Character given of the Power of Abafuerus is most fuitable to Xerxes. For, tho' the Perfian Monarchs, both before and after the Reign of Xerxes, were Mafters of many great Provinces, yet there is fcarce any of them fince Xerxes, who could boaft that the Limits of his Empire extended from the Indies to Athiopia; and that none of the Predeceffors of Xerxes could pretend to that Glory, feems to be manifeft out of the Oration of Mardonius the General of Xerxes; whofe Words fpoken to the Soldiers are thus related by Herodotus: It would be very unbecoming for us, who have conquered the Sacans, Indians, Ethiopians and Affyrians, out of no other Motive than the defire of extending our Conquests, to let the Greeks, who have been the first Aggreffors, go off unrevenged. And if we infpect the Catalogue of the Perfian Kings as mentioned by Ef dras, we'll find it fo confonant to this Opinion, that I cannot but wonder how the fame fhould have been fo little regarded by thofe, who elsewhere appear fo zealous in maintaining their Opinions out of the Holy Scripture. Those who would have Ahasuerus to be fame with Artaxerxes Longimanus, are very well cenfured by Chriftianus Adamus Ruperti: Such, (lays he) as make Artaxerxes Longimanus the Husband of Efther,have not rightly compared the Holy Scripture with the ancient Monuments of prophane Hiftory. Unless we be, (concludes he) quite unacquainted with the Books of Either and Efdras, we must confefs that Ahasuerus was the fame with Xerxes: For he is exprefly put before Artaxerxes I. and Darius Nothus.

CHAP. XXVIII.

Of the Epocha of the Peloponnefian WAR.

RULES.

1. Thucydides in his Commentary of this most famous War 1.2. lays down the Characters of this Epocha; among which are two Eclipfes of the Sun and one of the Moon: The firft Eclipfe of the Sun he makes coincident with the Summer of that year in which the Peloponnefian War began. Plutarch in Vit. Pericl. and

U 4

Valerius Maximus make likewife mention of this Eclipfe.

2. The 2d Eclipfe of the Sun Thucydides 1. 4. makes coincident with the beginning of the 8th year of the Peloponnefian War.

3. The 3d. Eclipfe, viz. of the Moon, Thucydides 1. 7. makes to fall upon the 19th year of the Peloponnefian War.

4.

According to the Teftimony of the fame Author, the Peloponnefian War began in the fame year that Pythodorus was Archon at Athens, and Enefias Ephorus at Sparta; yet fo, that the first, after two Months from the begining of this War was lucceeded by Euthydemus, as the ft was by Brafidas: So that the greatest part of the annual Government of the two laft, being coincident with the first year of this Epocha, its Origin is commonly deduced from the time of their Magiftracy.

5. The first year of the 86th Olympiad in which Lyfimachus was Archon at Athens, and Ifocrates was born, was the fifth year before the Peloponnefian War, ac cording to Dionyfius, Plutarch and Laertius. 6. The 18th year of the Peloponnefian War was coinci dent with that Olympiad at which Crocinus of Theffaly was Victor; Eudius or Eudicus being then Ephorus at Sparta, and Pythodorus Archon at Athens. And in the fame year hapned the Eclipfe of the Sun, which, by Aftronomical Calculation, is found to hap pen in the year of the Julian Period 4310, on the third day of September, according to Xenophon L. 2. Rer. Græc.

7. The Peloponnefian War began with the Spring according to Thucydides Lib. 2.

8. From these and other Characters too many to be inferted here, we conclude that the Peloponnefian War "began in the year of the Julian Period 4283, in the Spring, Cycle O.27. >.8.

9. If therefore from any certain year of the Julian Period be fubtracted 4282 years and 3 Months, the Refidue fhews the year jince the beginning of the Peloponnefian War and if the fame Sum be added to the faid year of this Epocha, the Product must be correspondent to the year of the Julian Period.

S. 1. It

§. 1.TT is very well worth Obfervation what Dio- The occafi dorus Siculus Bibl. L. 12. and Valerius Maxi- on of the mus l. 3. c. I. relate concerning the occafion of this PeloponWar. For Pericles a Man of great Authority among nefian the Athenians, having converted a vaft Sum of Money War. which was given by the Athenians to rebuild the Caftle of Athens, to his own Ufe, and finding himself not in a Capacity to give an Account of it to his Fellow-Citizens, appeared one day very melancholy at home. Alcibiades who was then but a Youth, perceiving him to be more than ordinary penfive, ask'd him what made him look fo much concerned? Unto whom Pericles anfwering, that he did not know how to make up his Accounts: Alcibiades replied, then you have nothing elfe to do, but to find out a way not to be accountable at all. Pericles taking the Hint from thence, found means to perfuade the Athenians to begin this War, imagining that thereby they would be prevented from calling him to account.

fides in

§. 2. And tho' this War be commonly called the Pe- Who were loponnesian War, yet were not the Peloponnefians and concerned Athenians alone concerned in it, but all Greece. On on both the fide of the Peloponnefians were the Lacedemonians, whofe General was Archidamus, the Megarians, Lo this War. crians, Phocenfes, Ambracioti, Leucadians, Bocotians, Corinthians and S. cyonians. The Athenians had for their Confederates the Chii, Lesbii, the Plateenfes, Meffenii, Acarnanes, Corcyrei, Jacynthii, Cy. clades, befides thofe of Caria, Ionia, Hellefront and Thracia, who were Tributaries to the Athenians. See Paufanias in Lacon.

S. 3. Xenophon de Reb. Grec. allots 28 years and 6 How long months for the Peloponnesian War; but Dionyfius Pe- the Pelotavius has very well obferved that Xenophon makes an ponnefian addition of one year, there being no more than 27 years War lafled and 6 Months to be accounted from the Spring of the 4283d year of the Julian Period when this War begun, to the Autumn of the 43 10th year of the Julian Period in which it was ended, and its conclufion rendred remarkable by a notable Eclipfe of the Sun, for both the beginning and the end of this War were il luftrated by two Eclipfes of the Sun. In the 10th year

of this War the Greeks, as Thucydides relates, made a Truce which was very ill obferved.

The Nimes, S. 4. The annual Magiftracy of the Archontes at Aof the Athens, and of the Lacedemonian Ephori, having both thenian their beginning about the time of the Eftival Solstice, Archontes and the Names of the feveral Archontes and Ephori, and Lace being looked upon as fo many Characters in the dæmonian Hiftory of this War, we have for perfpicuity's fake, Ephori du inferted their Names in the followng Catalogue, each ring this in his due Order,with an Addition of the refpective year of the Julian Period, in which thefe Archontes and Ephori began their Magistracy, about the time of the Summer Solstice.

War.

CHAP. XXIX.

Of the Epocha and Interval of the Seventy Weeks of Daniel mentioned in the 9th Chapter, Verse 24.

1. By thefe 70 Weeks are to be understood annual Weeks or Hebdomas's of years, making in all an Interval of 490 years.

2. During this Interval of years the Meffias was born, and fuffered Death, Ver. 24.

3. The beginning of this Epocha is to be fixed to the time when that folemn Edict of rebuilding the City of Jerufalem was made.

4. The end of thefe 70 annual Weeks ought to be coincident with the time of the total Deftruction of that Ci ty, according to the Words in Daniel c. 9. v. 24. Seventy Weeks are determined upon thy People, and upon thy holy City; and the Words of St. Matthew C. 24. v. 15. When you fhall fee the Abomination of Defolation ftand in the holy Place.

5. From the beginning of this Interval or Epocha, till the 32d year of the Reign of Artaxerxes Mnemon, at which time Nehemiah returned out of Perfia, Nehem. 13. v. 6. ought to be accounted 7 annual Weeks or 49 years, Dan. 9. v. 25.

6. Scaliger's Opinion feems to be not improbable; that the first year of thefe 70 Annual Weeks was likewife the first in both the Sacred Sabbatic and fubilean Cycles For the Angel calls them exprefly Annual Weeks, which are equivalent to the Sabbatick Cycles, and all together make up the Interval of 490 years, or 10 Jubilean Cycles. And what has been faid of the first year of this mystical Interval, may likewife be applied to its last year.

6. From thefe Characters Scaliger and his Followers conclude, that the first year of the 70 Weeks of Daniel was coincident with the 4292d year of the Julian Pe

riod