Books: Quo Vadis A Narrative of the Time of Nero

H >> Henryk Sienkiewicz >> Quo Vadis A Narrative of the Time of Nero

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"I must go to Sporus," said he to himself, "and pour out a little
wine to Fortuna. I have found at last what I have been seeking this
long time. He is young, irascible, bounteous as mines in Cyprus,
and ready to give half his fortune for that Lygian linnet. Just such a
man have I been seeking this long time. It is needful, however, to
be on one's guard with him, for the wrinkling of his brow
forebodes no good. Ah! the woif-whelps lord it over the world
to-day! I should fear that Petronius less. O gods! but the trade of
procurer pays better at present than virtue. Ah! she drew a fish on
the sand! If I know what that means, may I choke myself with a
piece of goat's cheese! But I shall know. Fish live under water, and
searching under water is more difficult than on land, ergo he will
pay me separately for this fish. Another such purse and I might
cast aside the beggar's wallet and buy myself a slave. But what
wouldst thou say, Chilo, were I to advise thee to buy not a male
but a female slave? I know thee; I know that thou wouldst consent.
If she were beautiful, like Eunice, for instance, thou thyself
wouldst grow young near her, and at the same time wouldst have
from her a good and certain income. I sold to that poor Eunice two
threads from my old mantle. She is dull; but if Petronius were to
give her to me, I would take her. Yes, yes, Chilo Chilonides, thou
hast lost father and mother, thou art an orphan; therefore buy to
console thee even a female slave. She must indeed live
somewhere, therefore Vinicius will hire her a dwelling, in which
thou too mayest find shelter; she must dress, hence Vinicius will
pay for the dress; and must eat, hence he will support her. Och!
what a hard life! Where are the times in which for an obolus a man
could buy as much pork and beans as he could hold in both hands,
or a piece of goat's entrails as long as the arm of a boy twelve years
old, and filled with blood? But here is that villain Sporus! In the
wine-shop it will be easier to learn something."

Thus conversing, he entered the wine-shop and ordered a pitcher
of "dark" for himself. Seeing the sceptical look of the shopkeeper,
he took a gold coin from his purse, and, putting it on the table,
said, -- "Sporus, I toiled to-day with Seneca from dawn till midday,
and this is what my friend gave me at parting."

The plump eyes of Sporus became plumper still at this sight, and
the wine was soon before Chilo. Moistening his fingers in it, he
drew a fish on the table, and said, -- "Knowest what that means?"
"A fish? Well, a fish, -- yes, that's a fish." "Thou art dull; though
thou dost add so much water to the wine that thou mightst find a
fish in it. This is a symbol which, in the language of philosophers,
means 'the smile of fortune.' If thou hadst divined it, thou too
mightst have made a fortune. Honor philosophy, I tell thee, or I
shall change my wineshop, -- an act to which Petronius, my
personal friend, has been urging me this long time."

Chapter XIV

FOR a number of days after the interview, Chilo did not show
himself anywhere. Vinicius, since he had learned from Acte that
Lygia loved him, was a hundred times more eager to find her, and
began himself to search. He was unwilling, and also unable, to ask
aid of Caesar, who was in great fear because of the illness of the
infant Augusta.

Sacrifices in the temples did not help, neither did prayers and
offerings, nor the art of physicians, nor all the means of
enchantment to which they turned finally. In a week the child died.
Mourning fell upon the court and Rome. Caesar, who at the birth
of the infant was wild with delight, was wild now from despair,
and, confining himself in his apartments, refused food for two
days; and though the palace was swarming with senators and
Augustians, who hastened with marks of sorrow and sympathy, he
denied audience to every one. The senate assembled in an
extraordinary session, at which the dead child was pronounced
divine. It was decided to rear to her a temple and appoint a special
priest to her service. New sacrifices were offered in other temples
in honor of the deceased; statues of her were cast from precious
metals; and her funeral was one immense solemnity, during which
the people wondered at the unrestrained marks of grief which
Caesar exhibited; they wept with him, stretched out their hands for
gifts, and above all amused themselves with the unparalleled
spectacle.

That death alarmed Petronius. All knew in Rome that Poppae
ascribed it to enchantment. The physicians, who were thus enabled
to explain the vanity of their efforts, supported her; the priests,
whose sacrifices proved powerless, did the same, as well as the
sorcerers, who were trembling for their lives, and also the people.
Petronius was glad now that Lygia had fled; for he wished no evil
to Aulus and Pomponia, and he wished good to himself and
Vinicius; therefore when the cypress, set out before the Palatine as
a sign of mourning, was removed, he went to the reception
appointed for the senators and Augustians to learn how far Nero
had lent ear to reports of spells, and to neutralize results which
might come from his belief.

Knowing Nero, he thought, too, that though he did not believe in
charms, he would feign belief, so as to magnify his own suffering,
and take vengeance on some one, finally, to escape the suspicion
that the gods had begun to punish him for crimes. Petronius did
not think that Caesar could love really and deeply even his own
child; though he loved her passionately, he felt certain, however,
that he would exaggerate his suffering. He was not mistaken. Nero
listened, with stony face and fixed eyes, to the consolation offered
by knights and senators. It was evident that, even if he suffered, he
was thinking of this: What impression would his suffering make
upon others? He was posing as a Niobe, and giving an exhibition
of parental sorrow, as an actor would give it on the stage. He had
not the power even then to endure in his silent and as it were
petrified sorrow, for at moments he made a gesture as if to cast the
dust of the earth on his head, and at moments he groaned deeply;
but seeing Petronius, he sprang up and cried in a tragic voice, so
that all present could hear him, -- "Eheu! And thou art guilty of her
death! At thy advice the evil spirit entered these walls, -- the evil
spirit which, with one look, drew the life from her breast! Woe is
me! Would that my eyes had not seen the light of Helios! Woe is
me! Eheu! eheu!"

And raising his voice still more, he passed into a despairing shout;
but Petronius resolved at that moment to put everything on one
cast of the dice; hence, stretching out his hand, he seized the silk
kerchief which Nero wore around his neck always, and, placing it
on the mouth of the Imperator, said solemnly, -- "Lord, Rome and
the world are benumbed with pain; but do thou preserve thy voice
for us!"

Those present were amazed; Nero himself was amazed for a
moment. Petronius alone was unmoved; he knew too well what he
was doing. He remembered, besides, that Terpnos and Diodorus
had a direct order to close Caesar's mouth whenever he raised his
voice too much and exposed it to danger.

"O Caesar!" continued he, with the same seriousness and sorrow,
"we have suffered an immeasurable loss; let even this treasure of
consolation remain to us!"

Nero's face quivered, and after a while tears came from his eyes.
All at once he rested his hands on Petronius's shoulders, and,
dropping his head on his breast, began to repeat, amid sobs,--
"Thou alone of all thought of this, -- thou alone, O Petronius! thou
alone!" Tigellinus grew yellow from envy; but Petronius
continued, -- "Go to Antium! there she came to the world, there joy
flowed in on thee, there solace will come to thee. Let the sea air
freshen thy divine throat; let thy breast breathe the salt dampness.
We, thy devoted ones, will follow thee everywhere; and when we
assuage thy pain with friendship, thou wilt comfort us with song.

"True!" answered Nero, sadly, "I will write a hymn in her honor,
and compose music for it."

"And then thou wilt find the warm sun in Bai~."

"And afterward -- forgetfulness in Greece."

"In the birthplace of poetry and song."

And his stony, gloomy state of mind passed away gradually, as
clouds pass that are covering the sun; and then a conversation
began which, though full of sadness, yet was full of plans for the
future, -- touching a journey, artistic exhibitions, and even the
receptions required at the promised coming of Tiridates, King of
Armenia. Tigellinus tried, it is true, to bring forward again the
enchantment; but Petronius, sure now of victory, took up the
challenge directly.

"Tigellinus," said he, "dost thou think that enchantments can injure
the gods?"

"Caesar himself has mentioned them," answered the courtier.

"Pain was speaking, not Caesar; but thou -- what is thy opinion of
the matter?"

"The gods are too mighty to be subject to charms."

"Then wouldst thou deny divinity to Caesar and his family?"

"Peractum est!" muttered Eprius Marcellus, standing near,
repeating that shout which the people gave always when a
gladiator in the arena received such a blow that he needed no
other.

Tigellinus gnawed his own anger. Between him and Petronius
there had long existed a rivalry touching Nero. Tigellinus had this
superiority, that Nero acted with less ceremony, or rather with
none whatever in his presence; while thus far Petronius overcame
Tigellinus at every encounter with wit and intellect.

So it happened now. Tigellinus was silent, and simply recorded in
his memory those senators and knights who, when Petronius
withdrew to the depth of the chamber, surrounded him
straightway, supposing that after this incident he would surely be
Casar's first favorite.

Petronius, on leaving the palace, betook himself to Vinicius, and
described his encounter with Caesar and Tigellinus.

"Not only have I turned away danger," said he, "from Aulus
Plautius, Pomponia, and us, but even from Lygia, whom they will
not seek, even for this reason, that I have persuaded Bronzebeard,
the monkey, to go to Antium, and thence to Naples or Bai~ and he
will go. I know that he has not ventured yet to appear in the theatre
publicly; I have known this long time that he intends to do so at
Naples. He is dreaming, moreover, of Greece, where he wants to
sing in all the more prominent cities, and then make a triumphal
entry into Rome, with all the crowns which the 'Gruculi' will
bestow on him. During that time we shall be able to seek Lygia
unhindered and secrete her in safety. But has not our noble
philosopher been here yet?"

"Thy noble philosopher is a cheat. No; he has not shown himself,
and he will not show himself again!"

"But I have a better understanding, if not of his honesty, of his wit.
He rn has drawn blood once from thy purse, and will come even
for this, to draw it a second time."

"Let him beware lest I draw his own blood."

"Draw it not; have patience till thou art convinced surely of his
deceit. Do not give him more money, but promise a liberal reward
if he brings thee certain information. Wilt thou thyself undertake
something?"

"My two freedmen, Nymphidius and Demas, are searching for her
with sixty men. Freedom is promised the slave who finds her.
Besides I have sent out special persons by all roads leading from
Rome to inquire at every inn for the Lygian and the maiden. I
course through the city myself day and night, counting on a chance
meeting."

"Whenever thou hast tidings let me know, for I must go to
Antium."

"I will do so."

"And if thou wake up some morning and say, 'It is not worth while
to torment myself for one girl, and take so much trouble because
of her,' come to Antium. There will be no lack of women there, or
amusement."

Vinicius began to walk with quick steps. Petronius looked f or
some time at him, and said at last, -- "Tell me sincerely, not as a
mad head, who talks something into his brain and excites himself,
but as a man of ~udgmcnt who is answering a friend: Art thou
concerned as much as ever about this Lygia?"

Vinicius stopped a moment, and looked at Petronius as if he had
not seen him before; then he began to walk again. It was evident
that he was restraining an outburst. At last, from a feeling of
helplessness, sorrow, anger, and invincible yearning, two tears
gathered in his eyes, which spoke with greater power to Petronius
than the most eloquent words.

Then, meditating for a moment, he said, -- "It is not Atlas who
carries the world on his shoulders, but woman; and sometimes she
plays with it as with a bail."

"True," said Vinicius.

And they began to take farewell of each other. But at that moment
a slave announced that Chilo Chilonides was waiting in the
antechamber, and begged to be admitted to the presence of the
lord.

Vinicius gave command to admit him immediately, and Petronius
said, -- "Ha! have I not told thee? By Hercules! keep thy calmness;
or he will command thee, not thou him."

"A greeting and honor to the noble tribune of the army, and to
thee, lord," said Chio, entering. "May your happiness be equal to
your fame, and may your fame course through the world from the
pillars of Hercules to the boundaries of the Arsacid~e."

"A greeting, O lawgiver of virtue and wisdom," answered
Petronius. But Vinicius inquired with affected calmness, "What
dost thou bring?" "The first time 1 came I brought thee hope, O
lord; at present, I bring certainty that the maiden will be found."

"That means that thou hast not found her yet?"

"Yes, lord; but I have found what that sign means which she made.
I know who the people are who rescued her, and I know the God
among whose worshippers to seek her."

Vinicius wished to spring from the chair in which he was sitting;
but Petronius placed his hand on his shoulder, and turning to Chio
said, -- "Speak on!"

"Art thou perfectly certain, lord, that she drew a fish on the sand?"
"Yes," burst out Vinicius.

"Then she is a Christian and Christians carried her away." A
moment of silence followed.

"Listen, Chilo," said Petronius. "My relative has predestined to
thee a considerable sum of money for finding the girl, but a no less
considerable number of rods if thou deceive him. In the first case
thou wilt purchase not one, but three scribes; in the second, the
philosophy of all the seven sages, with the addition of thy own,
will not suffice to get thee ointment."

"The maiden is a Christian, lord," cried the Greek.

"Stop, Chilo. Thou art not a dull man. We know that Junia and
Calvia Crispinilla accused Pomponia Graecina of confessing the
Christian superstition; but we know too, that a domestic court
acquitted her. Wouldst thou raise this again? Wouldst thou
persuade us that Pomponia, and with her Lygia, could belong to
the enemies of the human race, to the poisoners of ~ ells and
fountains, to the worshippers of an ass's head, to people who
murder infants and give themselves up to the foulest license?
Think, Chilo, if that thesis which thou art announcing to us will
not rebound as an antithesis on thy own back."

Chilo spread out his arms in sign that that was not his fault, and
then said,-- "Lord, utter in Greek the following sentence: Jesus
Christ, Son of God,

Saviour." 1

"Well, I have uttered it. What comes of that?"

"Now take the first letters of each of those words and put them into
one word."

"Fish!" said Petronius with astonishment.2

"There, that is why fish has become the watchword of the
Christians," answered Chio, proudly.

A moment of silence followed. But there was something so
striking in the conclusions of the Greek that the two friends could
not guard them.. selves from amazement.

"Vinicius, art thou not mistaken?" asked Petronius. "Did Lygia
really draw a fish for thee?"

"By all the infernal gods, one might go mad!" cried the young man,
with excitement. "If she had drawn a bird for me, I should have
said a bird."

"Therefore she is a Christian," repeated Chio.

"This signifies," said Petronius, "that Pomponia and Lygia poison
wells, murder children caught on the street, and give themselves
up to dissoluteness! Folly! Thou, Vinicius, wert at their house for a
time, I was there a little while; but I know Pomponia and Aulus
enough, I know even Lygia enough, to say monstrous and foolish!
If a fish is the symbol of the Christians, which it is difficult really
to deny, and if those women are Christians, then, by Proserpina!
evidently Christians are not what we hold them to be."

"Thou speakest like Socrates, lord," answered Chilo. "Who has
ever examined a Christian? Who has learned their religion? When
I was travelling three years ago from Naples hither to Rome (oh,
why did I not stay in Naples!), a man joined me, whose name was
Glaucus, of whom people said that he was a Christian; but in spite
of that I convinced myself that he was a good and virtuous man."

"Was it not from that virtuous man that thou hast learned now
what the fish means?"

"Unfortunately, lord, on the way, at an inn, some one thrust a knife
into that honorable old man; and his wife and child were carried
away by slave-dealers. I lost in their defence these two fingers;
since, as people say, there is no lack among Christians of miracles,
I hope that the fingers will grow out on my hand again."

"How is that? Hast thou become a Christian?"

"Since yesterday, lord, since yesterday! The fish made me a
Christian. But see what a power there is in it. For some days I shall
be the most zealous of the zealous, SO that they may admit me to
all their secrets; and when they admit me to their secrets, I shall
know where the maiden is hiding. Perhaps then my Christianity
will pay me better than my philosophy. I have made a vow also to
Mercury, that if he helps me to find the maiden, I will sacrifice to
him two heifers of the same size and color and will gild their
horns."

"Then thy Christianity of yesterday and thy philosophy of long
standing permit thee to believe in Mercury?"

"1 believe always in that in which I need to believe; that is my
philosophy, which ought to please Mercury. Unfortunately (ye
know, worthy lords, what a suspicious god he is), he does not trust
the promises even of blameless philosophers, and prefers the
heifers in advance; meanwhile this outlay is immense. Not every
one is a Seneca, and I cannot afford the sacrifice; should the noble
Vinicius, however, wish to give something, on account of that sum
which he promised --"

"Not an obolus, Chilo!" said Petronius, "not an obolus. The bounty
of Vinicius will surpass thy expectations, but only when Lygia is
found, -- that is, when thou shalt indicate to us her hiding-place.
Mercury must trust thee for the two heifers, though I am not
astonished at him for not wishing to do so; in this I recognize his
acuteness."

"Listen to me, worthy lords. The discovery which I have made is
great; for though I have not found the maiden yet, I have found the
way in which I must seek her. Ye have sent freedmen and slaves
throughout the city and into the country; has any one given you a
clew? No! I alone have given one. I tell you more. Among your
slaves there may be Christians, of whom ye have no knowledge,
for this superstition has spread everywhere; and they, instead of
aiding, will betray you. It is unfortunate that they see me here; do
thou therefore, noble Petronius, enjoin silence on Eunice; and thou
too, noble Vinicius, spread a report that I sell thee an ointment
which insures victory in the Circus to horses rubbed with it. I alone
will search for her, and single-handed I will find the fugitives; and
do ye trust in me, and know that whatever I receive in advance will
be for me simply an encouragement, for I shall hope always for
more, and shall feel the greater certainty that the promised reward
will not fail me. Ah, it is true! As a philosopher I despise money,
though neither Seneca, nor even Musonius, nor Cornutus despises
it, though they have not lost fingers in any one's defence, and are
able themselves to write and leave their names to posterity. But,
aside from the slave, whom I intend to buy, and besides Mercury,
to whom I have promised the heifers, -- and ye know how dear
cattle have become in these times, -- the searching itself involves
much outlay. Only listen to me patiently. Well, for the last few
days my feet are wounded from continual walking. I have gone to
wine-shops to talk with people, to bakeries, to butcher-shops, to
dealers in olive oil, and to fishermen. I have run through every
street and alley; I have been in the hiding-places of fugitive slaves;
I have lost money, nearly a hundred ases, in playing mora; I have
been in laundries, in drying-sheds, in cheap kitchens; I have seen
mule-drivers and carvers; I have seen people who cure bladder
complaints and pull teeth; I have talked with dealers in dried figs; I
have been at cemeteries; and do ye know why? This is why; so as
to outline a fish everywhere, look people in the eyes, and hear
what they would say of that sign. For a long time I was unable to
learn anything, till at last I saw an old slave at a fountain. He was
drawing water with a bucket, and weeping. Approaching him, I
asked the cause of his tears. When we had sat down on the steps of
the fountain, he answered that all his life he had been collecting
sestertium after sestertium, to redeem his beloved son; but his
master, a certain Pansa, when the money was
delivered to him, took it, but kept the son in slavery. 'And so I am
weeping,' said the old man, 'for though I repeat, Let the will of God
be done, I, poor sinner, am not able to keep down my tears.' Then,
as if penetrated by a forewarning, I moistened my finger in the
water and drew a fish for him. To this he answered, 'My hope, too,
is in Christ.' I asked him then, 'Hast thou confessed to me by that
sign?' 'I have,' said he; 'and peace be with thee.' I began then to
draw him out, and the honest old man told me everything. His
master, that Pansa, is himself a freedman of the great Pansa; and
he brings stones by the Tiber to Rome, where slaves and hired
persons unload them from the boats, and carry them to buildings in
the night time, so as not to obstruct movement in the streets during
daylight. Among these people many Christians work, and also his
son; as the work is beyond his son's strength, he wished to redeem
him. But Pansa preferred to keep both the money and the slave.
While telling me this, he began again to weep; and I mingled my
tears with his, -- tears came to me easily because of my kind heart,
and the pain in my feet, which I got from walking excessively. I
began also to lament that as I had come from Naples only a few
days since, I knew no one of the brotherhood, and did not know
where they assembled for prayer. He wondered that Christians in
Naples had not given me letters to their brethren in Rome; but I
explained to him that the letters were stolen from me on the road.
Then he told me to come to the river at night, and he would
acquaint me with brethren who would conduct me to houses of
prayer and to elders who govern the Christian cornmunity. When I
heard this, I was so delighted that I gave him the sum needed to
redeem his son, in the hope that the lordly Vinicius would return it
to me twofold."

"Chilo," interrupted Petronius, "in thy narrative falsehood appears
on the surface of truth, as oil does on water. Thou hart brought
important information; I do not deny that. I assert, even, that a
great step is made toward finding Lygia; but do not cover thy news
with falsehood. What is the name of that old man from whom thou
hart learned that the Christians recognize each other through the
sign of a fish?"

"Euricius. A poor, unfortunate old man! He reminded me of
Glaucus, whom I defended from murderers, and he touched me
mainly by this."

"I believe that thou didst discover him, and wilt be able to make
use of the acquaintance; but thou hast given him no money. Thou
hast not given him an as; dost understand me? Thou hast not given
anything."

"But I helped him to lift the bucket, and I spoke of his son with the
greatest sympathy. Yes, lord, what can hide before the penetration
of Petronius? Well, I did not give him money, or rather, I gave it to
him, but only in spirit, in intention, which, had he been a real
philosopher, should have sufficed him. I gave it to him because I
saw that such an act was indispensable and useful; for think, lord,
how this act has won all the Christians at once to me, what access
to them it has opened, and what confidence it has roused in them."

"True," said Petronius, "and it was thy duty to do it."

"For this very reason I have come to get the means to do it."
Petronius turned to Vinicius, -- "Give command to count out to
him five thousand sestertia, but in spirit, in intention."

"I will give thee a young man," said Vinicius, "who will take the
sum necessary; thou wilt say to Euricius that the youth is thy slave,
and thou wilt count out to the old man, in the youth's presence, this
money. Since thou hast brought important tidings, thou wilt
rece.ive the same amount for thyself. Come for the youth and the
money this evening."