________________________________________________
_ IT was known in Rome that Caesar wished to see Ostia on the
journey, or rather the largest ship in the world, which had brought
wheat recently from Alexandria, and from Ostia to go by the Via
Littoralis to Antium. Orders had been given a number of days
earlier; hence at the Porta Ostiensis, from early morning, crowds
made up of the local rabble and of all nations of the earth had
collected to feast their eyes with the sight of Caesar's retinue, on
which the Roman population could never gaze sufficiently. The
road to Antium was neither difficult nor long. In the place itself,
which was composed of palaces and villas built and furnished in a
lordly manner, it was possible to find everything demanded by
comfort, and even the most exquisite luxury of the period. Caesar
had the habit, however, of taking with him on a journey every
object in which he found delight, beginning with musical
instruments and domestic furniture, and ending with statues and
mosaics, which were taken even when he wished to remain on the
road merely a short time for rest or recreation. He was
accompanied, therefore, on every expedition by whole legions of
servants, without reckoning divisions of pretorian guards, and
Augustians; of the latter each had a personal retinue of slaves.
Early on the morning of that day herdsrnen from the Campania,
with sunburnt faces, wearing goat-skins on their legs, drove forth
five hundred she-asses through the gates, so that Poppaea on the
morrow of her arrival at Antium might have her bath in their milk.
The rabble gazed with delight and ridicule at the long ears swaying
amid clouds of dust, and listened with pleasure to the whistling of
whips and the wild shouts of the herdsmen. After the asses had
gone by, crowds of youth rushed forth, swept the road carefully,
and covered it with flowers and needles from pine-trees. In the
crowds people whispered to each other, with a certain feeling of
pride, that the whole road to Antium would be strewn in that way
with flowers taken from private gardens round about, or bought at
high prices from dealers at the Porta Mugionis. As the morning
hours passed, the throng increased every moment. Some had
brought their whole families, and, lest the time might seem
tedious, they spread provisions on stones intended for the new
temple of Ceres, and ate their prandium beneath the open sky.
Here and there were groups, in which the lead was taken by
persons who had travelled; they talked of Caesar's present trip, of
his future journeys, and journeys in general. Sailors and old
soldiers narrated wonders which during distant campaigns they had
heard about countries which a Roman foot had never touched.
Home-stayers, who had never gone beyond the Appian Way,
listened with amazement to marvellous tales of India, of Arabia, of
archipelagos surrounding Britain in which, on a small island
inhabited by spirits, Briareus had imprisoned the sleeping Saturn.
They heard of hyperborean regions of stiffened seas, of the hisses
and roars which the ocean gives forth when the sun plunges into
his bath. Stories of this kind found ready credence among the
rabble, stories believed by such men even as Tacitus and Pliny.
They spoke also of that ship which Caesar was to look at, -- a ship
which had brought wheat to last for two years, without reckoning
four hundred passengers, an equal number of soldiers, and a
multitude of wild beasts to be used during the summer games. This
produced general good feeling toward Caesar, who not only
nourished the populace, but amused it. Hence a greeting full of
enthusiasm was waiting for him.
Meanwhile came a detachment of Numidian horse, who belonged
to the pretorian guard. They wore yellow uniforms, red girdles, and
great earrings, which cast a golden gleam on their black faces. The
points of their bamboo spears glittered like flames, in the sun.
After they had passed, a procession-like movement began. The
throng crowded forward to look at it more nearly; but divisions of
pretorian foot were there, and, forming in line on both sides of the
gate, prevented approach to the road. In advance moved wagons
carrying tents, purple, red, and violet, and tents of byssus woven
from threads as white as snow; and oriental carpets, and tables of
citrus, and pieces of mosaic, and kitchen utensils, and cages with
birds from the East, North, and West, birds whose tongues or
brains were to go to Caesar's table, and vessels with wine and
baskets with fruit. But objects not to be exposed to bruising or
breaking in vehicles were borne by slaves. Hence hundreds of
people were seen on foot, carrying vessels, and statues of
Corinthian bronze. There were companies appointed specially to
Etruscan vases; others to Grecian; others to golden or silver
vessels, or vessels of Alexandrian glass. These were guarded by
small detachments of pretorian infantry and cavalry; over each
division of slaves were taskmasters, holding whips armed at the
end with lumps of lead or iron, instead of snappers. The
procession, formed of men bearing with importance and attention
various objects, seemed like some solemn religious procession;
and the resemblance grew still more striking when the musical
instruments of Caesar and the court were borne past. There were
seen harps, Grecian lutes, lutes of the Hebrews and Egyptians,
lyres, formingas, citharas, flutes, long, winding buffalo horns and
cymbals. While looking at that sea of instruments, gleaming
beneath the sun in gold, bronze, precious stones, and pearls, it
might be imagined that Apollo and Bacchus had set out on a
journey through the world. After the instruments came rich
chariots filled with acrobats, dancers male and female, grouped
artistically, with wands in their hands. After them followed slaves
intended, not for service, but excess; so there were boys and little
girls, selected from all Greece and Asia Minor, with long hair, or
with winding curls arranged in golden nets, children resembling
Cupids, with wonderful faces, but faces covered completely with a
thick coating of cosmetics, lest the wind of the Campania might
tan their delicate complexions.
And again appeared a pretorian cohort of gigantic Sicambrians,
blue-eyed, bearded, blond and red haired. In front of them Roman
eagles were carried by banner-bearers called "imagfnarii," tablets
with inscriptions, statues of German and Roman gods, and finally
statues and busts of Caesar, From under the skins and armor of the
soldier appeared limbs sunburnt and mighty, looking like military
engines capable of wielding the heavy weapons with which guards
of that kind were furnished. The earth seemed to bend beneath
their measured and weighty tread. As if conscious of strength
which they could use against Caesar himself, they looked with
contempt on the rabble of the street, forgetting, it was evident, that
many of themselves had come to that city in manacles. But they
were insignificant in numbers, for the pretorian force had
remained in camp specially to guard the city and hold it within
bounds. When they had marched past, Nero's chained lions and
tigers were led by, so that, should the wish come to him of
imitating Dionysus, he would have them to attach to his chariots.
They were led in chains of steel by Arabs and Hindoos, but the
chains were so entwined with garlands that the beasts seemed led
with flowers. The lions and tigers, tamed by skilled trainers,
looked at the crowds with green and seemingly sleepy eyes; but at
moments they raised their giant heads, and breathed through
wheezing nostrils the exhalations of the multitude, licking their
jaws the while with spiny tongues. Now came Caesar's vehicles
and litters, great and small, gold or purple, inlaid with ivory or
pearls, or glittering with diamonds; after them came another small
cohort of pretorians in Roman armor, pretorians composed of
Italian volunteers only;1 then crowds of select slave servants, and
boys; and at last came Caesar himself, whose approach was
heralded from afar by the shouts of thousands.
In the crowd was the Apostle Peter, who wished to see Caesar
once in life. He was accompanied by Lygia, whose face was
hidden by a thick veil, and Ursus, whose strength formed the surest
defence of the young girl in the wild and boisterous crowd. The
Lygian seized a stone to be used in building the temple, and
brought it to the Apostle, so that by standing on it he might see
better than others.
The crowd muttered when Ursus pushed it apart, as a ship pushes
waves; but when he carried the stone, which four of the strongest
men could not raise, the muttering was turned into wonderment,
and cries of "Macte!" were heard round about.
Meanwhile Caesar appeared. He was sitting in a chariot drawn by
six white Idumean stallions shod with gold. The chariot had the
form of a tent with sides open, purposely, so that the crowds could
see Caesar. A number of persons might have found place in the
chariot; but Nero, desiring that attention should be fixed on him
exclusively, passed through the city alone, having at his feet
merely two deformed dwarfs. He wore a white tunic, and a toga of
amethyst color, which cast a bluish tinge on his face. On his head
was a laurel wreath. Since his departure from Naples he had
increased notably in body. His face had grown wide; under his
lower jaw hung a double chin, by which his mouth, always too
near his nose, seemed to touch his nostrils. His bulky neck was
protected, as usual, by a silk kerchief, which he arranged from
moment to moment with a white and fat hand grown over with red
hair, forming as it were bloody stains; he would not permit
epilatores to pluck out this hair, since he had been told that to do
so would bring trembling of the fingers and injure his lute-playing.
Measureless vanity was depicted then, as at all times, on his face,
together with tedium and suffering. On the whole, it was a face
both terrible and trivial. While advancing he turned his head from
side to side, blinking at times, and listening carefully to the
manner in which the multitude greeted him. He was met by a
storm of shouts and applause: "Hail, divine Caesar! lmperator,
hail, conqueror! hail, incomparable! Son of Apollo, Apollo
himself!"
When he heard these words, he smiled; but at moments a cloud, as
it were, passed over his face, for the Roman rabble was satirical
and keen in reckoning, and let itself criticise even great
triumphators, even men whom it loved and respected. It was
known that on a time they shouted during the entrance to Rome of
Julius Caesar: "Citizens, hide your wives; the old libertine is
coming!" But Nero's monstrous vanity could not endure the least
blame or criticism; meanwhile in the throng, amid shouts of
applause were heard cries of "Ahenobarbus, Ahenobarbus! Where
hast thou put thy flaming beard? Dost thou fear that Rome might
catch fire from it?" And those who cried out in that fashion knew
not that their jest concealed a dreadful prophecy.
These voices did not anger Caesar overmuch, since he did not
wear a beard, for long before he had devoted it in a golden
cylinder to Jupiter Capitolinus. But other persons, hidden behind
piles of stones and the corners of temples, shouted: "Matricide!
Nero! Orestes! Alcmxon!" and still others: "Where is Octavia?"
"Surrender the purple!" At Poppaea, who came directly after him,
they shouted, "Flava coma (yellow hair)!!" with which name they
indicated a street-walker. Caesar's musical ear caught these
exclamations also, and he raised the polished emerald to his eyes
as if to see and remember those who uttered them. While looking
thus, his glance rested on the Apostle standing on the stone.
For a while those two men looked at each other. It occurred to no
one in that brilliant retinue, and to no one in that immense throng,
that at that moment two powers of the earth were looking at each
other, one of which would vanish quickly as a bloody dream, and
the other, dressed in simple garments, would seize in eternal
possession the world and the city.
Meanwhile Caesar had passed; and immediately after him eight
Africans bore a magnificent litter, in which sat Poppaea, who was
detested by the people. Arrayed, as was Nero, in amethyst color,
with a thick application of cosmetics on her face, immovable,
thoughtful, indifferent, she looked like some beautiful and wicked
divinity carried in procession. In her wake followed a whole court
of servants, male and female, next a line of wagons bearing
materials of dress and use. The sun had sunk sensibly from midday
when the passage of Augustians began, -- a brilliant glittering line
gleaming like an endless serpent. The indolent Petronius, greeted
kitidly by the multitude, had given command to bear him and his
godlike slave in a litter. Tigellinus went in a chariot drawn by
ponies ornamented with white and purple feathers, They saw him
as he rose in the chariot repeatedly, and stretched his neck to see if
Caesar was preparing to give him the sign to to his chariot.
Among others thc crowd greeted Lcinianus with applause, Vitelius
with laughter, Vatinius with hissing. Towards Licinus and
Lecanius the consuls they were indifferent, but Tullius Senecio
they loved, it was unknown why, and Vestinius received applause.
The court was innumerable.. It seemed that all that was richest,
most brilliant and noted in Rome, was migrating to Annum. Nero
never travelled otherwise than with thousands of vehicles; the
society which acompanied him almost always exceeded the
number of soldiers in a legion.2 Hence Domitius Afer appeared,
and the decrepit Lucius Saturninus; and Vespasian, who had not
gone yet on his expedition to Judea, from which he returned for
the crown of Caesar, and his sons, and young Nerva, and Lucan,
and Annius Gallo, and Quintianus, and a multitude of women
renowned for wealth, beauty, luxury, and vice.
The eyes of the multitude were turhed to the harness, the chariots,
the horses, the strange livery of the servants, made up of all
peoples of the earth. In that procession of pride and grandeur one
hardly knew what to look at; and not only the eye, but the mind,
was dazzled by such gleaming of gold, purple, and violet, by thc
flashing of prccious stones, the glitter of brocade, pearls, and
ivory. It seemed that the very rays of the sun were dissolving in
that abyss of brilliancy. And though wretched people were not
lacking in that throng, people with sunken stomachs, and with
hunger in their eyes, that spectacle inflamed not only their desire
of enjoyment and their envy, but filled them with delight and
pride, because it gave a feeling of the might and invincibility of
Rome, to which the world contributed, and before which the world
knelt. Indeed there was not on earth any one who ventured to think
that that power would not endure through all ages, and outlive all
nations, or that there was anything in existence that had strength to
oppose it.
Vinicius, riding at the end of the retinue, sprang out of his chariot
at sight of the Apostle and Lygia, whom he had not expected to
see, and, greeting them with a radiant face, spoke with hurried
voice, like a man who has no time to spare, -- "Hast thou come? I
know not how to thank thee, O Lygia! God could not have sent me
a better omen. I greet thee even while taking farewell, but not
farewell for a long time. On the road I shall dispose relays of
horses, and every free day I shall come to thee till I get leave to
return. -- Farewell!"
"Farewell, Marcus!" answered Lygia; then she added in a lower
voice:
"May Christ go with thee, and open thy soul to Paul's word."
He was glad at heart that she was concerned about his becoming a
Christian soon; hence he answered, --
"Ocelle mi! let it be as thou sayest. Paul prefers to travel with my
people, but he is with me, and will be to me a companion and
master. Draw aside thy veil, my delight, let me see thee before my
journey. Why art thou thus hidden?"
She raised the veil, and showed him her bright face and her
wonderfully smiling eyes, inquiring, --
"Is the veil bad?"
And her smile had in it a little of maiden opposition; but Vinicius,
while looking at her with delight, answered, -- "Bad for my eyes,
which till death would look on thee only." Then he turned to Ursus
and said, -- "Ursus, guard her as the sight in thy eye, for she is my
domina as well as thine."
Seizing her hand then, he pressed it with his lips, to the great
astonishment of tlte crowd, who could not understand signs of
such honor from a brilliant Augustian to a maiden arrayed in
simple garments, almost those of a slave.
"Farewell!"
Then he departed quickly, for Caesar's whole retinue had pushed
forward considerably. The Apostle Peter blessed hini with a slight
sign of the cross; but the kindly Ursus began at once to glorify
him, glad that his young mistress listened eagerly and was grateful
to him for those praises.
The retinue moved on and hid itself in clouds of golden dust; they
gazed long after it, however, till Demas the miller apprvached, he
for whom Ursus worked in the night-time. When he had kissed the
Apostle's hand, he entreated them to enter his dwelling for
refreshment, saying that it was near thc Emporium, that they must
be hungry and wearied since they had spent the greater part of the
day at the gate.
They went with him, and, after rest and refreshment in his house,
returned to the Trans-Tiber only toward evening. Intending to
cross the river by the Aemilian bridge, they passed through the
Clivus Publicus, going over the Aventine, between the temples of
Diana and Mercury. From that height the Apostle looked on the
edifices about him, and on those vanishing in the distance. Sunk in
silence he meditated on the immensity and dominion of that city,
to which he had come to announce the word of God. Hitherto he
had seen the rule of Rome and its legions in various lands through
which he had wandered, but they were single members as it were
of the power, which that day for the first time he had seen
impersonated in the form of Nero. That city, immense, predatory,
ravenous, unrestrained, rotten to the marrow of its bones, and
unassailable in its preterhuman power; that Caesar, a fratricide, a
matricide, a wife-slayer, after him dragged a retinue of bloody
spectres no less in number than his court. That profligate, that
buffoon, but also lord of thirty legions, and through them of the
whole earths; those courtiers covered with gold and scarlet,
uncertain of the morrow, but mightier meanwhile than kings, -- all
this together seemed a species of hellish kingdom of wrong and
evil. In his simple heart he marvelled that God could give such
inconceivable almightiness to Satan, that He could yield the earth
to him to knead, overturn, and trample it, to squeeze blood and
tears from it, to twist it like a whirlwind, to storm it like a tempest,
to consume it like a flame. And his Apostle-heart was alarmed by
those thoughts, and in spirit he spoke to the Master: "O Lord, how
shall I begin in this city, to which Thou Inst sent mc? 'lo ft belong
seas and lands, the beasts of the field, and the creatures of the
water; it owns other kingdoms and cities, and thirty legions which
guard them; hut I, O Lord, am a fisherman from a lake! How shall
I begin, and how shall I conquer its malice?"
Thus speaking. he raised his gray, trembling head toward heaven,
praying and exclaiming from the depth of his heart to his Divine
Master, himself f till of sadness and fear.
Meanwhile hb prayer was interrupted by Lygia.
"The whole city is as if on fire," said she.
In fact the sun went down that day in a marvellous manner. Its
immense shield had sunk half-way behind the Janiculum, the
whole expanse of heaven was filled with a red gleam. From the
place on which they were standing, Peter's glance embraced large
expanses. Somewhat to thc right they saw the long extending
walls of the Circus Maximus; above it the towering palaces of the
Palatine; and directly in front of them, beyond the Forum Boarium
and the Velabrum, the summit of the Capitol, with the temple of
Jupiter. But the walls and the columns and the summits of the
temples were as if sunk in that golden and purple gleam. The parts
of the river visible from afar flowed as if in blood; arid as the sun
sank moment after moment behind the mountain, th‡ gleam
became redder and redder, more and more like a conflagration,
and it increased and extended till finally it embraced the seven
hills, from which it extended to the whole region about.
"The whole city seems on fire!" repeated Lygia.
Peter shaded his eyes with his hand, and said --
"The wrath of God is upon it."
1 The inhabitants of Italy were freed from military service by
Augustus, in consequence of which the so-called cohors Italica,
stationed generally in Asia, was composed of volunteers. The
pretorian guards, in so far as they were not composed of
foreigners, were made up of volunteers.
2 In the time of the Caesars a legion was always 12,000 men. _
Read next: CHAPTER XXXVII
Read previous: CHAPTER XXXV
Table of content of Quo Vadis
GO TO TOP OF SCREEN
Post your review
Your review will be placed after the table of content of this book
