedies. Need.
I after all this take notice of that
which Suidas hath to this purpofe,
acquainting us, That fome make Thef-
pis the firft Tragedian, but others
Epigenes Sicyonius', iome faying, That
Thefpis was the i6th from Epigenes,
and others that he was the 2d ? An
old Scholialf alledg'd by ful. Cafar
Bulenger de Theatre, I. i. 2. mentions
one Theomis, who efeCpj, ^c.
firft found out Tragical Melodies, and
was admir'd for them among the
Grecians, in the time of Orejies (they
that pleafe may fee his Words either
in Bulenger, or in the Tra£tatus de
Trag^dia, prefix'd to the late Cam-
bridge Edition of Euripides') but of
what Authority that Scholiaft is I know
"iitiDolil
not.
" Eujlathius''s Time was about 200
Years before Planudes was born.
Mr. Boyle, p. 210. , •
Nicetas Choniat. Annal. L i. "Jerf. fn.
makes Euflathius to have liv'd in the
Time of Andronicus Commenus, and
he came to the Empire (as we are
told) in or about An. Da. 1182. As
to
; Mr. Boyle'^ DifTertations, &c.
Neal to VUnudes^ when he was born I
know not, but as to the Time of his
flourifhing, Dr. Bentley^ p. 149. pla-
ceth it Do. 1370. but other
otfe Learned Men fet it J/f. Do. 1340. And
it muft be allow'd, That he was born
"'p ; at leaft 20 Years before: And fo ac-
I? t cording to one account, he was born
■ Cfft at or before J^. Do. 13 20. according
ffltitt to the other, at or before Jft. Do.
fi, ffi;- 1350. If then we make Euftathius
\w. to have liv'd about Aft. Do. 1182. the
\l tk interval between his Time, and the
j(tlB Birth of Plamdes will fall confide-
sefe rably fhort of 200 Years ; fo that
Hill 1; the Account which Mr. Boyle's Au-
; Cffl thors follow'd differs from thefe ; but
but; which is the trueft cannot be deter-
Ibr min'd.
Thus I have taken notice of moft
iut2c:' of the Paffages in the Differtation and ,
iiorE Examination of it which relate to
Chronology, and conceive that with
; the afliftance of the Learned and
Worthy Perfons, the Authors of
iuthi them, I have manifefted the iincer-
ant! tainty of the Time, when the Perfons
; art lived, or the Cities w^ere built, or the
. ib Things were done, which are men-
tj tion'd
♦
FINIS.
■r
p:
ERRATA
N the Title-page, 1. 18. tjT/, and 1. 19. blot
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BooJ^Frintedfor John Jones,
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PRaftical Difcourfes upon feveral
Divine Subjefts, viz. Of Religi-
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Concerning Praftical Atheifm. Of
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Life. An Admonition Concerning
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T'reatifes upon feveral SubjeHs. viz.
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The Prefent State of the Univerfe,
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