- Edward Gibbon
"Books are those faithful mirrors that reflect to our mind the minds of sages and heroes."
- Edward Gibbon
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Henryk Sienkiewicz's 1895 novel is an impressive one- a sprawling narrative which manages to tell a cogent love story, while at the same time describing Roman society and attitudes of the time in great detail. It also tells the tale of the rise of Christianity in this society, even under great persecution. This work, along with some of his other books, resulted in his being awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1905. It was originally written in Polish, but became hugely popular and was eventually translated into over 40 languages. Sienkiewicz was a Catholic, which is rather evident in his portrayal of Peter, especially. The book is, of course, strongly Christian, but does not make the mistake of portraying the Christian characters as flawless individuals. They have faults and failings: they falter and doubt, make mistakes, and fall back into their old ways on occasion. Some, like Crispus, misinterpret scripture and must be set right. In short, they are normal people. This is what makes it so affecting when Nero's persecution starts: these ordinary, fallible people have found something which is worth dying for. And not just dying courageously- many can do that- but to do so with assurance of something much greater to come. This is why they refuse to take steps which would save them from death (denying Christ), and also die forgiving those who have done this to them... an idea which would be completely alien to the Romans. Sienkiewicz goes into as much detail describing the tortures and deaths of the Roman Christians as he does everything else in his book, and to be honest, it's tough to read. It reminded me of the time I forced myself to read Foxe's "Book of Martyrs"- horribly unpleasant, but probably good for me, if only to make me realize how little we Christians face serious persecution here in the west. This is not, of course, true of every place- across the Middle East and in parts of Africa, Christians are facing torture and death in ways that Nero would have been quite at home with. As I was writing the summary of "Quo Vadis" for my previous post, I was also watching the news as the report broke of the latest atrocity: 147 Christian students slaughtered in Kenya by Islamic terrorists. In many places today, it can still cost you your life to proclaim your faith. "Quo Vadis" also details how the Christian church continued to gain converts and grow in number despite the horrific persecution it faced. The way that the Christians died made people wonder what gave them their sense of acceptance and assurance. Also, this persecution ensured that faith wasn't something which people chose on a whim- it could literally cost you your life. There were no casual Christians here... they had to take their faith very seriously. It reminds me of the quote from Tertullian which I memorized long ago in my high school European History class: " The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church." Interestingly, Sienkiewicz chose to have his readers experience the story not through the eyes of the Christian characters, but from the point of view of two of the Romans: Marcus Vinicius and his uncle, Gaius Petronius. Marcus Vinicius is the person in the novel who has the greatest character arc. He is ostensibly the "hero" of the book- the romantic interest- but Sienkiewicz turns this on its head by making him so terribly flawed. His behaviour throughout the first half of the novel is despicable- the reader can't help but actively dislike him. Nor does he have a guilty conscience about his behaviour... the society in which he has been raised sees nothing wrong with his actions. It is only when he is forced to spend time with the Christian community that he views his actions and lifestyle through another prism entirely... and realizes that there may be another, better way. The unpleasant, reprehensible Vinicius of the first part of the book is completely changed by the end as, due to his new faith and the circumstances he finds himself in, he is completely stripped of his arrogance, pride, and selfishness. He emerges a humbler, yet stronger and better man. Petronius is an extremely interesting character in the novel. He might best be described as a pleasure seeker. He spends most of his time luxuriating in self-indulgence and hedonism. A wealthy noble, he is able to indulge his taste for beautiful things as well, surrounding himself with great works of art. Beauty seems to be what he treasures most... he equates it with goodness. When he sees Lygia's beauty, he understands Vinicius' obsession with her. Then, near the end of the book when Lygia's good looks have been diminished by her illness and time in prison, Petronius can't understand why Vinicius seems to love her even more. To him, loss of beauty means loss of value. This outlook carries over into other aspects of his life as well. For instance, he is just as cynical about the Roman gods as he is about any other religion, but the statues of- and stories about- them are beautiful. It is possible, he tells his nephew, to love the gods without believing in them. This is one of many things he cannot comprehend about the Christians: their claim to a personal relationship with their God. Also, their willingness to endure great suffering on earth, with the hope of their reward following death. Petronius admires the skill of the Apostle Paul's arguments without considering their substance. He lives for the day, with no expectation of anything beyond the here and now. He fully expects that one day Nero will have him killed, but what seems to bother him most about the thought of death is that his art treasures will fall into the hands of Nero, or others equally unworthy of them. Speaking of Nero, recognizing Petronius' good taste, he is anxious for approval of his songs and poetry. Petronius amuses himself by complimenting Nero in ways which are subtly mocking, so skillfully that the tyrant doesn't catch on. He rises to power as Nero's "Arbiter of Elegance" eventually losing this favour when he no longer hides his contempt as skillfully. Perhaps Petronius' growing fatalism is responsible for this lapse in clever verbal equivocation. Or perhaps he's simply bored with concocting elaborate praises for Nero's ghastly "art". It does seem, however, that this stems at least partially from his growing disgust for the emperor and his actions. No doubt he is influenced by his concern for Vinicius, but also, I think by the increasing ugliness of Nero's behaviour. Petronius, it seems to me, loves the Empire the way he loves the gods: he loves the idea of it- the legendary power, glory, and greatness... the pinnacle of civilization. There is, however, a widening gap between this ideal and the sordid reality of Nero's - and Rome's- vulgar brutality. The "Arbiter of Elegance", I suspect, eventually found this hard to swallow- or forgive. In "Quo Vadis", Sienkiewicz gives us the picture of a Roman Empire in decline... not in power and influence- not yet- but morally and culturally. Rome still has the best trained, most powerful military in the world but, as the old adage goes, "a fish rots from the head down." And Nero and his kind are pretty rotten. We see here a society which has all the outward trappings of advanced civilization: great art, beautiful architecture, education, and wealth. They have an abundance of philosophers, but that is all they produce- philosophies. The thinkers of the time discuss and debate topics such as nobility, heroism, honour, law, and liberty, while practicing few if any of these things. The Roman nobles are living lives punctuated by decadence, depravity, and lawlessness. There is a growing chasm not only between the leaders and those they are supposed to lead, but between the ideals they espouse, and those they actually practice. Of course, the poor and powerless can easily fall victim to the whims and tyrannies of those in power, but even those with wealth and influence are brought to ruin by corrupt leaders like Nero. As Vinicius bitterly remarks to Petronius, they - Roman patricians- differ little from slaves, in that they must do what the emperor wants, go where he wants, and never question him, on pain of death. On the topic of slavery, it was ubiquitous. It was practiced by every culture, on every social level, in every country. And it was not race or class based: anyone could become a slave. If your people were conquered in battle, if your family got into debt, if your ship got captured by pirates, if you were in the wrong place at the wrong time... just a few of the many ways you could end up being sold off to spend the rest of your life as a slave. So all the wealthy people- even the Christians- have slaves, because it was not considered immoral, but just a part of life. What we do see here are the seeds- the very early seeds- of what will eventually bring about the end of slavery in Christendom. The gospel which the disciples preach declares that Christ is no respecter of persons: He makes all worthy: rich and poor, free and slave. And once a Christian, then a brother or sister to all other Christians, to be treated as such. I'm not saying that this was perfectly implemented, or caused immediate widespread reform, but it was a pretty revolutionary idea for the time period. Paul's epistle to Philemon, for example, deals with Onesimus, a runaway slave whom Paul led to Christ. He writes to Onesimus' former master, Philemon (also a Christian) asking him to accept the runaway back, not so much as a slave, but as a "beloved brother". This is a concept that the Romans would have found crazy. As previously mentioned, Sienkiewicz's research on the time period was exhaustive, and most of the characters in the novel were actual people. Though Marcus Vinicius isn't, he's the fictional son of the actual Marcus Vinicius. Likewise, though Lygia is fictional, her foster parents, Aulus Plautius and Pomponia Graecina were historical figures. Peter and Paul, of course, and also some the minor characters such as Acte, Poppaea Sabina, and Tigellinus were factual as well. Petronius is also an historical figure: he was known as "The Arbiter", and was an adviser of Nero's until he fell out of favour. His contempt for the emperor also seems to have been very real... in his book, "Satyricon" there is a ridiculous character who is obviously a thinly-disguised Nero. As well, his suicide was almost exactly as Sienkiewicz wrote it. As for Nero, a lot about him in "Quo Vadis" seems pretty accurate: we know that he was obsessed with his singing and poetry, and his murderous cruelty is well-documented... not just towards Christians, or political rivals, but his own family members as well. He may not have set fire to the city- we'll never know for sure- but he seems to have been perfectly capable of it. Most ancient sources describing the fire claim he had something to do with it, and all but one describe him singing while Rome was burning. The only exception to this is Tacitus, who admittedly seems a little more balanced, and who insists Nero was away from Rome when the fire broke out. Whether he actually did it or not, it makes for a great scene in the book. As someone who appreciates good historical fiction, I enjoyed reading "Quo Vadis". The novel is well researched, and appears to be as historically accurate as possible under the circumstances. Some sections- such as those about the brutal and sadistic executions of Christians- are tough to read, but necessary to convey the true horror of what was being done. The book has a strongly pro- Christian message, but does not portray the Romans as uniformly bad. The Roman characters are by and large complex, with many admirable qualities as well as deplorable ones. Neither are the Christians portrayed as being perfect, always sympathetic characters: they, too have their flaws. In short, Sienkiewicz' novel is a gripping work of historical fiction which provides us with a glimpse of what it must have been like to live in such times. Incidentally, it is thought that Sienkiewicz also meant the book as an allegory, equating his homeland, Poland, with the plight of the Christians against a powerful, ruthless enemy- in his case, Russia. The more things change.... Related Posts:There is not room for Death,
Nor atom that his might could render void: Thou- Thou art Being and Breath, And what Thou art may never be destroyed. - Emily Bronte Quo Vadis is a novel written by the Polish writer Henryk Sienkiewicz. It was published as a serial in 1895, then in novel form a year later. The title is taken from the Latin question, "Quo vadis Domine," which means "Where are you going, Lord?" It refers to the scriptural passage of John 13:36, but also to an account in the apocryphal Gospel of Peter. In it, Peter is fleeing from persecution in Rome when he has a vision of Jesus. Peter asks Him, "Lord, where are you going?" and Jesus responds that he is going to Rome to again be crucified. Peter tells the Lord that he will go with Him. Returning to himself, Peter realizes that this was a message from God about his own fate and, refusing to flee, he returns to Rome and martyrdom. This account is portrayed in a scene in the novel as well. "Quo Vadis" is set for the most part in Rome, around A.D. 64, during the days of the early Christian Church. The story is told mostly from the point of view of Gaius Petronius, a member of Nero's court, and his nephew, Marcus Vinicius. At the beginning of the novel, Vinicius comes to visit his uncle. He is returning from military service, and has just arrived back in Rome. On his way to the city, he had been injured, and ended up recuperating at the home of Aulus Plautius, a retired Roman general. While there, he met Calina, generally called Lygia, who is the ward of Plautius and his wife, Pomponia Graecina. As a child, she and her mother were taken as hostages, because her father, who was king of the Ligians, a barbarian tribe, was at war with Rome. Her father died, and then her mother dies as well. Lygia is forgotten by both her own people and the government of Rome, of which she is still a hostage. She is loved and cared for by Plautius and his wife, who regard her as their daughter. While at their home, Vinicius became captivated by her great beauty, and tells Petronius that he is violently in love with her, and must have her. Interested in seeing the girl who has inspired such strong feelings in his nephew, Petronius accompanies Vicinius on a visit to Plautius' estate, ostensibly to thank the family for caring for Vicinius while he was injured. Suitably impressed by Lygia's beauty, Petronius chats with Plautius and Pomponia, giving Vicinius the chance to talk with Lygia in the garden, with Plautius' young son as chaperone. Vicinius exerts himself to be charming, and Lygia finds herself drawn to him. When they leave, Vicinius is more enthralled than ever, and Petronius is determined to help him. Thinking it over that evening, he comes up with a plan. Of course, Marcus Vicinius is a Tribune and a Patrician, so it's unthinkable that he marry a lowly hostage, but there are other avenues. Petronius decides to go to Nero and tell him of the existence of the girl, which has been forgotten. He is confident that he'll be able to convince the emperor to have Lygia brought to the imperial palace. Once there, away from the protection of her guardians, Petronius knows he'll be able to manipulate Nero into giving the girl to Vicinius as a concubine. He enacts his plan, and soon soldiers arrive at Plautius' home to escort Lygia to Nero's palace. The old general would like to refuse the order but knows that, if he did, Nero would execute not only him, but his wife and son. Pomponia is a Christian and, through her witness, Lygia has become one as well. As the girl prepares to accompany the soldiers, Pomponia exhorts her to be strong in her faith and to trust God, no matter what happens. Pomponia then writes a letter to Acte, a concubine of Nero's whom he has lost interest in. She now lives ignored in the palace, but is known to be sympathetic to Christians, so in her letter Pomponia asks Acte to watch over Lygia. For added protection, Plautius and Pomponia send Ursus along with Lygia. He was the bodyguard of her and her mother, captured at the same time they were. A huge and immensely strong man, he too has become a Christian, though he often finds the doctrine of peace at odds with his desire to protect and defend. Thinking that it's too much of a coincidence that this has happened so soon after the visit from Petronius and Vinicius, Plautius tracks down the young tribune in the city and angrily confronts him, accusing him of orchestrating Lygia's seizure by Nero. Not knowing anything about this, Vinicius is shocked and furious, assuming that his uncle has plotted to take Lygia for himself. He charges off to find Petronius, ready to do violence. Exasperated, Petronius explains that he has done all this to obtain Lygia for him. Excited that his desire for Lygia is to be fulfilled, Vinicius apologizes to his uncle for his accusations... he really is a great guy, after all. Yeah. He sure is. Petronius tells him that he will talk Nero into giving him the girl, and in the meantime, Vinicius can see Lygia at a feast Nero's holding, which everyone in the palace will be required to attend. Meanwhile at the palace, a frightened and reluctant Lygia has been compelled to go to the feast by Acte, who explains that no one has any choice in the matter. Once there, the sheltered girl is horrified and disgusted by the debauchery and dissolute behaviour that the Roman "nobles" engage in. To cap off this delightful evening, Vicinius manages to locate her in the crowded hall and drunkenly attempts to seduce the revolted girl. At least half of her revulsion is due to the fact that she had previously found him so attractive and charming. Fortunately, Ursus is nearby and rescues Lygia from Vicinius' inebriated clutches, returning her to Acte. Vicinius, in the meantime, has succumbed to his drunken stupor, and later remembers little of what happened at the feast. Through flattery and clever words, Petronius convinces Nero to give Lygia to Vinicius as a concubine. Getting word of this through Acte, Lygia is horrified, and Ursus gets in touch with some fellow Christians. Though considered an illegal sect, there is a thriving underground Christian community in Rome, who identify each other using the symbol of a fish. Vinicius, in the mean time, is happily anticipating the arrival of the woman he "loves", and has sent some of his slaves with a litter to carry her to his house. On the way there, the litter is set upon by a group led by Ursus, who is so strong that he just tosses the slaves around as if they were weightless. They make off with Lygia, and disappear into the teeming streets of Rome. Lygia would like to return to the home of Plautius, but she knows that will be the first place that she will be sought, and if found there, the whole family would be destroyed. Instead, she and Ursus are hidden by the Christian community, living in the home of one of the elders of the church. Eagerly awaiting Lygia's arrival with Petronius, Vinicius is instead greeted by the sight of his battered slaves returning empty-handed. He is so enraged by this that he strikes out, killing the slave who is explaining what happened. Charming. He also can't understand why Lygia would flee- he's a rich, handsome nobleman... what girl wouldn't want to be his mistress? Determined to find her, he and Petronius hire Chilon Chilonides, a slimy individual if ever there was one, to investigate what happened and locate the fugitives. He eventually discovers that Lygia and Ursus are Christians, and reports this fact to Vinicius and Petronius, telling them that the two are probably being hidden by other members of the church. Chilon will track them down... for a price, of course. Vinicius agrees, grateful for some information, and also for a possible reason for Lygia's rejection of him. Neither he nor Petronius knows much about Christianity, except that there are wild and improbable tales told about Christians, and that Pomponia was suspected of being one. Vicinius assumes that her strange religion is responsible for Lygia fleeing from him- after all, she couldn't have any objections to him personally, right? Nero, in the meantime, has become bored with life in Rome... apparently even drunken revelry and arbitrary, wanton murder pall after a time. In addition, the emperor fancies himself quite the artiste: an unparalleled (in his own mind) poet and singer. Members of the court are forced to listen to his performances for hours on end, no one daring to leave or nod off because that could result in execution. Afterwards, praises are heaped on his head by his- literally- captive audience. Nero particularly values Petronius' compliments, because the man is considered an arbiter of literature and the arts. Petronius, who has grown rather fatalistic, makes a game of flattering Nero with flowery words and phrases that can be taken two ways, seeing how many insults disguised as compliments he can get away with, without going too far. Anyway, Nero decides to take his show on the road so that those not fortunate enough to live in his exalted vicinity can also be gifted with his great, um, talent. Naturally, his entire court is required to travel with him, including Petronius. Vicinius only escapes going because his uncle lies to Nero, telling him that he's sick. Petronius endures the trip, relieving his feelings by writing sardonic letters to Vicinius, describing how Nero is making a clown of himself. Back in Rome, Vicinus has literally become obsessed with finding Lygia, unable to think of anything else. He even takes to the streets himself, searching in vain for her. At home, ill-tempered and angry, he has become a tyrant and bully to his slaves, who hate and fear him. It is at this juncture that Chilon reappears with news. Pretending to be a Christian, he has infiltrated a local group of believers, and has found out about an important event. The Apostle Peter has come to Rome to minister to the Christians, and Chilon knows the secret location where he will be preaching. It's such an important occurrence, he informs Vicinius, that all the Christians in Rome will no doubt attend, including Lygia. All they need to do is attend the meeting, locate the girl, and follow her to where she is living. Determined to find and take Lygia, Vinicius hires the strongest and most famous gladiator from the Circus to come with them, mindful that Ursus will no doubt be protecting her. Together they travel to the spot where the meeting is being held, and disguised, mingle with the crowds of Christians. While surreptitiously keeping an eye out for Lygia, Vinicius can't help hearing the words of Peter, describing the resurrection of Christ. As a soldier used to making judgement calls about men, Vinicius reluctantly comes to the conclusion that this man is telling the truth about what he saw. The thought also comes to him that it would be impossible to be indifferent to such a faith- that one would either have to love it or hate it. He personally is inclined to hate it, since it keeps him separated from Lygia. These thoughts are driven from his mind as he espies her, and after the meeting ends, he, Chilon, and the hired muscle follow at a distance. The three men tail Lygia and her companions to a poor section of Rome. Looking about, and at the shabby clothes Lygia is wearing, Vinicius again marvels that she would prefer this poverty to a life of luxury with him. Having found where she is living, Vinicius and his gladiator rush in, intent on snatching Lygia. Unfortunately for them, Ursus is inside the building, and he gets hold of Vinicius, throwing him head first into a stone wall. He loses consciousness. Ursus then takes on the gladiator, whom he is forced to kill. Chilon, who has stayed in hiding, sees Ursus carrying the body to the river to throw in, and flees. When Vinicius wakes up, he is astonished... first, because he has woken up- he had assumed that the Christians would kill him, as he deserved. That is what he would have done, if the situation was reversed. Instead, he finds that he has been put in bed and treated for his injuries. He's actually hurt rather badly- Ursus has trouble controlling his strength, and his header into the wall has left Vinicius unable to be moved for a while. Of course, the inhabitants of the house aren't exactly pleased to have him there: they figure having a powerful Roman tribune in residence whose injuries they are responsible for is probably going to end badly. Vinicius, however, grateful for their mercy, assures them that they will suffer no consequences for what has happened. While slowly recuperating, Vinicius has time to observe the Christians closely, and realizes that everything he has been told about them is false, and that their ways are admirable, if not very practical. Also, most of his care falls to Lygia, which in his eyes is an added bonus. As time passes, Vinicius gets to know her, and finds himself actually falling in love with Lygia as a person, instead of just being infatuated with her looks. For her part, Lygia is alarmed to find her heart softening to the young tribune, because she knows that, as a Christian, she must not become involved with a non-believer. She goes to Crispus, the owner of the house, and confesses her feelings for Vinicius. Unfortunately, Crispus is a bit of a zealot, and takes this as a sign of weak faith, berating Lygia for her "sin". Fortunately, the apostles Peter and Paul arrive at the house for a meeting at this time, and want to know what Crispus is on about. When in possession of the facts, instead of condemning Lygia, the two men gently rebuke Crispus for his lack of love and understanding. They tell Lygia that she has behaved correctly, and when she asks them, they find her another place to stay so that she will be away from temptation. Though devastated by Lygia's loss, Vinicius can't help being a bit in awe of Peter's holiness and widsom, which he finds hard to understand, since the man is a lowly fisherman. In Paul, he finds someone he can identify with and talk to: a well-educated Roman citizen like himself. The Apostles don't judge him, but treat him with kindness and understanding, and Vinicius begins to get a glimpse of what being a Christian means. He sees now that he can never have Lygia while outside the faith, but he also realizes that he would have to repudiate his current lifestyle to become a Christian. He is unwilling to make such a sacrifice, and is too honest to pretend that he would. Soon after this, he is well enough to return home. Back at his luxurious villa, Vinicius defiantly decides to forget Lygia by taking up his old habits of drunken debauchery. His heart isn't in it, however, and he finds himself becoming more and more miserable. He also finds that his time with the Christians has made certain changes creep irrevocably into his character. He can no longer bring himself to treat his slaves with harsh cruelty, seeing them as actual people for the first time in his life. To his astonishment, as he writes to Petronius, this gentle treatment doesn't cause his slaves to slack off, but rather, he receives better service from them. Vinicius also finds himself beset with guilt over the slave he killed, and has a monument erected to the man. He follows this up by calling together a lot of the slaves who have served his family for years and freeing them. Despite these actions, he remains stubbornly opposed to converting to Christianity. Nero returns to Rome finally, and holds a big party (orgy) in his gardens to celebrate. Vinicius attends, but finds himself viewing the proceedings as an outsider- a Christian- would. He is disgusted and repelled. Seeking a quiet spot in the gardens to sort out his thoughts, Vinicius is accosted by Poppaea Sabina, the salacious wife of Nero, who attempts to seduce him. He rejects her, telling her that he's in love with someone else, then, unable to stand any more of this scene, leaves the party. Petronius warns him that spurning Poppaea is a dangerous thing... she is a vengeful woman, and will try to make him pay if she can. Prophetic words. This is the breaking point for Vinicius. He realizes that he can no longer live life as he has been. He wants to become a Christian, but doesn't know how, so he seeks out Peter and Paul and asks them to teach him what he needs to know. He also humbly asks them for permission, when he has become a Christian, to court Lygia honorably. Unfortunately, at this juncture Nero again rears his ugly head. Wanting to get out of the city and to the seashore for the summer months, he again demands the presence of the court on his travels. This time, Vinicius will not be able to use sickness as an excuse, and so must go along. He asks Paul to accompany him, so that his teaching will not be interrupted. Seeing this as an opportunity not only to instruct Vinicius, but to witness to Romans of all social levels, Paul agrees. Before they leave, Vinicius is given the opportunity to meet with Lygia. They pledge their love to each other, and then the tribune reluctantly leaves. Meanwhile, chez Nero, the courtiers are nervous. The glorious leader is becoming more and more unhinged, having people killed at whim, demanding that everyone attend more performances of his poetry and music, and developing a weird fascination for songs about the burning of great cities. In this, he is egged on by his new favourite, Tigellinus, a cruel prefect who has become a rival of Petronius for the position of favourite advisor. Speaking of creeps, Chilon has reappeared, using his connection to Petronius to weasel his way into the large group of sycophants that Nero surrounds himself with. On a lighter note, Vinicius has become a Christian, and Paul is making good use of the time, mingling with everyone from slaves to senators, preaching the gospel. Even Petronius finds himself reluctantly impressed by the Apostle's quick wits and ability to eloquently advance the cause of Christ. Then, one night soon after Nero has been maundering on about what a great influence the burning of a city would have on his deathless poetry, word arrives that Rome is on fire. It is obvious from the demeanor and behaviour of Nero and Tigellinus that this is no accident. Thinking only of Lygia's presence in Rome, Vinicius leaps onto a horse and heads back to the city as fast as he can. As he gets closer to Rome, he meets more and more people, fleeing the city in panic. Uncaring for his own safety, Vinicius charges into the heart of the city, searching for Lygia. Fortunately, she, Ursus, and those they were staying with managed to escape the flames, and he eventually finds them praying with other Christians. The fire burns for six days, and though much of the city is eventually saved, a lot of it has been destroyed, and many have died. During this time, Nero and his court, travelling at a much slower pace than Vinicius, arrives at Rome. At a vantage point where he can watch the burning of the capital, Nero, inspired to new artistic heights by the spectacle, plays and sings as most of the court looks on in horror. Eventually, reality sinks in, even for Nero. The city is in ruins, and much of the populace is displaced, homeless, and without food. Looting and killing is going on, and rumours are flying that Roman soldiers were seen setting fire to buildings with torches and preventing citizens from fighting the flames. Angry mobs are forming, and Nero fears- with good reason- that he may have a full scale revolution on his hands. He seeks to pacify them by having loads of food brought in to distribute, and promising them great, never seen before entertainments in the Arena- literally bread and circuses- but to no avail. The people, suspicious that the fire was deliberately set, want vengeance. In a panic, Nero looks around for a scapegoat- other than himself- and the Christians seem like a good bet. No one likes the despised sect, the Jewish community won't care because they regard Christians as heretics, and since virtually no one knows what they believe or do, they can tell whatever lies they want about them. Who's to know the difference? They start spreading the rumour that the Christians started the fire and Chilon, always quick to join the side which can profit him the most, endears himself to Nero and his minions by perjuring himself and saying he heard the Christians planning the arson. The fickle mob, not pausing to evaluate the facts, switch the focus of their rage to the Christians, demanding their blood. Nero promises that they will pay for their "crimes" in the arena. The senators and other members of Nero's court who know what actually happened keep quiet, fearing for their own lives and positions. A round up of all Christians begins: soldiers burst into their homes, dragging all of them- men, women, children, the elderly- off to prison. There are no trials; they are all guilty and will die in the Arena. When Vicinius finds out what is going on, he rushes to find Lygia, but it is too late. She, Ursus, and the Christians they were living with have all been arrested. He goes to the prison and attempts to see her, but is turned away. Desperate, he implores Petronius to use his influence with Nero, but unfortunately, the arbiter has fallen into disfavour. Increasingly disgusted by Nero, he has been less and less able to hide his contempt, his sarcasm becoming quite obvious at times. This has caused Nero to turn from him and favour the obsequious Tigellinus, who encourages him to further excesses. All the members of the court are ordered to attend the Circus, so Vicinius must go, watching the gruesome deaths of his fellow Christians, never knowing when Lygia will be among those dragged into the arena. He doesn't lose hope, however, and is formulating a plan to break her out of the prison she's in. Meanwhile, the bloodthirsty crowd is discontent because the Christians aren't providing them with much amusement. They don't scream and run, or try to fight: instead, they kneel and pray, or sing hymns to their God. Nero is forced to come up with new and increasingly brutal methods of killing the Christians. This culminates with a nighttime party in his gardens, where he has them doused in oil and set alight, using them as human torches as he and his guests frolic. Chilon is there; he has been increasingly horrified and guilt-ridden over what he has been party to. The final straw is when he recognizes one of the men whom has been set alight- a Christian from the group he had infiltrated and betrayed. Meeting Chilon's eyes, the man manages to gasp through his pain that he forgives him, before totally going up in flames. Chilon has a complete breakdown, shrieking out to the surrounding crowds that he lied about the Christians, and that Nero ordered the city set on fire, and then runs off into the night. This completely ruins Nero's little soiree. Later that night, Paul finds Chilon in the gardens, a broken and gibbering wreck. He knows that Nero will have him killed for what he has done, but he fears the judgement which awaits him after death far more. Paul compassionately leads him to Christ, and the next day Chilon goes to his death with a serenity which he has never before known. You might think that this would give even a psychopath like Nero pause, but no- he decides to brazen it out, doubling down on the killings. At this point, even the most bloodthirsty people are starting to get uneasy. Even if Nero had been telling the truth, which hardly anyone believes anymore, the sheer magnitude of the slaughter is staggering. The suspicion that the Christians were all innocent makes the body count go from staggering to horrifying. And then there's the way the Christians are dying- calmly, with hope and assurance in their eyes, almost as if they know something everyone else doesn't. Then, as will happen when so many people are kept for long periods of time in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions, disease breaks out in the prisons and quickly spreads to the city. It starts being whispered about that this is a judgement upon Rome sent by the Christian's God. While all of this has been going on, Vinicius has desperately been trying to free Lygia. His prison escape plan has fallen through, because on the day it was going to be enacted, Lygia- accompanied by Ursus, of course- was suddenly moved to another, more secure, prison. It almost seems deliberate and, as it turns out, it is. Poppaea has become aware that Lygia is the woman Vinicius rejected her for, and in revenge, encourages Nero to plan something horrible for her. This tickles Nero's misplaced funny bone, because it will afford him an opportunity to strike back at Petronius by hurting his nephew. Vinicius tries everything, using his wealth, position, and military connections to try to free Lygia, but everything fails. Petronius too, attempts to use what influence he has left, but is stymied by Nero at every turn. Finally, stripped of any other hope, all Vinicius has left is his new-found faith in God. He decides that all he can do is pray and trust. He tells Petronius that, should Lygia die, he will declare his faith before Nero, and join her in death. All that has stopped him thus far is his hope that he might do some good for Lygia while at liberty. Vinicius does manage to get in to see Lygia, thanks to a sympathetic guard who is secretly a Christian. Very ill from her prolonged imprisonment, she tells him that she has accepted her death, and is looking forward to God's kingdom, where she will be waiting for him. The day arrives when Lygia and Ursus are taken to the Circus. Ursus, who has been separated from her, is sent out into the arena alone. He assumes that he is being sent out to face a gladiator, and asks God for strength to refuse to fight. To his shock, a gigantic bull is sent out against him, and tied to its huge horns is the form of Lygia. Vinicius, who Nero has made sure is in a front row seat, can do nothing but pray for God to save her. Intent now on rescuing Lygia, but his great strength weakened by his prison time, Ursus prays for the power to defeat the bull. He runs at the enormous beast, which is charging at him, and grabs its horns. To the shock of everyone in the arena, who had expected him to be knocked down and gored, Ursus manages to stop the bull in its tracks, the two engaged in a desperate struggle for supremacy. Slowly, Ursus prevails, bending back the bull's head inch by inch, until finally there is an audible snap as he breaks the beast's neck and it falls down dead. As the shocked crowd breaks into cheers, Ursus frees Lygia from her bonds and lifts her unconscious form, looking towards Nero who must give the thumbs up sign, signalling their reprieve from death. To everyone's amazement, he doesn't give it. He is seething that his plot to avenge himself has gone awry, and wants to have them put to death regardless of Ursus' victory. He looks around for support, but the captain of the guard, his sympathies with Tribune Vinicius, gives the thumbs up signal, as do all the senators and other courtiers, either tired of Nero's petty vindictiveness or afraid of what the crowd- which is also demanding a reprieve- will do if they don't get their way. With no support, and afraid of public opinion, Nero backs down and spares their lives. Vinicius knows too, that they are now safe, because Nero will not dare move against them as they have become beloved by the public. He thankfully takes Lygia home to nurse her back to health. They eventually marry and move their household- including Ursus, of course- to an estate Vinicius owns far away from Rome, and not too far from where Aulus and Pomponia had moved some time before, to get away from the capital. They start up a Christian community there, and are very happy. Meanwhile, persecution of Christians in Rome continues, though not at the insane rate as previously. Peter and Paul eventually are both martyred, as are many others. Nero of course doesn't limit himself to Christians: he has many of his political foes- or supporters who are not enthusiastic enough- put to death. Petronius knows that Nero is planning to execute him soon, and decides to go out in his own way and cheat the old goat of his triumph. Vinicius has written to him, asking him to come live with them, saying that he will see the hope and joy afforded by the Christian life. Petronius knows it's too late for that, and he doesn't particularly want it anyway. He has always lived for the pleasures of the day, and is satisfied with his life, expecting nothing more. The only thing which would give him more satisfaction is to get one more jab in at Nero on his way out. Which he does. Petronius writes a letter to Nero and sends it to him. He then throws a big party, at which he gets up and reads a copy of the letter which he sent. It is hilarious, as he tells Nero exactly what he thinks of him, saying that death is preferable to listening to one minute more of his vile poetry or his ghastly voice. He knows that this will wound and humiliate Nero more than anything else he could have said or done. His guests shift uneasily, realizing that he's just signed his death warrant. Then, with the party still going on, Petronius reclines on a divan and has a physician open the veins in his arm. As he slowly bleeds out, he continues to talk with his friends, listen to the musicians, and to the conversation of his guests until he comfortably drifts off. * Nero did not long survive Petronius; in A.D. 68, there was a successful coup, which resulted in his committing suicide... sort of. Trying to steel himself to do it, he apparently paced around muttering,"What an artist dies in me." He lost the nerve to do the deed himself, and eventually his secretary had to "help" him out of this world. Good riddance, say I... not that what came along afterwards was much better. Related Posts: |
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