Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero Page 58

  Chapter LVIII

  "LORD," said Chilo, "the sea is like olive oil, the waves seem to sleep.Let us go to Achaea. There the glory of Apollo is awaiting thee, crownsand triumph are awaiting thee, the people will deify thee, the gods willreceive thee as a guest, their own equal; but here, O lord--"

  And he stopped, for his lower lip began to quiver so violently that hiswords passed into meaningless sounds.

  "We will go when the games are over," replied Nero. "I know that evennow some call the Christians innoxia corpora. If I were to go, all wouldrepeat this. What dost thou fear?"

  Then he frowned, but looked with inquiring glance at Chilo, as ifexpecting an answer, for he only feigned cool blood. At the lastexhibition he himself feared the words of Crispus; and when he hadreturned to the Palatine, he could not sleep from rage and shame, butalso from fear.

  Then Vestinius, who heard their conversation in silence, looked around,and said in a mysterious voice,--

  "Listen, lord, to this old man. There is something strange in thoseChristians. Their deity gives them an easy death, but he may bevengeful."

  "It was not I who arranged the games, but Tigellinus," replied Nero,quickly.

  "True! it was I," added Tigellinus, who heard Caesar's answer, "and Ijeer at all Christian gods. Vestinius is a bladder full of prejudices,and this valiant Greek is ready to die of terror at sight of a hen withfeathers up in defence of her chickens."

  "True!" said Nero; "but henceforth give command to cut the tongues outof Christians and stop their mouths."

  "Fire will stop them, O divinity."

  "Woe is me!" groaned Chilo.

  But Caesar, to whom the insolent confidence of Tigellinus gave courage,began to laugh, and said, pointing to the old Greek,--

  "See how the descendant of Achilles looks!"

  Indeed Chilo looked terribly. The remnant of hair on his head had grownwhite; on his face was fixed an expression of some immense dread, alarm,and oppression. He seemed at times, too, as if stunned and only halfconscious. Often he gave no answer to questions; then again he fellinto anger, and became so insolent that the Augustians preferred not toattack him. Such a moment had come to him then.

  "Do what ye like with me, but I will not go to the games!" cried he, indesperation.

  Nero looked at him for a while, and, turning to Tigellinus, said,--

  "Have a care that this Stoic is near me in the gardens. I want to seewhat impression our torches will make on him."

  Chilo was afraid of the threat which quivered in Caesar's voice."O lord," said he, "I shall see nothing, for I cannot see in thenight-time."

  "The night will be as bright as day," replied Caesar, with a threateninglaugh.

  Turning then to the Augustians, Nero talked about races which heintended to have when the games were over.

  Petronius approached Chilo, and asked, pushing him on the shoulder,--

  "Have I not said that thou wouldst not hold out?"

  "I wish to drink," said Chilo, stretching his trembling hand toward agoblet of wine; but he was unable to raise it to his lips. Seeing this,Vestinius took the vessel; but later he drew near, and inquired withcurious and frightened face,--

  "Are the Furies pursuing thee?"

  The old man looked at him a certain time with open lips, as if notunderstanding what he said. But Vestinius repeated,

  "Are the Furies pursuing thee?"

  "No," answered Chilo; "but night is before me."

  "How, night? May the gods have mercy on thee. How night?"

  "Night, ghastly and impenetrable, in which something is moving,something coming toward me; but I know not what it is, and I amterrified."

  "I have always been sure that there are witches. Dost thou not dream ofsomething?"

  "No, for I do not sleep. I did not think that they would be punishedthus."

  "Art thou sorry for them?"

  "Why do ye shed so much blood? Hast heard what that one said from thecross? Woe to us!"

  "I heard," answered Vestinius, in a low voice. "But they areincendiaries."

  "Not true!"

  "And enemies of the human race."

  "Not true!"

  "And poisoners of water."

  "Not true!"

  "And murderers of children."

  "Not true!"

  "How?" inquired Vestinius, with astonishment. "Thou hast said sothyself, and given them into the hands of Tigellinus."

  "Therefore night has surrounded me, and death is coming toward me. Attimes it seems to me that I am dead already, and ye also."

  "No! it is they who are dying; we are alive. But tell me, what do theysee when they are dying?"

  "Christ."

  "That is their god. Is he a mighty god?"

  But Chilo answered with a question,--

  "What kind of torches are to burn in the gardens? Hast thou heard whatCaesar said?"

  "I heard, and I know. Those torches are called Sarmentitii and Semaxii.They are made by arraying men in painful tunics, steeped in pitch, andbinding them to pillars, to which fire is set afterward. May theirgod not send misfortune on the city. Semaxii! that is a dreadfulpunishment!"

  "I would rather see it, for there will not be blood," answered Chilo."Command a slave to hold the goblet to my mouth. I wish to drink, but Ispill the wine; my hand trembles from age."

  Others also were speaking of the Christians. Old Domitius Afer reviledthem.

  "There is such a multitude of them," said he, "that they might raise acivil war; and, remember, there were fears lest they might arm. But theydie like sheep."

  "Let them try to die otherwise!" said Tigellinus.

  To this Petronius answered, "Ye deceive yourselves. They are arming."

  "With what?"

  "With patience."

  "That is a new kind of weapon."

  "True. But can ye say that they die like common criminals? No! They dieas if the criminals were those who condemned them to death,--that is, weand the whole Roman people."

  "What raving!" said Tigellinus.

  "Hic Abdera!" answered Petronius.

  [A proverbial expression meaning "The dullest of the dull"--Note by theAuthor.]

  But others, struck by the justice of his remark, began to look at oneanother with astonishment, and repeat,--

  "True! there is something peculiar and strange in their death."

  "I tell you that they see their divinity!" cried Vestinius, from oneside. Thereupon a number of Augustians turned to Chilo,--

  "Hai, old man, thou knowest them well; tell us what they see."

  The Greek spat out wine on his tunic, and answered,--

  "The resurrection." And he began to tremble so that the guests sittingnearer burst into loud laughter.