The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended - To which is Prefix'd, A Short Chronicle from the First - Memory of Things in Europe, to the Conquest of Persia by - Alexander the Great by Isaac Newton
page 95 of 295 (32%)
page 95 of 295 (32%)
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Migration.
[131] When the _Greeks_ and _Latines_ were forming their Technical Chronology, there were great disputes about the Antiquity of _Rome_: the _Greeks_ made it much older than the Olympiads: some of them said it was built by _Ãneas_; others, by _Romus_, the son or grandson of _Ãneas_; others, by _Romus_, the son or grandson of _Latinus_ King of the _Aborigines_; others, by _Romus_ the son of _Ulysses_, or of _Ascanius_, or of _Italus_: and some of the _Latines_ at first fell in with the opinion of the _Greeks_, saying that it was built by _Romulus_, the son or grandson of _Ãneas_. _Timæus Siculus_ represented it built by _Romulus_, the grandson of _Ãneas_, above an hundred years before the Olympiads; and so did _Nævius_ the Poet, who was twenty years older than _Ennius_, and served in the first _Punic_ war, and wrote the history of that war. Hitherto nothing certain was agreed upon, but about 140 or 150 years after the death of _Alexander the Great_, they began to say that _Rome_ was built a second time by _Romulus_, in the fifteenth Age after the destruction of _Troy_: by Ages they meant Reigns of the Kings of the _Latines_ at _Alba_, and reckoned the first fourteen Reigns at about 432 years, and the following Reigns of the seven Kings of _Rome_ at 244 years, both which numbers made up the time of about 676 years from the taking of _Troy_, according to these Chronologers; but are much too long for the course of nature: and by this reckoning they placed the building of _Rome_ upon the sixth or seventh Olympiad; _Varro_ placed it on the first year of the Seventh Olympiad, and was therein generally followed by the _Romans_; but this can scarce be reconciled to the course of nature: for I do not meet with any instance in all history, since Chronology was certain, wherein seven Kings, most of whom were slain, Reigned 244 years in continual Succession. The fourteen Reigns of the Kings of the _Latines_, at twenty years a-piece one with another, amount unto 280 years, and these years counted from the taking of |
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