Books: Quo Vadis A Narrative of the Time of Nero

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"Punish the insolent!" exclaimed Vitelius.

Nero raised his lips again to his nostrils, and, turning his
near-sighted, glassy eyes on Petronius, said, --

"Is this the way thou payest me for the friendship which I had for
thee?" "If I am mistaken, show me my error," said Petronius; "but
know that I speak that which love for thee dictates."

"Punish the insolent!" repeated Vitelius.

"Punish!" called a number of voices.

In the atrium there was a murmur and a movement, for people
began to withdraw from Petronius. Even Tullius Senecio, his
constant companion at the court, pushed away, as did young
Nerva, who had shown him hitherto the greatest friendship. After a
while Petronius was alone on the left side of the atrium, with a
smile on his lips; and gathering with his hands the folds of his
toga, he waited yet for what Caesar would say or do.

"Ye wish me to punish him" said Caesarae "but he is my friend and
comrade. Though he has wounded my heart, let him know that for
friends this heart has naught but forgiveness."

"I have lost, and am ruined," thought Petronius.

Meanwhile Caesar rose, and the consultation was ended.

Chapter XLIV

PETRONIUS went borne. Nero and Tigcllinus went to Poppaea's
atrium, where they were expected by people with whom the
prefect had spoken already.

There were two Trans-Tiber rabbis in long solemn robes and
mitred, a young copyist, their assistant, together with Chilo. At
sight of Caesar the priests grew pale from emotion, and, raising
their hands an arm's length, bent their heads to his hands.

"Be greeted, O ruler of the earth, guardian of the chosen people,
and Caesar, lion among men, whose reign is like sunlight, like the
cedar of Lebanon, like a spring, like a palm, like the balsam of
Jericho,"

"Do ye refuse to call me god?" inquired Nero.

The priests grew still paler. The chief one spoke again, --

"Thy words, O lord, are as sweet as a cluster of grapes, as a ripe
fig,-- for Jehovah filled thy heart with goodness! Thy father's
predecessor, Caesar Caius, was stern; still our envoys did not call
him god, preferring death Itself to violation of the law."

"And did not Caligula give command to throw them to the lions?"

"No, lord; Caesar Caius feared Jehovah's anger."

And they raised their heads, for the name of the powerful Jehovah
gave them courage; confident in his might, they looked into Nero's
eyes with more boldness.

"Do ye accuse the Christians of burning Rome?" inquired Caesar.
"We, lord, accuse them of this alone, -- that they are enemies of
the law, of the human race, of Rome, and of thee; that long since
they have threatened the city and the world with fire! The rest will
be told thee by this man, whose lips are unstained by a lie, for in
his mother's veins flowed the blood of the chosen people."

Nero turned to Chio: "Who art thou?"

"One who honors thee, O Cyrus; and, besides, a poor Stoic--"

"I hate the Stoics," said Nero. "I hate Thrasea; I hate Musonius and
Cornutus. Their speech is repulsive to me; their contempt for art,
their voluntary squalor and filth."

"O lord, thy master Seneca has one thousand tables of citrus wood.
At thy wish I will have twice as many. I am a Stoic from necessity.
Dress my stoicism, O Radiant One, in a garland of roses, put a
pitcher of wine before it; it will sing Anacreon in such strains as to
deafen every Epicurean."

Nero, who was pleased by the title "Radiant," smiled and said,--
"Thou dost please me."

"This man is worth his weight in gold!" cried Tigellinus.

"Put thy liberality with my weight," answered Chilo, "or the wind
will blow my reward away."

"He would not outweigh Vitelius," put in Caesar.

"Eheu! Silver-bowed, my wit is not of lead."

"I see that thy faith does not hinder thee from calling me a god."

"O Immortal! My faith is in thee; the Christians blaspheme against
that faith, and I hate them."

"What dost thou know of the Christians?"

"Wilt thou permit me to weep, O divinity?"

"No," answered Nero; "weeping annoys me."

"Thou art triply right, for eyes that have seen thee should be free of
tears forever. O lord, defend me against my enemies."

"Speak of the Christians," said Poppaea, with a shade of
impatience.

"It will be at thy command, O Isis," answered Chilo. "From youth I
devoted myself to philosophy, and sought truth. I sought it among
the ancient divine sages, in the Academy at Athens, and in the
Serapeum at Alexandria. When I heard of the Christians, I judged
that they formed some new school in which I could find certain
kernels of truth; and to my misfortune I made their acquaintance.
The first Christian whom evil fate brought near me was one
Glaucus, a physician of Naples. From him I learned in time that
they worship a certain Chrestos, who promised to exterminate all
people and destroy every city on earth, but to spare them if they
helped him to exterminate the children of Deucalion. For this
reason, O lady, they hate men, and poison fountains; for this
reason in their assemblies they shower curses on Rome, and on all
temples in which our gods are honored. Chrestos was crucified;
but he promised that when Rome was destroyed by fire, he would
come again and give Christians dominion over the world."

"People will understand now why Rome was destroyed,"
interrupted Tigellinus.

"Many understand that already, O lord, for I go about in the
gardens, I go to the Campus Martius, and teach. But if ye listen to
the end, ye will know my reasons for vengeance. Glaucus the
physician did not reveal to me at first that their religion taught
hatred. On the contrary, he told me that Chrestos was a good
divinity, that the basis of their religion was love. My sensitive
heart could not resist such a truth; hence I took to loving Glaucus, I
trusted him, I shared every morsel of bread with him, every copper
coin, and dost thou know, lady, how he repaid me? On the road
from Naples to Rome he thrust a knife into my body, and my wife,
the beautiful and youthful Berenice, he sold to a slave-merchant. If
Sophocles knew my history -- but what do I say? One better than
Sophocles is listening."

"Poor man!" said Poppaeua.

"Whoso has seen the face of Aphrodite is not poor, lady; and I see
it at this moment. But then I sought consolation in philosophy.
When I came to Rome, I tried to meet Christian elders to obtain
justice against Glaucus. I thought that they would force him to
yield up my wife. I became acquainted with their chief priest; I
became acquainted with another, named Paul, who was in prison
in this city, but was liberated afterward; I became acquainted with
the son of Zebedee, with Linus and Clitus and many others. I know
where they lived before the fire, I know where they meet. I can
point out one excavation in the Vatican Hill and a cemetery
beyond the Nomentan Gate, where they celebrate their shameless
ceremonies. I saw the Apostle Peter. I saw how Glaucus killed
children, so that the Apostle might have something to sprinkle on
the heads of those present; and I saw Lygia, the foster-child of
Pomponia Graecina, who boasted that though unable to bring the
blood of an infant, she brought the death of an infant, for she
bewitched the little Augusta, thy daughter, O Cyrus, and thine, O
Isis!"

"Dost hear, Caesar?" asked Poppaea.

"Can that be!" exclaimed Nero.

"I could forgive wrongs done myself," continued Chio, "but when I
heard of yours, I wanted to stab her. Unfortunately I was stopped
by the noble Vinicius, who loves her."

"Vinicius? But did she not flee from him?"

"She fled, but he made search for her; he could not exist without
her. For wretched pay I helped him in the search, and it was I who
pointed out to him the house in which she lived among the
Christians in the Trans-Tiber. We went there together, and with us
thy wrestler Croton, whom the noble Viicius hired to protect him.
But Ursus, Lygia's slave, crushed Croton. That is a man of dreadful
strength, O Lord, who can break a bull's neck as easily as another
might a poppy stalk. Auluae and Pomponia loved him because of
that."

"By Hercules," said Nero, "the mortal who crushed Croton
deserves a statue in the Forum. But, old man, thou art mistaken or
art inventing, for Vinicius killed Croton with a knife."

"That is how people calumniate the gods. O lord, I myself saw
Croton's ribs breaking in the arms of Ursus, who rushed then on
Viicius and would have killed him but for Lygia. Vinicius was ill
for a long time after that but they nursed him in the hope that
through love he would become a Christian. In fact, he did become
a Christian."

"Vinicius?"

"Yes."

"And, perhaps, Petronius too?" inquired Tigellinus, hurriedly. Chio
squirmed, rubbed his hands, and said, --

"I admire thy penetration, O lord. He may have become one! He
may very well have become one."

"Now I understand why he defended the Christians."

Nero laughed: "Petronius a Christian! Petronius an enemy of life
and luxury! Be not foolish; do not ask me to believe that, since I
am ready not to believe anything."

"But the noble Vinicius became a Christian, lord. I swear by that
radiance which comes from thee that I speak the truth, and that
nothing pierces me with such disgust as lying. Pomponia Graecina
is a Christian, little Aulus is a Christian, Lygia is a Christian, and
so is Vinicius. I served him faithfully, and in return, at the desire
of Glaucus the physician, he gave command to flog me, though I
am old and was sick and hungry. And I have sworn by Hades that I
will not forget that for him. O lord, avenge my wrongs on them,
and I will deliver to thee Peter the Apostle and Linus and Clitus
and Glaucus and Crispus, the highest ones, and Lygia and Ursus. I
will point out hundreds of them to you, thousands; I will indicate
their houses of prayer, the cemeteries, all thy prisons will not
hold them! Without me ye could not find them. In misfortunes I
have sought consolation; hitherto in philosophy alone, now I will
find it in favors that will descend on me. I am old, and have not
known life; let me begin."

"It is thy wish to be a Stoic before a full plate," said Nero. "Whoso
renders service to thee will fill it by that same."

"Thou art not mistaken, O philosopher."

But Poppaeca did not forget her enemies. Her fancy for Vinicius
was, indeed, rather a momentary whim, which had risen under the
influence of jealousy, anger, and wounded vanity. Still the
coolness of the young patrician touched her deeply, and filled her
heart with a stubborn feeling of offence. This alone, that he had
dared to prefer anothe'r, seemed to her a crime calling for
vengeance. As to Lygia, she hated her from the first moment, when
the beauty of that northern lily alarmed her, Petronius, who spoke
of the too narrow hips of the girl, might talk what he pleased into
Caesar, but not into the Augusta. Poppaea the critic understood at
one cast of the eye that in all Rome Lygia alone could rival and
even surpass her. Thenceforth she vowed her ruin.

"Lord," said she, "avenge our child."

"Hasten!" cried Chio, "hasten! Otherwise Vinicius will hide her. I
will point out the house to which she returned after the fire."

"I will give thee ten men, and go this moment," said Tigellinus.

"O lord! thou hast not seen Croton in the arms of Ursus; if thou
wilt give fifty men, I will only show the house from a distance. But
if ye will not imprison Vinicius, I am lost."

Tigellinus looked at Nero. "Would it not be well, O divinity, to
finish at once with the uncle and nephew?"

Nero thought a moment and answered, --

"No, not now. People would not believe us if we tried to persuade
them that Petronius, Vinicius, or Pomponia Graecina had fired
Rome. Their houses were too beautiful. Their turn will come later;
to-day other victims are needed."

"Then, O lord, give me soldiers as a guard," said Chilo. "See to
this, Tigellinus."

"Thou wilt lodge meanwhile with me," said the prefect to Chilo.
Delight beamed from the face of the Greek.

"I will give up all! only hasten! -- hasten!" cried he, with a hoarse
voice.

Chapter L.

ON leaving Caesar, Petronius had himself borne to his house on
the Carimr, which, being surrounded on three sides by a garden,
and having in front the small Ceciian Forum, escaped the fire
luckily. For this cause other Augustians, who had lost their houses
and in them vast wealth and many works of art, called Petronius
fortunate. For years it had been repeated that he was the first-born
of Fortune, and Caesar's growing friendship in recent times seemed
to confirm the correctness of this statement.

But that first-born of Fortune might meditate now on the fickleness
of his mother, or rather on her likeness to Chronos, who devoured
his own children.

"Were my house burnt," said he to himself, "and with it my gems,
Etruscan vases, Alexandrian glass, and Corinthian bronze, Nero
might indeed have forgotten the offence. By Pollux! And to think
that it depended on me alone to be pretorian prefect act this
moment. I should proclaim Tigellinus the incendiary, which he is
really; I should array him in the 'painful tunic,' and deliver him to
the populace, protect the Christians, rebuild Rome. Who knows
even if a better epoch would not begin thus for honest people? I
ought to have taken the office, simply out of regard for Viicius. In
case of overwork I could have surrendered command to bini, and
Nero would not have even tried to resist. Then let Vinicius baptize
all the pretorians, nay, Caesar himself; what harm could that be to
me? Nero pious, Nero virtuous and merciful, -- this would be even
an amusing spectacle."

And his carelessness was so great that he began to laugh. But after
a time his thoughts turned in another direction. It seemed to him
that he was in Antium; that Paul of Tarsus was saying to him, "Ye
call us enemies of life, but answer me, Petronius: If Caesar were a
Christian, and acted according to our religion, would not life be
safer and more certain?"

And remembering these words, he continued: "By Castor! No
matter how many Christians they murder here, Paul will find as
many new ones; for he is right, unless the world can rest on
scoundrelism. But who knows that this will not be the case soon? I
myself, who have learned not a little, did not learn how to be a
great enough scoundrel; hence I shall have to open my veins. But
in every case it must have ended thus, and if not thus, in some
other way. I am sorry for Eunice and my Myrrhene vase; but
Eunice is free, and the vase will go with me. Ahenobarbus will not
get it, in any event! I am sorry also for Vinicius. But, though I was
bored less of late than before, I am ready. In the world things are
beautiful; but people are so vile for the greater part that life is not
worth a regret. He who knew how to live should know how to die.
Though I belong to the Augustians, I was freer than they
supposed." Here he shrugged his shoulders. "They may think that
my knees are trembling at this moment, and that terror has raised
the hair on my head; but on reaching home, I will take a bath in
violet water, my golden-haired herself will anoint me; then after
refreshment we will have sung to us that hymn to Apollo
composed by Anthemios. I said once to myself that it was not
worth while to think of death, for death thinks of us without our
assistance. It would be a wonder if there are really Elysian fields,
and in them shades of people. Eunice would come in time to me,
and we should wander together over asphodel meadows. I should
find, too, society better than this. What buffoons, trieksters, a vile
herd without taste or polish! Tens of Arbiters Elegantiarum could
not transform those Trimalchions into decent people. By
Persephone! I have had enough!"

And he noted with astonishment that something separated him
from those people already. He had known them well earlier, and
had known what to think of them; still they seemed to him now as
farther away and more deserving of contempt than usual. Indeed,
he haed had enough of them!

But afterward he began to think over his position. Thanks to his
acuteness, he knew that destruction was not threatening him
directly. Nero had seized an appropriate occasion to utter a few
select, lofty phrases about friendship and forgiveness, thus binding
himself for the moment. "He will have to seek pretexts, and before
he finds them much time may pass. First of all, he will celebrate
the games with Christians," said Petronius to himself; "only then
will he think of me, and if that be true, it is not worth while to take
trouble or change my course of life. Nearer danger threatens
Vinicius!"

And thenceforth he thought only of Vinicius, whom he resolved to
rescue. Four sturdy Bithynians bore his litter quickly through ruins,
ash-heaps, and stones with which the Carimc was filled yet; but he
commanded them to run swiftly so as to be home at the earliest.
Vinicius, whose "insula" had been burned, was living with him,
and was at home, fortunately.

"Hast seen Lygia to-day?" were the first words of Petronius.

"I have just come from her."

"Hear what I tell thee, and lose no time in questions. It has been
decided this morning at Caesar's to lay the blame of burning Rome
on the Christians. Persecutions and tortures threaten them. Pursuit
may begin any instant. Take Lygia and flee at once beyond the
Alps even, or to Africa. And hasten, for the Palatine is nearer the
Trans-Tiber than is this place."

Viicius was, indeed, too much of a soldier to lose time in useless
queries. He listened with frowning brows, and a face intent and
terrible, but fearless. Evidently the first feeling of his nature in
presence of peril was a wish to defend and give battle.

"I go," said he.

"One word more. Take a purse of gold, take weapons, and a
handful of thy Christians. In case of need, rescue her!"

Vinicius was in the door of the atrium already.

"Send me news by a slave!" cried Petronius.

When left alone, he began to walk by the columns which adorned
the atrium, thinking of what had happened. He knew that Lygia
and Linus had returned after the fire to the former house, which,
like the greater part of the Trans-Tiber, had been saved; and that
was an unfavorable circumstance, for otherwise it would have
been difficult to find them among throngs of people. Petronius
hoped, however, that as things were, no one in the Palatine knew
where they lived, and therefore in every case Vinicius would
anticipate the pretorians. It occurred to him also that Tigellinus,
wishing to seize at one attempt as many Christians as possible,
would extend his net over all Rome. "If they send no more than ten
people after her," thought he, "that giant Lygian will break their
bones and what will it be if Vinicius comes with assistance?"
Thinking of this he was consoled. True, armed resistance to the
pretorians was almost the same as war with Casar. Petronius knew
also that if Vinicius hid from the vengeance of Nero, that
vengeance might fall on himself; but he cared little. On the
contrary, he rejoiced at the thought of crossing Nero's plans and
those of Tigellinus, and determined to spare in the matter neither
men nor money. Since in Antium Paul of Tarsus had converted
most of his slaves, he, while defending Christians, might count on
their zeal and devotion.

The entrance of Eunice interrupted his thoughts. At sight of her all
his cares and troubles vanished without a trace. He forgot Caesar,
the disfavor into which he had fallen, the degraded Augustians, the
persecution threatening the Christians, Vinicius, Lygia, and looked
only at her with the eyes of an anthetic man enamoured of
marvellous forms, and of a lover for whom love breathes from
those forms. She, in a transparent violet robe called "Coa vestis,"
through which her maiden-like form appeared, was really as
beautiful as a goddess. Feeling herself admired meanwhile, and
loving him with all her soul, ever eager for his fondling, she
blushed with delight as if she had been an innocent maiden.

"What wilt thou say to me, Charis?" asked Petronius, stretching his
hands to her.

She, inclining her golden head to him, answered, -- "Anthemios
has come with his choristers, and asks if 'tis thy wish to hear him."

"Let him stay; he will sing to us during dinner the hymn to Apollo.
By the groves of Paphos! when I see thee in that Coan gauze, I
think that Aphrodite has veiled herself with a piece of the sky, and
is standing before me."

"O lord!"

"Come hither, Eunice, embrace me with thy arms, and give thy lips
to me. Dost thou love me?"

"I should not have loved Zeus more."

Then she pressed her lips to his, while quivering in his arms from
happiness. After a while Petronius asked, --

"But if we should have to separate?"

Eunice looked at him with fear in her eyes.

"How is that, lord?"

"Fear not; I ask, for who knows but I may have to set out on a long
journey?"

"Take me with thee--"

Petronius changed the conversation quickly, and said, --

"Tell me, are there asphodels on the grass plot in the garden?"

"The cypresses and the grass plots are yellow from the fire, the
leaves have fallen from the myrtles, and the whole garden seems
dead."

"All Rome seems dead, and soon it will be a real graveyard. Dost
thou know that an edict against the Christians is to be issued, and a
persecution will begin during which thousands will perish?"

"Why punish the Christians, lord? They are good and peaceful."

"For that very reason."

"Let us go to the sea. Thy beautiful eyes do not like to see blood."

"Well, but meanwhile I must bathe. Come to the elzothesiwn to
anoint my arms. By the girdle of Kypris! never hast thou seemed to
me so beautiful. I will give command to make a bath for thee in
the form of a shell; thou wilt be like a costly pearl in it. Come,
Golden-haired!"

He went out, and an hour later both, in garlands of roses and with
misty eyes, were resting before a table covered with a service of
gold. They were served by boys dressed as Cupids, they drank
wine from ivy-wreathed goblets, and heard the hymn to Apollo
sung to the sound of harps, under direction of Anthemios. What
cared they if around the villa chimneys pointed up from the ruins
of houses, and gusts of wind swept the ashes of burnt Rome in
every direction? They were happy thinking only of love, which had
made their lives like a divine dream. But before the hymn was
finished a slave, the chief of the atrium, entered the hail.

"Lord," said he, in a voice quivering with alarm, "a centurion with
a detachment of pretorians is standing before the gate, and, at
command of Caesar, wishes to see thee."

The song and the sound of lutes ceased. Alarm was roused in all
present; for Caesar, in communications with friends, did not
employ pretorians usually, and their arrival at such times
foreboded no good. Petronius alone showed not the slightest
emotion, but said, like a man annoyed by continual visits, --

"They might let me dine in peace." Then turning to the chief of the
atrium, he said, "Let him enter."

The slave disappeared behind the curtain; a moment later heavy
steps were heard, and an acquaintance of Petronius appeared, the
centurion Aper, armed, and with an iron helmet on his head.

"Noble lord," said he, "here is a letter from Caesar."

Petronius extended his white hand lazily, took the tablet, and,
casting his eye over it, gave it, in all calmness to Eunice.

"He will read a new book of the Troyad this evening, and invites
me to come.'

"I have only the order to deliver the letter," said the centurion.
"Yes, there will be no answer. But, centurion, thou mightst rest a
while with us and empty a goblet of wine?"

"Thanks to thee, noble lord. A goblet of wine I will drink to thy
health willingly; but rest I may not, for I am on duty."

"Why was the letter given to thee, and not sent by a slave?"

"I know not, lord. Perhaps because I was sent in this direction on
other duty."

"I know, against the Christians?"

"Yes, lord."

"Is it long since the pursuit was begun?"

"Some divisions were sent to the Trans-Tiber before midday."
When he had said this, the centurion shook a little wine from the
goblet in honor of Mars; then he emptied it, and said, --

"May the gods grant thee, lord, what thou desirest."

"Take the goblet too," said Petronius.

Then he gave a sign to Anthemios to finish the hymn to Apollo.

"Bronzebeard is beginning to play with me and Vinicius," thought
he, when the harps sounded anew. "I divine his plan! He wanted to
terrify me by sending the invitation through a centurion. They will
ask the centurion in the evening how I received him. No, no! thou
wilt not amuse thyself overmuch, cruel and wicked prophet. I
know that thou wilt not forget the offence, I know that my
destruction will not fail; but if thou think that I shall look into thy
eyes imploringly, that thou wilt see fear and humility on my face,
thou art mistaken."

"Caesar writes, lord," said Eunice, "'Come if thou hast the wish';
wilt thou go?"

"I am in excellent health, and can listen even to his verses,"
answered Petronius; "hence I shall go, all the more since Vinicius
cannot go."