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Home -> Henryk Sienkiewicz -> Quo Vadis -> Chapter LI

Quo Vadis - Chapter LI

1. Chapter 1

2. Chapter II

3. Chapter III

4. Chapter IV

5. Chapter V

6. Chapter VI

7. Chapter VII

8. Chapter VIII

9. Chapter IX

10. Chapter X

11. Chapter XI

12. Chapter XII

13. Chapter XIII

14. Chapter XIV

15. Chapter XV

16. Chapter XVI

17. Chapter XVII

18. Chapter XVIII

19. Chapter XIX

20. Chapter XX

21. Chapter XXI

22. Chapter XXII

23. Chapter XXIII

24. Chapter XXIV

25. Chapter XXV

26. Chapter XXVI

27. Chapter XXVII

28. Chapter XXVIII

29. Chapter XXIX

30. Chapter XXX

31. Chapter XXXI

32. Chapter XXXII

33. Chapter XXXIII

34. Chapter XXXIV

35. Chapter XXXV

36. Chapter XXXVI

37. Chapter XXXVII

38. Chapter XXXVIII

39. Chapter XXXIX

40. Chapter XL

41. Chapter XLI

42. Chapter XLII

43. Chapter XLIII

44. Chapter XLIV

45. Chapter XLV

46. Chapter XLVI

47. Chapter XLVII

48. Chapter XLVIII

49. Chapter XLIX

50. Chapter L

51. Chapter LI

52. Chapter LII

53. Chapter LIII

54. Chapter LIV

55. Chapter LV

56. Chapter LVI

57. Chapter LVII

58. Chapter LVIII

59. Chapter LIX

60. Chapter LX

61. Chapter LXI

62. Chapter LXII

63. Chapter LXIII

64. Chapter LXIV

65. Chapter LXV

66. Chapter LXVI

67. Chapter LXVII

68. Chapter LXVIII

69. Chapter LXIX

70. Chapter LXX

71. Chapter LXXI

72. Chapter LXXII

73. Chapter LXXIII

74. Epilogue







Chapter LI

THE cry, "Christians to the lions!" was heard increasingly in every part
of the city. At first not only did no one doubt that they were the real
authors of the catastrophe, but no one wished to doubt, since their
punishment was to be a splendid amusement for the populace. Still the
opinion spread that the catastrophe would not have assumed such dreadful
proportions but for the anger of the gods; for this reason "piacula," or
purifying sacrifices, were commanded in the temples. By advice of the
Sibylline books, the Senate ordained solemnities and public prayer to
Vulcan, Ceres, and Proserpina. Matrons made offerings to Juno; a whole
procession of them went to the seashore to take water and sprinkle with
it the statue of the goddess. Married women prepared feasts to the gods
and night watches. All Rome purified itself from sin, made offerings,
and placated the Immortals. Meanwhile new broad streets were opened
among the ruins. In one place and another foundations were laid for
magnificent houses, palaces, and temples. But first of all they built
with unheard-of haste an enormous wooden amphitheatre in which
Christians were to die. Immediately after that consultation in the house
of Tiberius, orders went to consuls to furnish wild beasts. Tigellinus
emptied the vivaria of all Italian cities, not excepting the smaller
ones. In Africa, at his command, gigantic hunts were organized, in
which the entire local population was forced to take part. Elephants
and tigers were brought in from Asia, crocodiles and hippopotamuses from
the Nile, lions from the Atlas, wolves and bears from the Pyrenees,
savage hounds from Hibernia, Molossian dogs from Epirus, bisons and the
gigantic wild aurochs from Germany. Because of the number of prisoners,
the games were to surpass in greatness anything seen up to that time.
Cæsar wished to drown all memory of the fire in blood, and make Rome
drunk with it; hence never had there been a greater promise of
bloodshed.

The willing people helped guards and pretorians in hunting Christians.
That was no difficult labor for whole groups of them camped with the
other population in the midst of the gardens, and confessed their faith
openly. When surrounded, they knelt, and while singing hymns let
themselves be borne away without resistance. But their patience only
increased the anger of the populace, who, not understanding its origin,
considered it as rage and persistence in crime. A madness seized the
persecutors. It happened that the mob wrested Christians from
pretorians, and tore them to pieces; women were dragged to prison by the
hair; children's heads were dashed against stones. Thousands of people
rushed, howling, night and day through the streets. Victims were sought
in ruins, in chimneys, in cellars. Before the prison bacchanalian
feasts and dances were celebrated at fires, around casks of wine.

In the evening was heard with delight bellowing which was like thunder,
and which sounded throughout the city. The prisons were overflowing
with thousands of people; every day the mob and pretorians drove in new
victims. Pity had died out. It seemed that people had forgotten to
speak, and in their wild frenzy remembered one shout alone: "To the
lions with Christians!" Wonderfully hot days came, and nights more
stifling than ever before; the very air seemed filled with blood, crime,
and madness.

And that surpassing measure of cruelty was answered by an equal measure
of desire for martyrdom,--the confessors of Christ went to death
willingly, or even sought death till they were restrained by the stern
commands of superiors. By the injunction of these superiors they began
to assemble only outside the city, in excavations near the Appian Way,
and in vineyards belonging to patrician Christians, of whom none had
been imprisoned so far. It was known perfectly on the Palatine that to
the confessors of Christ belonged Flavius, Domitilla, Pomponia Græcina,
Cornelius Pudens, and Vinicius. Cæsar himself, however, feared that the
mob would not believe that such people had burned Rome, and since it was
important beyond everything to convince the mob, punishment and
vengeance were deferred till later days. Others were of the opinion,
but erroneously, that those patricians were saved by the influence of
Acte. Petronius, after parting with Vinicius, turned to Acte, it is
true, to gain assistance for Lygia; but she could offer him only tears,
for she lived in oblivion and suffering, and was endured only in so far
as she hid herself from Poppæa and Casar.

But she had visited Lygia in prison, she had carried her clothing and
food, and above all had saved her from injury on the part of the prison-
guards, who, moreover, were bribed already.

Petronius, unable to forget that had it not been for him and his plan of
taking Lygia from the house of Aulus, probably she would not be in
prison at that moment, and, besides, wishing to win the game against
Tigellinus, spared neither time nor efforts. In the course of a few
days he saw Seneca, Domitius Afer, Crispinilla, and Diodorus, through
whom he wished to reach Poppæa; he saw Terpnos, and the beautiful
Pythagoras, and finally Aliturus and Paris, to whom Cæsar usually
refused nothing. With the help of Chrysothemis, then mistress of
Vatinius, he tried to gain even his aid, not sparing in this case and in
others promises and money.

But all these efforts were fruitless. Seneca, uncertain of the morrow,
fell to explaining to him that the Christians, even if they had not
burned Rome, should be exterminated, for the good of the city,--in a
word, he justified the coming slaughter for political reasons. Terpnos
and Diodorus took the money, and did nothing in return for it. Vatinius
reported to Cæsar that they had been trying to bribe him. Aliturus
alone, who at first was hostile to the Christians, took pity on them
then, and made bold to mention to Cæsar the Imprisoned maiden, and to
implore in her behalf. He obtained nothing, however, but the answer,--

"Dost thou think that I have a soul inferior to that of Brutus, who
spared not his own sons for the good of Rome?"

When this answer was repeated to Petronius, he said,--

"Since Nero has compared himself to Brutus, there is no salvation."

But he was sorry for Vinicius, and dread seized him lest he might
attempt his own life. "Now," thought the arbiter, "he is upheld by the
efforts which he makes to save her, by the sight of her, and by his own
suffering; but when all means fail and the last ray of hope is quenched,
by Castor! he will not survive, he will throw himself on his sword."
Petronius understood better how to die thus than to love and suffer like
Vinicius.

Meanwhile Vinicius did all that he could think of to save Lygia. He
visited Augustians; and he, once so proud, now begged their assistance.
Through Vitelius he offered Tigellinus all his Sicilian estates, and
whatever else the man might ask; but Tigellinus, not wishing apparently
to offend the Augusta, refused. To go to Cæsar himself, embrace his
knees and implore, would lead to nothing. Vinicius wished, it is true,
to do this; but Petronius, hearing of his purpose, inquired,--

"But should he refuse thee, or answer with a jest or a shameless threat,
what wouldst thou do?"

At this the young tribune's features contracted with pain and rage, and
from his fixed jaws a gritting sound was heard.

"Yes," said Petronius, "I advise thee against this, because thou wouldst
close all paths of rescue."

Vinicius restrained himself, and passing his palm over his forehead,
which was covered with cold sweat, replied,--

"No, no! I am a Christian."

"But thou will forget this, as thou didst a moment ago. Thou hast the
right to ruin thyself, but not her. Remember what the daughter of
Sejanus passed through before death"

Speaking thus he was not altogether sincere, since he was concerned more
for Vinicius than for Lygia. Still he knew that in no way could he
restrain him from a dangerous step as well as by telling him that he
would bring inexorable destruction on Lygia. Moreover he was right; for
on the Palatine they had counted on the visit of the young tribune, and
had taken needful precautions.

But the suffering of Vinicius surpassed human endurance. From the
moment that Lygia was imprisoned and the glory of coming martyrdom had
fallen on her, not only did he love her a hundred times more, but he
began simply to give her in his soul almost religious honor, as he would
a superhuman being. And now, at the thought that he must lose this
being both loved and holy, that besides death torments might be
inflicted on her more terrible than death itself, the blood stiffened in
his veins. His soul was turned into one groan, his thoughts were
confused. At times it seemed to him that his skull was filled with
living fire, which would either burn or burst it. He ceased to
understand what was happening; he ceased to understand why Christ, the
Merciful, the Divine, did not come with aid to His adherents; why the
dingy walls of the Palatine did not sink through the earth, and with
them Nero, the Augustians, the pretorian camp, and all that city of
crime. He thought that it could not and should not be otherwise; and
all that his eyes saw, and because of which his heart was breaking, was
a dream. But the roaring of wild beasts informed him that it was
reality; the sound of the axes beneath which rose the arena told him
that it was reality; the howling of the people and the overfilled
prisons confirmed this. Then his faith in Christ was alarmed; and that
alarm was a new torture, the most dreadful of all, perhaps.

"Remember what the daughter of Sejanus endured before death," said
Petronius to him, meanwhile.




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