Meditations
suite. It is more difficult, he admits, to keep courtiers in harmony
than to tame lions with a lute; but if it is to be done, it must be by
eradicating jealousy. 'Do not let your friends,' says Fronto,'[30] 'envy
each other, or think that what you give to another is filched from them.
[30] Ad M Caes., iv. 1.
Keep away envy from your suite, and you will find your friends kindly
and harmonious.'
Here and there we meet with allusions to his daily life, which we could
wish to be more frequent. He goes to the theatre or the law-courts,[31]
or takes part in court ceremony, but his heart is always with his
books. The vintage season, with its religious rites, was always spent by
Antoninus Pius in the country. The following letters give sonic notion
of a day's occupation at that time:(3)
[31] ii. 14
[32] iv. 5,6.
'MY DEAREST MASTER,--I am well. To-day I studied from the ninth hour of
the night to the second hour of day, after taking food. I then put on
my slippers, and from time second to the third hour had a most
enjoyable walk up and down before my chamber. Then booted and
cloaked-for so we were commanded to appear-I went to wait upon my lord
the emperor. We went a-hunting, did doughty deeds, heard a rumour that
boars had been caught, but there was nothing to see. However, we
climbed a pretty steep hill, and in the afternoon returned home. I went
straight to my books. Off with the boots, down with the cloak; I spent
a couple of hours in bed. I read Cato's speech on the Property of
Pulchra, and another in which he impeaches a tribune. Ho, ho! I hear
you cry to your man, Off with you as fast as you can, and bring me
these speeches from the library of Apollo. No use to send: I have those
books with me too. You must get round the Tiberian librarian; you will
have to spend something on the matter; and when I return to town, I
shall expect to go shares with him. Well, after reading these speeches
I wrote a wretched trifle, destined for drowning or burning. No, indeed
my attempt at writing did not come off at all to-day; the composition
of a hunter or a vintager, whose shouts are echoing through my chamber,
hateful and wearisome as the law-courts. What have I said? Yes, it was
rightly said, for my master is an orator. I think I have caught cold,
whether from walking in slippers or from writing badly, I do not know.
I am always annoyed with phlegm, but to-day I seem to snivel more than
usual. Well, I will pour oil on my head and go off to sleep. I don't
mean to put one drop in my lamp to-day, so weary am I from riding and
sneezing. Farewell, dearest and most beloved master, whom I miss, I may
say, more than Rome itself.'
'MY BELOVED MASTER,-I am well. I slept a little more than usual for my
slight cold, which seems to be well again. So I spent the time from the
eleventh hour of the night to the third of the day partly in reading in
Cato's Agriculture, partly in writing, not quite so badly as yesterday
indeed. Then, after waiting upon my father, I soothed my throat with
honey-water, ejecting it without swallowing: I might say _gargle_, but I
won't, though I think the word is found in Novius and elsewhere. After
attending to my throat I went to my father, and stood by his side as he
sacrificed. Then to luncheon. What do you think I had to eat? A bit of
bread so big, while I watched others gobbling boiled beans, onions,
and fish full of roe. Then we set to work at gathering the grapes,
with plenty of sweat and shouting, and, as the quotation runs, "A few
high-hanging clusters did we leave survivors of the vintage." After the
sixth hour we returned home. I did a little work, and poor work at that.
Then I had a long gossip with my dear mother sitting on the bed. My
conversation was: What do you think my friend Fronto is doing just now?
She said: And what do you think of my friend Gratia?'[33] My turn now:
And what of our little Gratia,[34] the sparrowkin? After this kind of
talk, and an argument as to which of you loved the other most, the gong
sounded, the signal that my father had gone to the bath. We supped,
after ablutions in the oil-cellar-I mean we supped after ablutions, not
after ablutions in the oil-cellar; and listened with enjoyment to the
rustics gibing. After returning, before turning on my side to snore, I
do my task and give an account of the day to my delightful master, whom
if I could long for a little more, I should not mind growing a trifle
thinner. Farewell, Fronto, wherever you are, honey-sweet, my darling, my
delight. Why do I want you? I can love you while far away.'
[33] Fronto's wife.
[34] Fronto's daughter
One anecdote puts Marcus before us in a new light:[35]
[35] Ad M. Caes ii. 12.
'When my father returned home from the vineyards, I mounted my horse as
usual, and rode on ahead some little way. Well, there on the road was a
herd of sheep, standing all crowded together as though the place were
a desert, with four dogs and two shepherds, but nothing else. Then one
shepherd said to another shepherd, on seeing a number of horsemen: 'I
say,' says he, 'look you at those horsemen; they do a deal of robbery.'
When I heard this, I clap spurs to my horse, and ride straight for the
sheep. In consternation the sheep scatter; hither and thither they are
fleeting and bleating. A shepherd throws his fork, and the fork falls
on the horseman who came next to me. We make our escape.' We like Marcus
none the worse for this spice of mischief.
Another letter[36] describes a visit to a country town, and shows the
antiquarian spirit of the writer:—
'M. CÆSAR to his MASTER M. FRONTO, greeting.
'After I entered the carriage, after I took leave of you, we made a
journey comfortable enough, but we had a few drops of rain to wet us.
But before coming to the country-house, we broke our journey at Anagnia,
a mile or so from the highroad. Then we inspected that ancient town, a
miniature it is, but has in it many antiquities, temples, and religious
ceremonies quite out of the way. There is not a corner without its
shrine, or fane, or temple; besides, many books written on linen, which
belongs to things sacred. Then on the gate as we came out was written
twice, as follows: "Priest don the fell."[37] I asked one of the
inhabitants what that word was. He said it was the word in the Hernican
dialect for the victim's skin, which the priest puts over his conical
cap when he enters the city. I found out many other things which I
desired to know, but the only thing I do not desire is that you should
be absent from me; that is my chief anxiety. Now for yourself, when you
left that place, did you go to Aurelia or to Campania? Be sure to write
to me, and say whether you have opened the vintage, or carried a host of
books to the country-house; this also, whether you miss me; I am foolish
to ask it, whenas you tell it me of yourself. Now if you miss me and
if you love me, send me your letters often, which is a comfort and
consolation to me. Indeed I should prefer ten times to read your letters
than all the vines of Gaurus or the Marsians; for these Signian vines
have grapes too rank and fruit too sharp in the taste, but I prefer wine
to must for drinking. Besides, those grapes are nicer to eat dried than
fresh-ripe; I vow I would rather tread them under foot than put my teeth
in them. But I pray they may be gracious and forgiving, and grant me
free pardon for these jests of mine. Farewell, best friend, dearest,
most learned, sweetest master. When you see the must ferment in the vat,
remember that just so in my heart the longing for you is gushing and
flowing and bubbling. Good-bye.'
[36] Ad Verum. Imp ii. 1, s. fin.
[37] Santentum
Making all allowances for conventional exaggerations, it is clear from
the correspondence that there was deep love between Marcus and his
preceptor. The letters cover several years in succession, but soon after
the birth of Marcus's daughter, Faustina, there is a large gap. It does
not follow that the letters ceased entirely, because we know part of
the collection is lost; but there was probably less intercourse between
Marcus and Fronto after Marcus took to the study of philosophy under the
guidance of Rusticus.
When Marcus succeeded to the throne in 161, the letters begin again,
with slightly increased formality on Fronto's part, and they go on for
some four years, when Fronto, who has been continually complaining of
ill-health, appears to have died. One letter of the later period gives
some interesting particulars of the emperor's public life, which are
worth quoting. Fronto speaks of Marcus's victories and eloquence in the
usual strain of high praise, and then continues.[38]
'The army when you took it in hand was sunk in luxury and revelry, and
corrupted with long inactivity. At Antiochia the soldiers had been Wont
to applaud at the stage plays, knew more of the gardens at the nearest
restaurant than of the battlefield. Horses were hairy from lack of
grooming, horsemen smooth because their hairs had been pulled out by
the roots[39] a rare thing it was to see a soldier with hair on arm or
leg. Moreover, they were better drest than armed; so much so, that
Laelianus Pontius, a strict man of the old discipline, broke the
cuirasses of some of them with his finger-tips, and observed cushions
on the horses' backs. At his direction the tufts were cut through, and
out of the horsemen's saddles came what appeared to be feathers pluckt
from geese. Few of the men could vault on horseback, the rest clambered
up with difficulty by aid of heel and knee and leg not many could throw
a lance hurtling, most did it without force or power, as though they
were things of wool-dicing was common in the camp, sleep lasted all
night, or if they kept watch it was over the winecup. By what
regulations to restrain such soldiers as these, and to turn them to
honesty and industry, did you not learn from Hannibal's sternness, the
discipline of Africanus, the acts of Metellus recorded in history.
[38] Ad Verum. imp., ii. I, s.fin.
[39] A common mark of the effeminate at Rome.
After the preceptorial letters cease the others are concerned with
domestic events, health and sickness, visits or introductions, birth or
death. Thus the empperor writes to his old friend, who had shown some
diffidence in seeking an interview:[40]
[40] Ad Verum. Imp. Aur. Caes., i. 3.
'To MY MASTER.
'I have a serious grievance against you, my dear master, yet indeed my
grief is more than my grievance, because after so long a time I neither
embraced you nor spoke to you, though you visited the palace, and the
moment after I had left the prince my brother. I reproached my brother
severely for not recalling me; nor durst he deny the fault.' Fronto
again writes on one occasion: 'I have seen your daughter. It was like
seeing you and Faustina in infancy, so much that is charming her face
has taken from each of yours.' Or again, at a later date:[41] I have seen
your chicks, most delightful sight that ever I saw in my life, so like
you that nothing is more like than the likeness.... By the mercy of
Heaven they have a healthy colour and strong lungs. One held a piece of
white bread, like a little prince, the other a common piece, like a true
philosophers son.'
[41] Ad Ant. Imp i., 3.
Marcus, we know, was devoted to his children. They were delicate in
health, in spite of Fronto's assurance, and only one son survived the
father. We find echoes of this affection now and again in the letters.
'We have summer heat here still,' writes Marcus, 'but since my little
girls are pretty well, if I may say so, it is like the bracing climate
of spring to us.'[42] When little Faustina came back from the valley of
the shadow of death, her father at once writes to inform Fronto.[43]