Luftrum of 5 years; whence we find this Infcription on Money's A. B. and A. r. viz. asem deutigm,tgitu, c. There are others, viz. Scal. in Animadv. ad Eufeb. Fac. Ufferius in Annal, ad atat, mund. fext. p. 320. who deduce thefe Indictions from the Antiochian Ara, which was about 48 years before Chrift; from whence they alfo deduce the Fulian, Adrian, Antoninan, Conftantinian, Valentinian, &c. Indictions. Others, viz. Maximus Monachus, Martyr in brevi ennarratione Chriftiani Pafch. & Greg. Mon, will have the Æra of Indictions to begin with the 2d of Auguftus. Others again, particularly Cedrenus, will have the Indictions to begin at that time when Augustus overcame Antonius at the Promontory of Epirus near Nicapolis; which hapned about 31 years before Chrift. Sixthly, the famous Langius l. 1. de Annis Chrifti c. 8. propofes a Conjecture to be examined by the Learned whether or not this Cycle is owing to the Emperor Adrian, from the Annotation of a certain anonymous Author in the first year of the 224th Olympiad, viz. Adrian coming to Rome, remitted what was due to the Publick Treafury of the Emperour, and the Roman People; conftituting a time of 16 years, from whence, and to which it should become due. He whom this learned Writer calls Anonymus, is the fame with Dio. Caffius, who has almoft the very fame Words in the Hiftory of Adrian; as alfo in his Hiftory of Marcus Antoninus. Seventhly, there are fome, viz. Pantagathus, Ounphrius in Faftis. Marc. Zuer. Boxhorn. Hift. Univerfal. p. 267. who fettle these Indictions in the year of Chrift 313, because they take that to be the year in which Conftantine overcame Maxentius; and this Tyrant was caft off the Milvian Bridge and drowned. The Eighth and last Opinion which is generally received, imports, that the Calculation of Indictions began on the 24th of September, in the year of Chrift 312, which muft certainly be true, from the Words of Eufebius upon the 4th year of the 272d Olymp. Ινδικλιώνων Κωνσαντινιανῶν ἐντώθεν αρχή. This Baronius and his Epitomizir Spondanus, deferr'd against Scaliger. Calvifius likewife Ifag. c. 16. admits of no other Original of Indictions than this. And Petavius alfo, because he would not contend against either Opinion, fays, The vulgar Indictions ought to be deduced from

the

Whether

the Cuftom

the year of Chrift 312. The fame is held by Alberi cus Gentilis de diverf. temp. Apell. c. 2. And we upon a mature confideration of all, muft give this laft Opinion the Preference; but fo as to diftinguifh, First, betwixt the Luftra and the Indictions, which Scaliger confounds. Secondly, betwixt the common Indictions or those which kept their stated Intervals, and the Uncommon, which were inftituted according to the Will of the Emperor and the exigence of the Republick, as other Penfions were. Thirdly, betwixt the Indictions and the Cycle of Indictions; or betwixt the Political and Chronological Ufe of Indictions. It is certain, the Indictions that are refer'd to the antient and more modern Times can be deduc'd only from the year of Chrift 312, except any one had rather denominate the year from the remote Interval of wevranaiden etheid. Fourthly, we again note that the firft year of Incictions may be joyned to the year of Chrift 313, if we have reference to the laft 9 Months, or the greater part of that Cycle year: for the first year of Indicti ons began Sept, 24, or the 8th of the Calends of October, Anno Chrifti 312; whence it is evident that the reft of the indictionary Months may very commodiously be referr'd to the year 313.

S. 3. A certain Author, (namely Johannes Georgius Herwart ab Hohenburg,) in his new, true and exact of reckon. Chronology, falfely fo called, alleges that the Chriftiing the ans invented the calculation of time by Indictions, in times by order to reconcile the Evangelifts with profane AuInditions thors: But this pofition is as abfurd as his other Allewas first gations,viz. that in the ancienteft times the Chriftians thought on made ufe of the Epocha of Chrifts Nativity; that by the Chri- the vulgar Epocha of Chrifts Nativity departs three concile the years from the truth; that the Conftantinopolitan Fathers were the first Athors of Indictions; tho' all the Evange World knows they were in being before Conftantinople lifts with was built;) that fome of the Antients talk'd of an inprofane Hiftorians terval of fixteen years between the Vulgar and the true Epocha of Chrift, and that the Fathers invented the method of palliating that ugly difcord of fifteen years, by the means of Indictions. In fine, that Author has vented as many falfehoods as he has written Lines.

S. 4. Hiflo

inftituted

S. 4. Hiftorians labour under great Incertainties in Why the adjusting the cause of this Inftitution. Herwart's Opini- quindecenon is already rejected: Scaliger agrees not well with nal Cycle himfelf, for he labours in one place for the antiquity of of Indicti the Antiochian Indiction; and elsewhere (l. 5. de em. ons wasfirfl temp.) alledges that they were reduced from the Quinquennales and Vicennales of Conftantine; as if the Elapsed time from the Quinquennales and Vicennales was called an Indiction, and confequently all the reft of the πεντακαιδεκαετήριδες : which Opinion about Conftantine is as different from the Principles of Hiftorians, as it is well contradicted by D. Behmius in manuduct. Chron. and rejected even by Scaliger's own Followers. Nor was Cardinal Baronius more happy in his opinionative Conjecture; for he fuppofed that the Cycle of Conftantine was applied chiefly to the ufe of the Roman Soldiers, in the year of Chrift 312, when by the Inftitution thereof it came to pafs, that a Soldier having ferved 15 years, might have his Difmiffion, and go free where-ever he pleafed without Capitation: Or if he would tarry, he should then have` greater Advantages: whereas formerly they were to ferve 16 years; which Opinion of Baronius, as it feems improbable, fo it is oppofed by Petavius l. 11. de doct. temp. Our Opinion is, that this Cycle came to light at that time when Conftantine the Emperor had need of Mony to pay off his Soldiers, and renew the War against Licinius, but the Era of Indictions was made afterwards more folemn; when the fame leemed to the Chriftians to be an Epocha of their restored Liberty after the Conqueft of Maxentius.

How many

§. 5. There are commonly reckoned three forts of Indictions, whereof the firft was called the Cafare an Indictions because the Cafars had refpect to it in the payment of there are Taxes, and figning the Inftruments of Caufes. This or have Indiction fell upon the 8th of the Calends of October, been in or on the 24th of September: For after the Harvest use. was over, the time of Autumn was thought moft proper for paying Tributes. The fecond was called Conftantinopolitan, by which they mark'd (as they do at this day) the more Oriental Calendars, as appears in the Breifs of the Hieremian Patriarch, and of Crufius's Turco-Gracia. This begins upon the Calends of September; whence fome think that its ufe began when

the

of the rea

the Gracians chofe the Autumn, and the firft Month of it, for the Solemnity of the New year. Ambrofius understands one of thefe Indictions, when he thus writes to the Bishops of Emilia; This is the firft Month according to the Product of the Egyptians, and the first according to the Law, and the eighth according to our Custom: For the Indiction begins in the Month of September. The third is called the Pontifical, or the Roman, which begins upon the Calends of January,and continually follows the two former, at the distance of almost four Months. To thefe may be added the Antiochian, which Scaliger Canon. Ifagog. p. 295. by the Authority of Caufabon, and the Patriarch Ignatius, certainly fixes in the Month of May.

S. 6. We are commonly wont to preferve thofe things which fon why the appear useful to us. In like manner the Cafars Roman when at the ftated times of Indictions, their TreafuEmperors ries were increased, ordain'd that the Character of Inwould have diction fhould be noted in the publick Inftruments. this Cycle Thus we read that the Emperor Juftinian commanded of Indicti- in the 7th Novella: That in all Inftruments and PubOns known lick Acts or Writings wihin the Dominions of the Emto the com- pire, the Emperor's Title should be took notice of, the mon People. names of the Confuls, the Indiction, the Month and the Day; in order to perpetuate the memory of those obser

What it

vations.

S. 7. 'Twas not for the fake of Remiffions but of was that collecting Subfidies, that those Indictions were chiefly theSubjects conftituted; but what, and in what order the Subof the Ro- jects of the Roman People were to pay, the Antients man Peo- have not remarked. Elegius Bishop of Noyon, who ple were to flourished about the 7th Age in his 2d Hom. (fixteen of pay at the thefe Homilies are extant in in Biblioth. Patrum.) speaks expiration of divers Tributes (as the Moderns after him) accordof this ing to divers Luftrums in which the Cycle of IndiЯiQuindecennial Time, ons was finished. In the firft Luftrum there was a Tribute of Gold collected: In the fecond, one of Silver; and in the third, one of Brass. But the Annotator upon the 47th Novella gives a different account of the matter. Anciently, (fays he) the Romans in every 15 years, received a Tribute from the whole World. In the first 5 years, Iron to make Armour for the Roman Soldiers. In the 2d Silver, out of which the Soldiers were to be paid their Wages. In the 3d Gold which was

laid up in the Treasury for the use of the Roman Republick. But fince 'tis only the Writers of later Ages that make mention of this Matter, and that in fo different a matner, we can hardly believe the Tradition.

CHAP. VIII.

Of the Character of the Roman CONSV-
LATE.

RULE

The Roman Confulate is a Character by which two Roman Confuls were named; whence we come to the Knowledge of any thing done in their time.

S. 1. THE Reafon of the Roman Confulate, its being of the reamentioned among the Characters of Times, fon why we is because both Latin and Greek Writers by naming mention two Confuls were wont to fix the times of things done; the Roman and that by a moft ancient Custom, which Lucan inti- Confulate mates while he calls thefe years Confidar years: And among the Pacatus in a Panegyric delivered to Theodorus Empe- of Times. ror of Rome, fpeaks remarkably; A General is promoted to perform the Discipline of the Camp, a Prefect is preferr'd to look after a Province; a Conful is created to give a Name to the year, &c.

Characters

Dignity

S. 2. After the Ravifhment of Lucretia by the Son of the time of Tarquinius Superbus, the Romans having abolifhed in which the Regal Dignity, created Confuls to govern the Em- the Office, pire, rather to confult with, than to domineer over Character their Liberty. For one King two Confuls were crea- of a Conful ted; that if one fhould prove bad, the other having was first in equal Power might reftrain him: And 'twas the Plea- ufe amongst fure of the People that they fhould not enjoy the Em- the Ro pire above one year, left a continuation of their Power mans. Thould render them infolent; fo they were always civil, as knowing that after one year they fhould be deprived of all again. Vide Flerus I. 1. c.9.

§. 3. Lip