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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At present the only question with him was the choice of people,
and to this he was turning that thought of which he had made
mention to Vinicius. Spending his nights in wine-shops most
frequently, and lodging in them, among men without a roof,
without faith or honor, he could find persons easily to undertake
any task, and still more easily others who, if they sniffed coin on
his person, would begin, but when they had received earnest
money, would extort the whole sum by threatening to deliver him
to justice. Besides, for a certain time past Chilo had felt a
repulsion for nakedness, for those disgusting and terrible figures
lurking about suspected houses in the Subura or in the
Trans--Tiber. Measuring everything with his own measure, and not
having fathomed sufficiently the Christians or their religion, he
judged that among them, too, he could find willing tools. Since
they seemed more reliable than others, he resolved to turn to them
and present the affair in such fashion that they would undertake it,
not for money's sake merely, but through devotion.

In view of this, he went in the evening to Euricius, whom he knew
as devoted with whole soul to his person, and who, he was sure,
would do all in his power to assist him. Naturally cautious, Chilo
did not even dream of revealing his real intentions, which would
be in clear opposition, moreover, to the faith which the old man
had in his piety and virtue. He wished to find people who were
ready for anything, and to talk with them of the affair only in such
a way that, out of regard to themselves, they would guard it as an
eternal secret.

The old man Euricius, after the redemption of his son, hired one of
those little shops so numerous near the Circus Maximus, in which
were sold olives, beans, unleavened paste, and water sweetened
with honey, to spectators coming to the Circus. Chilo found him at
home arranging his shop; and when he had greeted him in Christ's
name, he began to speak of the affair which had brought him.
Since he had rendered them a service, he considered that they
would pay him with gratitude. He needed two or three strong and
courageous men, to ward off danger threatening not only him, but
all Christians. He was poor, it was true,'since he had given to
Euricius almost all that he owned; still he would pay such men for
their services if they would trust him and perform faithfully what
he commanded.

Euricius and his son Quartus listened to him as their benefactor
almost on their knees. Both declared that they were ready
themselves to do all that he asked of them, believing that a man so
holy could not ask for deeds inconsistent with the teaching of
Christ.

Chilo assured them that that was true, and, raising his eyes to
heaven, he seemed to be praying; in fact, he was thinking whether
it would not be well to accept their proposal, which might save
him a thousand sestertia. But after a moment of thought he
rejected it. Euricius was an old man, perhaps not so much
weighted by years as weakened by care and disease. Quartus was
sixteen years of age. Chilo needed dexterous, and, above all,
stalwart men. As to the thousand sestertia, he considered that --
thanks to the plan which he had invented -- he would be able in
every case to spare a large part of it.

They insisted for some time, but when he refused decisively they
yielded.

"I know the baker Demas," said Quarrus, "in whose mills slaves
and hired men are employed. One of those hired men is so strong
that he would take the place, not of two, but of four. I myself have
seen him lift stones from the ground which four men could not
stir."

"If that is a God-fearing man, who can sacrifice himself for the
brotherhood, make me acquainted with him," said Chilo.

"He is a Christian, lord," answered Quartus; "nearly all who work
for Demas are Christians. He has night as well as day laborers; this
man is of the night laborers. Were we to go flow to the mill, we
should find them at supper, and thou mightest speak to him freely.
Demas lives near the Emporium."

Chilo consented most willingly. The Emporium was at the foot of
the Aventine, hence not very far from the Circus Maximus. It was
possible, without going around the hill, to pass along the river
through the Porticus Aemilia, which would shorten the road
considerably.

"I am old," said Chilo, when they went under the Colonnade; "at
times I suffer effacement of memory. Yes, though our Christ was
betrayed by one of his disciples, the name of the traitor I cannot
recall at this moment --"

"Judas, lord, who hanged himself," answered Quartus, wondering a
little in his soul how it was possible to forget that name.

"Oh, yes -- Judas! I thank thee," said Chilo.

And they went on some time in silence. When they came to the
Emporium, which was closed, they passed it, and going around the
storehouse, from which grain was distributed to the populace, they
turned toward the left, to houses which stretched along the Via
Ostiensis, up to the Mom Tesraceus and the Forum Pistorium.
There they halted before a wooden building, from the interior of
which came' the noise of millstones. Quartus went in; but Chio,
who did not like to show himself to large numbers of people, and
was in continual dread that some fate might bring him to meet
Glaucus, remained outside.

"I am curious about that Hercules who serves in a mill," said he to
himself, looking at the brightly shining moon. "If he is a scoundrel
and a wise man, he will cost me something; if a virtuous Christian
and dull, he will do what 1 want without money."

Further meditation was interrupted by the return of Quartus, who
issued from the building with a second man, wearing only a tunic
called "exomis," cut in such fashion that the right arm and right
breast were exposed. Such garments, since they left perfect
freedom of movement, were used especially by laborers. Chio,
when he saw the man coming, drew a breath of satisfaction, for he
had not seen in his life such an arm and such a breast.

"Here, lord," said Quartus, "is the brother whom it was thy wish to
see."

"May the peace of Christ be with thee!" answered Chio. "Do thou,
Quartus, tell this brother whether I deserve faith and trust, and then
return in the name of God; for there is no need that thy gray-haired
father should be left in loneliness."

"This is a holy man," said Quartus, "who gave all his property to
redeem me from slavery, -- me, a man unknown to him. May our
Lord the Saviour prepare him a heavenly reward therefor!"

The gigantic laborer, hearing this, bent down and kissed Chilo's
hand.

"What is thy name, brother?" inquired the Greek.

"At holy baptism, father, the name Urban was given me."

"Urban, my brother, hast thou time to talk with me freely?"

"Our work begins at midnight, and only now are they preparing our
supper.'

'Then there is time sufficient. Let us go to the river; there thou wilt
hear my words."

They went, and sat on the embankment, in a silence broken only
by the distant sound of the millstones and the plash of the
onflowing river. Chilo looked into the face of the laborer, which,
notwithstanding a somewhat severe and sad expression, such as
was usual on faces of barbarians living in Rome, seemed to him
kind and honest.

"This is a good-natured, dull man who will kill Glaucus for
nothing," thought Chilo.

"Urban," inquired he then, "dost thou love Christ?"

"I love him from the soul of my heart," said the laborer.

"And thy brethren and sisters, and those who taught thee truth and
faith in Christ?"

"I love them, too, father."

"Then may peace be with thee!"

"And with thee, father!"

Again silence set in, but in the distance the millstones were
roaring, and the river was plashing below the two men.

Chilo looked with fixed gaze into the clear moonlight, and with a
slow, restrained voice began to speak of Christ's death. He seemed
not as speaking to Urban, but as if recalling to himself that death,
or some secret which he was confiding to the drowsy city. There
was in this, too, something touching as well as impressive. The
laborer wept; and when Chilo began to groan and complain that in
the moment of the Saviour's passion there was no one to defend
him, if not from crucifixion, at least from the insults of Jews and
soldiers, the gigantic fists of the barbarian began to squeeze from
pity and suppressed rage. The death only moved him; but at
thought of that rabble reviling the Lamb nailed to the cross, the
simple soul in him was indignant, and a wild desire of vengeance
seized the man.

"Urban, dost thou know who Judas was?" asked Chilo, suddenly.

"I know, I know! -- but he hanged himself!" exclaimed the laborer.

And in his voice there was a kind of sorrow that the traitor had
meted out punishment to himself, and that Judas could not fall into
his hands.

"But if he had not hanged himself," continued Chilo, "and if some
Christian were to meet him on land or on sea, would it not be the
duty of that Christian to take revenge for the torment, the blood,
and the death of the Saviour?"

"Who is there who would not take revenge, father?"

"Peace be with thee, faithful servant of the Lamb! True, it is
permitted to forgive wrongs done ourselves; but who has the right
to forgive a wrong done to God? But as a serpent engenders a
serpent, as malice breeds malice, and treason breeds treason, so
from the poison of Judas another traitor has come; and as that one
delivered to Jews and Roman soldiers the Saviour, so this man
who lives among us intends to give Christ's sheep to the wolves;
and if no one will anticipate the treason, if no one will crush the
head of the serpent in time, destruction is waiting for us all, and
with us will perish the honor of the Lamb."

The laborer looked at Chilo with immense alarm, as if not
understanding what he had heard. But the Greek, covering his head
with a corner of his mantle, began to repeat, with a voice coming
as if from beneath the earth, -- "Woe to you, servants of the true
God! woe to you, Christian men and Christian women!"

And again came silence, again were heard only the roar of the
millstones, the deep song of the millers, and the sound of the river.

"Father," asked the laborer at last, "what kind of traitor is that?"

Chilo dropped his head. "What kind of traitor? A son of Judas, a
son of his poison, a man who pretends to be a Christian, and goes
to houses of prayer only to complain of the brotherhood to Caesar,
-- declaring that they will not recognize Caesar as a god; that they
poison fountains, murder children, and wish to destroy the city, so
that one stone may not remain on another. Behold! in a few days a
command will be given to the pretorians to cast old men, women,
and children into prison, and lead them to death, just as they led to
death the slaves of Pedanius Secundus. All this has been done by
that second Judas. But if no one punished the first Judas, if no one
took vengeance on him, if rio one defended Christ in the hour of
torment, who will punish this one, who will destroy the serpent
before Caesar hears him, who will destroy him, who will defend
from destruction our brothers in the faith of Christ?"

Urban, who had been sitting thus far on a stone, stood up on a
sudden, and said,-- "I will, father."

Chilo rose also; he looked for a while on the face of the laborer,
lighted up by the shining of the moon, then, stretching his arm, he
put his hand slowly on his head.

"Go among Christians," said he, with solemnity; "go to the houses
of prayer, and ask the brethren about Glaucus; and when they show
him to thee, slay him at once in Christ's name!"

"About Glaucus?" repeated the laborer, as if wishing to fix that
name in his memory.

"Dost thou know him?"

"No, I do not. There are thousands of Christians in Rome, and they
are not all known to one another. But to-morrow, in Ostrianum,
brethren and sisters will assemble in the night to the last soul,
because a great apostle of Christ has come, who will teach them,
and the brethren will point out to me Glaucus."

"In Ostrianum?" inquired Chilo. "But that is outside the city gates!
The brethren and all the sisters, -- at night? Outside the city gates,
in Ostrianum?"

"Yes, father; that is our cemetery, between the Vi~ Salaria and
Nomentana. Is it not known to thee that the Great Apostle will
teach there?"

"I have been two days from home, hence I did not receive his
epistle; and I do not know where Ostrianum is, for I came here not
long since from Corinth, where I govern a Christian community.
But it is as thou sayest, -- there thou wilt find Glaucus among the
brethren, and thou wilt slay him on the way home to the city. For
this all thy sins will be forgiven. And now peace be with thee --"

"Father --"

"I listen to thee, servant of the Lamb."

On the laborer's face perplexity was evident. Not long before he
had killed a man, and perhaps two, but the teaching of Christ
forbids killing. He had not killed them in his own defence, for
even that is not permitted. He had not killed them, Christ preserve!
for profit. The bishop himself had given him brethren to assist, but
had not permitted him to kill; he had killed inadvertently, for God
had punished him with too much strength. And now he was doing
grievous penance. Others sing when the millstones are grinding;
but he, hapless man, is thinking of his sin, of his offence against
the Lamb. How much has he prayed already and wept? How much
has he implored the Lamb? And he feels that he has not done
penance enough yet! But now he has promised again to kill a
traitor, -- and done well! He is permitted to pardon only offences
against himself; hence he will kill Glaucus, even before the eyes of
all the brethren and sisters, in Ostrianum to-morrow. But let

Glaucus be condemned previously by the elders among the
brethren, by the bishop, or by the Apostle. To kill is not a great
thing; to kill a traitor is even as pleasant as to kill a bear or a wolf.
But suppose Glaucus to perish innocently? How take on his
conscience a new murder, a new sin, a new offence against the
Lamb?

"There is no time for a trial, my son," said Chio. "The traitor will
hurry from Ostrianum straightway to Caesar in Antium, or hide in
the house of a certain patrician whom he is serving. I will give thee
a sign; if thou show it after the death of Glaucus, the bishop and
the Great Apostle will bless thy deed."

Saying this, he took out a small coin, and began to search for a
knife at his belt; having found it, he scratched with the point on the
sestertium the sign of the cross; this coin he gave to the laborer.

"Here is the sentence of Glaucus, and a sign for thee. If thou show
this to the bishop after the death of Glaucus, he will forgive thee
the killing which thou hast done without wishing it."

The laborer stretched out his hand involuntarily for the coin; but
having the first murder too freshly in his memory just then, he
experienced a feeling of terror.

"Father," said he with a voice almost of entreaty, "dost thou take
this deed on thy conscience, and hast thou thyself heard Glaucus
betraying his brethren?"

Chilo understood that he must give proofs, mention names,
otherwise doubt might creep into the heart of the giant. All at once
a happy thought flashed through his head.

"Listen, Urban," said he, "I dwell in Corinth, but I came from Kos;
and here in Rome I instruct in the religion of Christ a certain
serving maiden named Eunice. She serves as vestiplica in the
house of a friend of Caesar, a certain Petronius. In that house I
have heard how Glaucus has undertaken to betray all the
Christians; and, besides, he has promised another informer of
Caesar's, Vinicius, to find a certain maiden for him among the
Christians."

Here he stopped and looked with amazement at the laborer, whose
eyes blazed suddenly like the eyes of a wild beast, and his face
took on an expression of mad rage and threat.

"What is the matter with thee?" asked Chio, almost in fear.

"Nothing, father; to-morrow I will kill Glaucus."

The Greek was silent. After a while he took the arm of the laborer,
turned him so that the light of the moon struck his face squarely,
and examined him with care. It was evident that he was wavering
in spirit whether to inquire further and bring everything out with
clearness, or for that time to stop with what he had learned or
surmised.

At last, however, his innate caution prevailed. He breathed deeply
once and a second time; then, placing his hand on the laborer's
head again, he asked, in an emphatic and solemn voice, -- "But in
holy baptism the name Urban was given thee?" "It was, father."

"Then peace be with thee, Urban!"

Chapter XVIII

PETRONIUS to VINICIUS:

"Thy case is a bad one, carissime. It is clear that Venus has
disturbed thy mind, deprived thee of reason and memory, as well
as the power to think of aught else except love. Read some time
thy answer to my letter, and thou wilt see how indifferent thy mind
is to all except Lygia; how exclusively it is occupied with her, how
it returns to her always, and circles above her, as a falcon above
chosen prey. By Pollux! find her quickly, or that of thee which fire
has not turned into ashes will become an Egyptian sphinx, which,
enamored, as 'tis said, of pale isis, grew deaf and indifferent to all
things, waiting only for night, so as to gaze with stony eyes at the
loved one.

"Run disguised through the city in the evening, even honor
Christian houses of prayer in thy philosopher's company. Whatever
excites hope and kills time is praiseworthy. But for my friendship's
sake do this one thing:

Ursus, Lygia's slave, is a man of uncommon strength very likely;
hire Croton, and go out three together; that will be safer and wiser.
The Christians, since Pomponia and Lygia belong to them, are
surely not such scoundrels as most people imagine. But when a
lamb of their flock is in question they are no triflers, as they have
shown by carrying away Lygia. When thou seest Lygia thou wilt
not restrain thyself, I am sure, and wilt try to bear her away on the
spot. But how wilt thou and Chilonides do it? Croton would take
care of himself, even though ten like Ursus defended the maiden.
Be not plundered by Chio, but be not sparing of money on Croton.
Of all counsels which I can give this is the best one.

"Here they have ceased to speak of the infant Augusta, or to say
that she perished through witchcraft. Poppaea mentions her at
times yet; but Caesar's mind is stuffed with something else.
Moreover, if it be true that the divine Augusta is in a changed state
again, the memory of that child will be blown away without trace.
We have been in Naples for some days, or rather in Baile. If thou
art capable of any thought, echoes of our life must strike thy ear,
for surely Rome talks of naught else. We went directly to Bai~,
where at first memories of the mother attacked us, and reproaches
of conscience. But dost thou know to what Ahenobarbus has gone
already? To this, that for him even the murder of his mother is a
mere theme for verses, and a reason for buffoonish tragic scenes.
Formerly he felt real reproaches only in so far as he was a coward;
now, when he is convinced that the earth is under his feet as
before, and that no god is taking vengeance, he feigns them only to
move people by his fate. He springs up at night sometimes
declaring that the Furies are hunting him; he rouses us, looks
around, assumes the posture of an actor playing the role of Orestes,
and the posture of a bad actor too; he declaims Greek verses, and
looks to see if we are admiring him. We admire him apparently;
and instead of saying to him, Go to sleep, thou buffoon! we bring
ourselves also to the tone of tragedy, and protect the great artist
from the Furies. By Castor! this news at least must have reached
thee, that he has appeared in public at Naples. They drove in from
the city and the surrounding towns all the Greek ruffians, who
filled the arena with such a vile odor of sweat and garlic that I
thank the gods that, instead of sitting in the first rows with the
Augustians, I was behind the scenes with Ahenobarbus. And wilt
thou believe it, he was afraid really! He took my hand and put itto
his heart, which was beating with increased pulsation; his breath
was short; and at the moment when he had to appear he grew as
pale as a parchment, and his forehead was covered with drops of
sweat. Still he saw that in every row of seats were pretorians,
armed with clubs, to rouse enthusiasm if the need came. But there
was no need. No herd of monkeys from the environs of Carthage
could howl as did this rabble. I tell thee that the smell of garlic
came to the stage; but Nero bowed, pressed his hand to his heart,
sent kisses from his lips, and shed tears. Then he rushed in among
us, who were waiting behind the scenes, like a drunken man,
crying, 'What were the triumphs of Julius compared with this
triumph of mine?' But the rabble was howling yet and applauding,
knowing that it would applaud to itself favors, gifts, banquets,
lottery tickets, and a fresh exhibition by the Imperial buffoon. I do
not wonder that they applauded, for such a sight had not been seen
till that evening. And every moment he repeated: 'See what the
Greeks are! see what the Greeks are!' From that evening it has
seemed to me that his hatred for Rome is increasing. Meanwhile
special couriers were hurried to Rome announcing the triumph,
and we expect thanks from the Senate one of these days.
Immediately after Nero's first exhibition, a strange event happened
here. The theatre fell in on a sudden, but just after the audience
had gone. I was there, and did not see even one corpse taken from
the ruins. Many, even among the Greeks, see in this event the
anger of the gods, because the dignity of Caesar was disgraced; he,
on the Šontrary, finds in it favor of the gods, who have his song,
and those who listen to it, under their evident protection. Hence
there are offerings in all the temples, and great thanks. For Nero it
is a great encouragement to make the journey to Ach~a. A few
days since he told me, however, that he had doubts as to what the
Roman people might say; that they might revolt out of love for
him, and fear touching the distribution of grain and touching the
games, which might fail them in case of his prolonged absence.

"We are going, however, to Beneventum to look at the cobbler
magnificence which Vatinius will exhibit, and thence to Greece,
under the protection of the divine brothers of Helen. As to me, I
have noted one thing, that when a man is amdng the mad he grows
mad himself, and, what is more, finds a certain charm in mad
pranks. Greece and the journey in a thousand ships; a kind of
triumphal advance of Bacchus among nymphs and bacchantes
crowned with myrtle, vine, and honeysuckle; there will be women
in tiger skins harnessed to chariots; flowers, thyrses, garlands,
shouts of 'Evoe!' music, poetry, and applauding Hellas. All this is
well; but we cherish besides more daring projects. We wish to
create a species of Oriental Imperium, -- an empire of palm-trees,
sunshine, poetry, and reality turned into a dream, reality turned
into the delight of life only. We want to forget Rome; to fix the
balancing point of the world somewhere between Greece, Asia,
and Egypt; to live the life not of men but of gods; not to know
what commonness is; to wander in golden galleys under the
shadow of purple sails along the Archipelago; to be Apollo, Osiis,
and Baal in one person; to be rosy with the dawn, golden with the
sun, silver with the moon; to command, to sing, to dream. And wilt
thou believe that I, who have still sound judgment to the value of a
sestertium, and sense to the value of an as, let myself be borne
away by these fantasies, and I do this for the reason that, if they are
not possible, they are at least grandiose and uncommon? Such a
fabulous empire would be a thing which, some time or other, after
long ages, would seem a dream to mankind. Except when Venus
takes the form of Lygia, or even of a slave Eunice, or when art
beautifies it, life itself is empty, and many a time it has the face of
a monkey. But Bronzebeard will not realize his plans, even for this
cause, that in his fabulous kingdom of poetry and the Orient no
place is given to treason, meanness, and death; and that in him
with the poses of a poet sits a wretched comedian, a dull
charioteer, and a frivolous tyrant. Meanwhile we are killing people
whenever they displease us in any way. Poor Torquatus Silanus is
now a shade; he opened his veins a few days since. Lecanius and
Licinus will enter on the consulate with teror. Old Thrasea will not
escape death, for he dares to be honest. Tigellinus is not able yet to
frame a command for me to open my veins. I am still needed not
only as elegantiae arbiter, but as a man without whose counsel and
taste the expedition to Achaea might fail. More than once,
however, I think that sooner or later it must end in opening my
veins; and knowest thou what the question will be then with me? --
that Bronzebeard should not get my goblet, which thou knowest
and admirest. Shouldst thou be near at the moment of my death, I
will give it to thee; shouldst thou be at a distance, I will break it.
But meanwhile I have before me yet Beneventum of the cobblers
and Olympian Greece; I have Fate too, which, unknown and
unforeseen, points out the road to every one.