The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended Part 2

936. _Theseus_ is set at liberty by _Hercules_.

934. The hunting of the _Calydonian_ boar slain by _Meleager_.

930. _Amenophis_, with an army out of _Ethiopia_ and _Thebais_, invades the lower _Egypt_, conquers _Osarsiphus_, and drives out the _Jews_ and _Canaanites_: and this is reckoned the second expulsion of the Shepherds.

_Calycopis_ dies, and is Deified by _Thoas_ with Temples at _Paphos_ and _Amathus_ in _Cyprus_, and at _Byblus_ in _Syria_, and with Priests and sacred Rites, and becomes the _Venus_ of the ancients, and the _Dea Cypria_ and _Dea Syria_. And from these and other places where Temples were erected to her, she was also called _Paphia_, _Amathusia_, _Byblia_, _Cytherea_, _Salaminia_, _Cnidia_, _Erycina_, _Idalia_, &c. And her three waiting-women became the three Graces.

928. The war of the seven Captains against _Thebes_.

927. _Hercules_ and _aesculapius_ are Deified. _Eurystheus_ drives the _Heraclides_ out of _Peloponnesus_. He is slain by _Hyllus_ the son of _Hercules_. _Atreus_ the son of _Pelops_ succeeds him in the Kingdom of _Mycenae_. _Menestheus_, the great grandson of _Erechtheus_, Reigns at _Athens_.

925. _Theseus_ is slain, being cast down from a rock.

924. _Hyllus_ invading _Peloponnesus_ is slain by _Echemus_.

919. _Atreus_ dies. _Agamemnon_ Reigns. In the absence of _Menelaus_, who went to look after what his father _Atreus_ had left to him, _Paris_ steals _Helena_.

918. The second war against _Thebes_.

912. _Thoas_, King of _Cyprus_ and part of _Phnicia_ dies; and for making armour for the Kings of _Egypt_; is Deified with a sumptuous Temple at _Memphis_ by the name of _Baal Canaan_, _Vulcan_. This Temple was said to be built by _Menes_, the first King of _Egypt_ who reigned next after the G.o.ds, that is, by _Menoph_ or _Amenophis_ who reigned next after the death of _Osiris_, _Isis_, _Orus_, _Bubaste_ and _Thoth_. The city, _Memphis_ was also said to be built by _Menes_; he began to build it when he fortified it against _Osarsiphus_. And from him it was called _Menoph_, _Moph_, _Noph_, &c; and is to this day called _Menuf_ by the _Arabians_. And therefore _Menes_ who built the city and temple Was _Menoph_ or _Amenophis_. The Priests of _Egypt_ at length made this temple above a thousand years older then _Amenophis_, and some of them five or ten thousand years older: but it could not be above two or three hundred years older than the Reign of _Psammiticus_ who finished it, and died 614 years before _Christ_. When _Menoph_ or _Menes_ built the city, he built a bridge there over the _Nile_: a work too great to be older than the Monarchy of _Egypt_.

909. _Amenophis_, called _Memnon_ by the _Greeks_, built the _Memnonia_ at _Susa_, whilst _Egypt_ was under the government of _Proteus_ his Viceroy.

904. _Troy_ taken. _Amenophis_ was still at _Susa_; the _Greeks_ feigning that he came from thence to the _Trojan_ war.

903. _Demophoon_, the son of _Theseus_ by _Phdra_ the daughter of _Minos_, Reigns at _Athens_.

901. _Amenophis_ builds small Pyramids in _Cochome_.

896. _Ulysses_ leaves _Calypso_ in the Island _Ogygie_ (perhaps _Cadis_ or _Cales_.) She was the daughter of _Atlas_, according to _Homer_. The ancients at length feigned that this Island, (which from _Atlas_ they called _Atlantis_) had been as big as all _Europe_, _Africa_ and _Asia_, but was sunk into the Sea.

895. _Teucer_ builds _Salamis_ in _Cyprus_. _Hadad_ or _Benhadad_ King of _Syria_ dies, and is Deified at _Damascus_ with a Temple and Ceremonies.

887. _Amenophis_ dies, and is succeeded by his son _Ramesses_ or _Rhampsinitus_, who builds the western Portico of the Temple of _Vulcan_.

The _Egyptians_ dedicated to _Osiris_, _Isis_, _Orus_ senior, _Typhon_, and _Nephthe_ the sister and wife of _Typhon_, the five days added by the _Egyptians_ to the twelve Calendar months of the old Luni-solar year, and said that they were added when these five Princes were born. They were therefore added in the Reign of _Ammon_ the father of these five Princes: but this year was scarce brought into common use before the Reign of _Amenophis_: for in his Temple or Sepulchre at _Abydus_, they placed a Circle of 365 cubits in compa.s.s, covered on the upper side with a plate of gold, and divided into 365 equal parts, to represent all the days of the year; every part having the day of the year, and the Heliacal Risings and Settings of the Stars on that day, noted upon it. And this Circle remained there 'till _Cambyses_ spoiled the temples of _Egypt_: and from this monument I collect that it was _Amenophis_ who established this year, fixing the beginning thereof to one of the four Cardinal Points of the heavens. For had not the beginning thereof been now fixed, the Heliacal Risings and Settings of the Stars could not have been noted upon the days thereof. The Priests of _Egypt_ therefore in the Reign of _Amenophis_ continued to observe the Heliacal Risings and Settings of the Stars upon every day. And when by the Sun's Meridional Alt.i.tudes they had found the Solstices and Equinoxes according to the Sun's mean motion, his Equation being not yet known, they fixed the beginning of this year to the Vernal Equinox, and in memory thereof erected this monument. Now this year being carried into _Chaldaea_, the _Chaldaeans_ began their year of _Nabona.s.sar_ on the same _Thoth_ with the _Egyptians_, and made it of the same length. And the _Thoth_ of the first year of _Nabona.s.sar_ fell upon the 26th day of _February_: which was 33 days and five hours before the Vernal Equinox, according to the Sun's mean motion. And the _Thoth_ of this year moves backwards 33 days and five hours in 137 years, and therefore fell upon the Vernal Equinox 137 years before the _aera_ of _Nabona.s.sar_ began; that is, 884 years before _Christ_. And if it began upon the day next after the Vernal Equinox, it might begin three or four years earlier; and there we may place the death of this King. The _Greeks_ feigned that he was the Son of _t.i.thonus_, and therefore he was born after the return of _Sesac_ into _Egypt_, with _t.i.thonus_ and other captives, and so might be about 70 or 75 years old at his death.

883. _Dido_ builds _Carthage_, and the _Phnicians_ begin presently after to sail as far as to the _Straights Mouth_, and beyond. _aeneas_ was still alive, according to _Virgil_.

870. _Hesiod_ flourishes. He hath told us himself that he lived in the age next after the wars of _Thebes_ and _Troy_, and that this age should end when the men then living grew h.o.a.ry and dropt into the grave; and therefore it was but of an ordinary length: and _Herodotus_ has told us that _Hesiod_ and _Homer_ were but 400 years older than himself. Whence it follows that the destruction of _Troy_ was not older than we have represented it.

860. _Mris_ Reigns in _Egypt_. He adorned _Memphis_, and translated the seat of his Empire thither from _Thebes_. There he built the famous Labyrinth, and the northern portico of the Temple of _Vulcan_, and dug the great Lake called the Lake of _Mris_, and upon the bottom of it built two great Pyramids of brick: and these things being not mentioned by _Homer_ or _Hesiod_, were unknown to them, and done after their days. _Mris_ wrote also a book of Geometry.

852. _Hazael_ the successor of _Hadad_ at _Damascus_ dies and is Deified, as was _Hadad_ before: and these G.o.ds, together with _Arathes_ the wife of _Hadad_, were wors.h.i.+pt in their Sepulchres or Temples, 'till the days of _Josephus_ the _Jew_; and the _Syrians_ boasted their antiquity, not knowing, saith _Josephus_, that they were novel.

844. The _aeolic_ Migration. _Botia_, formerly called _Cadmeis_, is seized by the _Botians_.

838. _Cheops_ Reigns in _Egypt_. He built the greatest Pyramid for his sepulchre, and forbad the wors.h.i.+p of the former Kings; intending to have been wors.h.i.+pped himself.

825. The _Heraclides_, after three Generations, or an hundred years, reckoned from their former expedition, return into _Peloponnesus_.

Henceforward, to the end of the first _Messenian_ war, reigned ten Kings of _Sparta_ by one Race, and nine by another; ten of _Messene_, and nine of _Arcadia_: which, by reckoning (according to the ordinary course of nature) about twenty years to a Reign, one Reign with another, will take up about 190 years. And the seven Reigns more in one of the two Races of the Kings of _Sparta_, and eight in the other, to the battle at _Thermopylae_; may take up 150 years more: and so place the return of the _Heraclides_, about 820 years before _Christ_.

824. _Cephren_ Reigns in _Egypt_, and builds another great Pyramid.

808. _Mycerinus_ Reigns there, and begins the third great Pyramid. He shut up the body of his daughter in a hollow ox, and caused her to be wors.h.i.+pped daily with odours.

804. The war, between the _Athenians_ and _Spartans_, in which _Codrus_, King of the _Athenians_, is slain.

801. _Nitocris_, the sister of _Mycerinus_, succeeds him, and finishes the third great Pyramid.

794. The _Ionic_ Migration, under the conduct of the sons of _Codrus_.

790. _Pul_ founds the _a.s.syrian_ Empire.

788. _Asychis_ Reigns in _Egypt_, and builds the eastern Portico of the Temple of _Vulcan_ very splendidly; and a large Pyramid of brick, made of mud dug out of the Lake of _Mris_. _Egypt_ breaks into several Kingdoms.

_Gnephactus_ and _Bocchoris_ Reign successively in the upper _Egypt_; _Stephanathis_; _Necepsos_ and _Nechus_, at _Sais_; _Anysis_ or _Amosis_, at _Anysis_ or _Hanes_; and _Tacellotis_, at _Bubaste_.

776. _Iphitus_ restores the Olympiads. And from this _aera_ the Olympiads are now reckoned. _Gnephactus_ Reigns at _Memphis_.

772. _Necepsos_ and _Petosiris_ invent Astrology in _Egypt_.

760. _Semiramis_ begins to flourish; _Sanchoniatho_ writes.

751. _Sabacon_ the _Ethiopian_, invades _Egypt_, now divided into various Kingdoms, burns _Bocchoris_, slays _Nechus_, and makes _Anysis_ fly.

747. _Pul_, King of _a.s.syria_, dies, and is succeeded at _Nineveh_ by _Tiglathpila.s.ser_, and at _Babylon_ by _Nabona.s.sar_. The _Egyptians_, who fled from _Sabacon_, carry their Astrology and Astronomy to _Babylon_, and found the _aera_ of _Nabona.s.sar_ in _Egyptian_ years.

740. _Tiglathpila.s.ser_, King of _a.s.syria_, takes _Damascus_, and captivates the _Syrians_.

729. _Tiglathpila.s.ser_ is succeeded by _Salmana.s.ser_.

721. _Salmana.s.ser_, King of _a.s.syria_, carries the Ten Tribes into captivity.

719. _Sennacherib_ Reigns over _a.s.syria_. _Archias_ the son of _Evagetus_, of the stock of _Hercules_, leads a Colony from _Corinth_ into _Sicily_, and builds _Syracuse_.

717. _Tirhakah_ Reigns in _Ethiopia_.

714. _Sennacherib_ is put to flight by the _Ethiopians_ and _Egyptians_, with great slaughter.

711. The _Medes_ revolt from the _a.s.syrians_. _Sennacherib_ slain.

_a.s.serhadon_ succeeds him. This is that _a.s.serhadon-Pul_, or _Sardanapalus_, the son of _Anacyndaraxis_, or _Sennacherib_, who built _Tarsus_ and _Anchiale_ in one day.

710. _Lycurgus_, brings the poems of _Homer_ out of _Asia_ into _Greece_.

708. _Lycurgus_, becomes tutor to _Charillus_ or _Charilaus_, the young King of _Sparta_. _Aristotle_ makes _Lycurgus_ as old as _Iphitus_, because his name was upon the Olympic Disc. But the Disc was one of the five games called the _Quinquertium_, and the _Quinquertium_ was first inst.i.tuted upon the eighteenth Olympiad. _Socrates_ and _Thucydides_ made the inst.i.tutions of _Lycurgus_ about 300 years older than the end of the _Peloponnesian_ war, that is, 705 years before _Christ_.

701. _Sabacon_, after a Reign of 50 years, relinquishes _Egypt_ to his son _Sevechus_ or _Sethon_, who becomes Priest of _Vulcan_, and neglects military affairs.

698. _Mana.s.seh_ Reigns.

697. The _Corinthians_ begin first of any men to build s.h.i.+ps with three orders of oars, called _Triremes_. Hitherto the _Greeks_ had used long vessels of fifty oars.