Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero
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 Cæsar, 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 Cæsar’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 Chilo, 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 Chilo, 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. Poppæa mentions her at times yet; but
Cæsar’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 Baiæ. 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 Baiæ, 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 it to 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
Cæsar was disgraced; he, on the contrary, 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
Achæa. 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 among 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, Osiris, 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
terror. 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 elegantiæ arbiter, but as a man without
whose counsel and taste the expedition to Achæa 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.
“Be well, and engage Croton; otherwise they will snatch Lygia from thee
a second time. When Chilonides ceases to be needful, send him to me
wherever I may be. Perhaps I shall make him a second Vatinius, and
consuls and senators may tremble before him yet, as they trembled before
that knight Dratevka. It would be worth while to live to see such a
spectacle. When thou hast found Lygia, let me know, so that I may offer
for you both a pair of swans and a pair of doves in the round temple of
Venus here. Once I saw Lygia in a dream, sitting on thy knee, seeking
thy kisses. Try to make that dream prophetic. May there be no clouds on
thy sky; or if there be, let them have the color and the odor of roses!
Be in good health; and farewell!”
Chapter XIX
BARELY had Vinicius finished reading when Chilo pushed quietly into his
library, unannounced by any one, for the servants had the order to admit
him at every hour of the day or night.
“May the divine mother of thy magnanimous ancestor Æneas be full of
favor to thee, as the son of Maia was kind to me.”
“What dost thou mean?” asked Vinicius, springing from the table at which
he was sitting.
Chilo raised his head and said, “Eureka!”
The young patrician was so excited that for a long time he could not
utter a word.
“Hast thou seen her?” asked he, at last.
“I have seen Ursus, lord, and have spoken with him.”
“Dost thou know where they are secreted?”
“No, lord. Another, through boastfulness, would have let the Lygian know