Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero
gain time, above all; for he understood that once Cæsar set out for
Achæa, Tigellinus, who comprehended nothing in the domain of art, would
descend to the second place and lose his influence. In Greece Petronius
was sure of victory over every opponent.
Meanwhile he determined to watch over Vinicius, and urge him to the
journey. For a number of days he was ever thinking over this, that if he
obtained an edict from Cæsar expelling the Christians from Rome, Lygia
would leave it with the other confessors of Christ, and after her
Vinicius too. Then there would be no need to persuade him. The thing
itself was possible. In fact it was not so long since, when the Jews
began disturbances out of hatred to the Christians, Claudius, unable to
distinguish one from the other, expelled the Jews. Why should not Nero
expel the Christians? There would be more room in Rome without them.
After that “floating feast” Petronius saw Nero daily, both on the
Palatine and in other houses. To suggest such an idea was easy, for Nero
never opposed suggestions which brought harm or ruin to any one. After
mature decision Petronius framed a whole plan for himself. He would
prepare a feast in his own house, and at this feast persuade Cæsar to
issue an edict. He had even a hope, which was not barren, that Cæsar
would confide the execution of the edict to him. He would send out Lygia
with all the consideration proper to the mistress of Vinicius to
Baiæ, for instance, and let them love and amuse themselves there with
Christianity as much as they liked.
Meanwhile he visited Vinicius frequently, first, because he could not,
despite all his Roman selfishness, rid himself of attachment to the
young tribune, and second, because he wished to persuade him to the
journey. Vinicius feigned sickness, and did not show himself on the
Palatine, where new plans appeared every day. At last Petronius heard
from Cæsar’s own lips that three days from then he would go to Antium
without fail. Next morning he went straightway to inform Vinicius,
who showed him a list of persons invited to Antium, which list one of
Cæsar’s freedmen had brought him that morning.
“My name is on it; so is thine,” said he. “Thou wilt find the same at
thy house on returning.”
“Were I not among the invited,” replied Petronius, “it would mean that I
must die; I do not expect that to happen before the journey to Achæa. I
shall be too useful to Nero. Barely have we come to Rome,” said he, on
looking at the list, “when we must leave again, and drag over the road
to Antium. But we must go, for this is not merely an invitation, it is a
command as well.”
“And if some one would not obey?”
“He would be invited in another style to go on a journey notably
longer,--one from which people do not return. What a pity that thou
hast not obeyed my counsel and left Rome in season! Now thou must go to
Antium.”
“I must go to Antium. See in what times we live and what vile slaves we
are!”
“Hast thou noticed that only to-day?”
“No. But thou hast explained to me that Christian teaching is an enemy
of life, since it shackles it. But can their shackles be stronger than
those which we carry? Thou hast said, ‘Greece created wisdom and beauty,
and Rome power.’ Where is our power?”
“Call Chilo and talk with him. I have no desire to-day to philosophize.
By Hercules! I did not create these times, and I do not answer for them.
Let us speak of Antium. Know that great danger is awaiting thee, and it
would be better, perhaps, to measure strength with that Ursus who choked
Croton than to go there, but still thou canst not refuse.”
Vinicius waved his hand carelessly, and said,--“Danger! We are all
wandering in the shadow of death, and every moment some head sinks in
its darkness.”
“Am I to enumerate all who had a little sense, and therefore, in spite
of the times of Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero, lived eighty
and ninety years? Let even such a man as Domitius Afer serve thee as
an example. He has grown old quietly, though all his life he has been a
criminal and a villain.”
“Perhaps for that very reason!” answered Vinicius.
Then he began to glance over the list and read: “Tigellinus, Vatinius,
Sextus Africanus, Aquilinus Regulus, Suilius Nerulinus, Eprius
Marcellus, and so on! What an assembly of ruffians and scoundrels! And
to say that they govern the world! Would it not become them better to
exhibit an Egyptian or Syrian divinity through villages, jingle sistra,
and earn their bread by telling fortunes or dancing?”
“Or exhibiting learned monkeys, calculating dogs, or a flute-playing
ass,” added Petronius. “That is true, but let us speak of something more
important. Summon thy attention and listen. I have said on the Palatine
that thou art ill, unable to leave the house; still thy name is on the
list, which proves that some one does not credit my stories and has seen
to this purposely. Nero cares nothing for the matter, since for him thou
art a soldier, who has no conception of poetry or music, and with whom
at the very highest he can talk only about races in the circus. So
Poppæa must have seen to putting down thy name, which means that her
desire for thee was not a passing whim, and that she wants to win thee.”
“She is a daring Augusta.”
“Indeed she is daring, for she may ruin herself beyond redemption. May
Venus inspire her, however, with another love as soon as possible; but
since she desires thee thou must observe the very greatest caution.
She has begun to weary Bronzebeard already; he prefers Rubria now, or
Pythagoras, but, through consideration of self, he would wreak the most
horrible vengeance on us.”
“In the grove I knew not that she was speaking to me; but thou wert
listening. I said that I loved another, and did not wish her. Thou
knowest that.”
“I implore thee, by all the infernal gods, lose not the remnant of
reason which the Christians have left in thee. How is it possible to
hesitate, having a choice between probable and certain destruction?
Have I not said already that if thou hadst wounded the Augusta’s vanity,
there would have been no rescue for thee? By Hades! if life has grown
hateful to thee, better open thy veins at once, or cast thyself on a
sword, for shouldst thou offend Poppæa, a less easy death may meet thee.
It was easier once to converse with thee. What concerns thee specially?
Would this affair cause thee loss, or hinder thee from loving thy Lygia?
Remember, besides, that Poppæa saw her on the Palatine. It will not be
difficult for her to guess why thou art rejecting such lofty favor, and
she will get Lygia even from under the earth. Thou wilt ruin not only
thyself, but Lygia too. Dost understand?”
Vinicius listened as if thinking of something else, and at last he
said,--
“I must see her.”
“Who? Lygia?”
“Lygia.”
“Dost thou know where she is?”
“No.”
“Then thou wilt begin anew to search for her in old cemeteries and
beyond the Tiber?”
“I know not, but I must see her.”
“Well, though she is a Christian, it may turn out that she has more
judgment than thou; and it will certainly, unless she wishes thy ruin.”
Vinicius shrugged his shoulders. “She saved me from the hands of Ursus.”
“Then hurry, for Bronzebeard will not postpone his departure. Sentences
of death may be issued in Antium also.”
But Vinicius did not hear. One thought alone occupied him, an interview
with Lygia; hence he began to think over methods.
Meanwhile something intervened which might set aside every difficulty.
Chilo came to his house unexpectedly.
He entered wretched and worn, with signs of hunger on his face and in
rags; but the servants, who had the former command to admit him at
all hours of the day or night, did not dare to detain him, so he went
straight to the atrium, and standing before Vinicius said,--“May the
gods give thee immortality, and share with thee dominion over the
world.”
Vinicius at the first moment wished to give the order to throw him
out of doors; but the thought came to him that the Greek perhaps knew
something of Lygia, and curiosity overcame his disgust.
“Is that thou?” asked he. “What has happened to thee?”
“Evil, O son of Jove,” answered Chilo. “Real virtue is a ware for which
no one inquires now, and a genuine sage must be glad of this even, that
once in five days he has something with which to buy from the butcher a
sheep’s head, to gnaw in a garret, washing it down with his tears. Ah,
lord! What thou didst give me I paid Atractus for books, and afterward
I was robbed and ruined. The slave who was to write down my wisdom
fled, taking the remnant of what thy generosity bestowed on me. I am
in misery, but I thought to myself: To whom can I go, if not to thee, O
Serapis, whom I love and deify, for whom I have exposed my life?”
“Why hast thou come, and what dost thou bring?”
“I come for aid, O Baal, and I bring my misery, my tears, my love, and
finally the information which through love for thee I have collected.
Thou rememberest, lord, I told thee once how I had given a slave of the
divine Petronius one thread from the girdle of the Paphian Venus? I know
now that it helped her, and thou, O descendant of the Sun, who knowest
what is happening in that house, knowest also what Eunice is there. I
have another such thread. I have preserved it for thee, lord.”
Here he stopped, on noticing the anger which was gathering on the brows
of Vinicius, and said quickly, so as to anticipate the outburst,--
“I know where the divine Lygia is living; I will show thee the street
and the house.”
Vinicius repressed the emotion with which that news filled him, and
said,--“Where is she?”
“With Linus, the elder priest of the Christians. She is there with
Ursus, who goes as before to the miller, a namesake of thy dispensator
Demas. Yes, Demas! Ursus works in the night; so if thou surround the
house at night, thou wilt not find him. Linus is old, and besides him
there are only two aged women in the house.”
“Whence dost thou know all this?”
“Thou rememberest, lord, that the Christians had me in their hands, and
spared me. True, Glaucus was mistaken in thinking that I was the
cause of his misfortunes; but he believed that I was, poor man, and he
believes so yet. Still they spared me. Then be not astonished, lord,
that gratitude filled my heart. I am a man of former, of better times.
This was my thought: Am I to desert friends and benefactors? Would I not
have been hard-hearted not to inquire about them, not to learn what
was happening to them, how health was serving them, and where they were
living? By the Pessinian Cybele! I am not capable of such conduct.
At first I was restrained by fear that they might interpret my wishes
incorrectly. But the love which I bore them proved greater than my fear,
and the ease with which they forgive every injustice lent me special
courage. But above all I was thinking of thee, lord. Our last attempt
ended in defeat; but can such a son of Fortune be reconciled with
defeat? So I prepared victory for thee. The house stands apart. Thou
mayst give command to thy slaves to surround it so that not a mouse
could escape. My lord, on thee alone it depends to have that magnanimous
king’s daughter in thy house this very night. But should that happen,
remember that the cause of it is the very poor and hungry son of my
father.”
The blood rushed to Vinicius’s head. Temptation shook all his being
again. Yes; that was the method, and this time a certain one. Once
he has Lygia in his house, who can take her? Once he makes Lygia his
mistress, what will be left to her, unless to remain so forever? And let
all religions perish! What will the Christians mean to him then, with
their mercy and forbidding faith? Is it not time to shake himself free