anner.bloodandgold(v2)-第21节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


de　the　shape　and　the　fine　color　of　her　dark　eyes。
　　　How　she　had　argued　with　me。　How　she　had　known　the　poets　and　philosophers。　How　she　had　been　able　to　reason。　And　I；　I　had　mocked　her　all　too　much。
　　　I　cannot　tell　you　how　many　years　passed　in　this　fashion。
　　　I　was　aware　that　even　though　we　did　not　speak　to　one　another；　or　even　face　each　other　in　the　street；　Avicus　and　Mael　had　bee　panions　to　me　by　their　very　presence。　And　as　for　their　keeping　Rome　clean　of　other　blood　drinkers；　I　was　in　their　debt。
　　　Now；　I　didn't　pay　much　attention　to　what　was　happening　with　the　government　of　the　Empire　as　I　think　you　can　ascertain　from　all　I've　said。
　　　But　in　truth　I　cared　passionately　about　the　fate　of　the　Empire。　For　the　Empire　to　me　was　the　civilized　world。　And　though　I　was　a　secret　hunter　by　night；　a　filthy　killer　of　humans；　nevertheless　I　was　a　Roman；　and　I　lived　in　all　other　ways　a　civilized　life。
　　　I　suppose　that　I　assumed；　much　like　many　an　old　Senator　of　the　time；　that　sooner　or　later　the　endless　battles　of　the　Emperors　would　sort　themselves　out。　A　great　man；　with　the　strength　of　Octavian；　would　rise　to　unite　the　entire　world　once　again。
　　　Meantime　the　armies　would　patrol　the　borders；　endlessly　driving　back　the　barbarian　menace；　and　if　the　responsibility　fell；　over　and　over　again　to　the　armies　to　choose　an　Emperor；　so　be　it；　as　long　as　the　Empire　remained　intact。
　　　As　for　the　Christians　who　existed　everywhere；　I　did　not　know　what　to　make　of　them　at　all。　It　was　a　great　mystery　to　me　that　this　little　cult；　which　had　begun　in　Jerusalem　of　all　places；　could　have　grown　to　such　tremendous　size。
　　　Before　I'd　left　Antioch；　I'd　been　amazed　by　the　success　of　Christianity；　of　how　it　was　being　organized；　and　how　it　seemed　to　thrive　on　division　and　dissent。
　　　But　Antioch　was　the　East　as　I　have　said。　That　Rome　was　capitulating　to　the　Christians　was　beyond　my　wildest　dreams。　Slaves　had　everywhere　gone　over　to　the　new　religion；　but　so　had　men　and　women　of　high　position。　And　persecutions　had　no　effect　at　all。
　　　
　　　Before　I　continue；　however；　allow　me　to　point　out　what　other　historians　have　also　pointed　out；　that　before　Christianity；　the　entire　ancient　world　lived　in　a　kind　of　religious　harmony。　No　one　persecuted　anyone　else　for　religion。
　　　Even　the　Jews　who　would　associate　with　no　one　else　were　easily　infolded　by　Greeks　and　Romans　and　allowed　to　practice　their　extremely　anti…social　beliefs。　It　was　they　who　rebelled　against　Rome；　not　Rome　which　sought　to　enslave　them。　And　so　this　harmony　was　worldwide。
　　　Of　course　all　of　this　led　me　to　believe；　when　I　first　heard　Christians　preaching；　that　there　was　no　chance　of　this　religion　gaining　ground。　It　placed　far　too　much　responsibility　upon　the　new　members　to　avoid　all　contact　with　the　revered　gods　of　Greece　and　Rome；　and　so　I　thought　the　sect　would　soon　die　out。
　　　Also　there　was　the　constant　strife　among　the　Christians　as　to　what　they　really　believed。　Surely　they　would　destroy　one　another；　I　thought；　and　the　whole　body　of　ideas；　or　whatever　it　could　be　called；　would　dissolve。
　　　But　no　such　thing　happened；　and　the　Rome　in　which　I　lived　in　the　three　hundreds　was　thronged　with　Christians；　as　I've　said。　For　their　apparently　magical　ceremonies；　they　met　in　the　catabs　and　also　in　private　homes。
　　　　
　　　Now　as　I　went　along；　watching　all　this；　and　yet　ignoring　it；　there　were　a　couple　of　events　which　stunned　me　out　of　my　dreams。
　　　Let　me　explain。
　　　
　　　As　I　have　said；　the　Emperors　of　Rome　were　constantly　at　war。　No　sooner　had　the　old　Roman　Senate　ratified　the　appointment　of　one　than　he　was　murdered　by　another。　And　troops　were　always　marching　across　the　far…flung　provinces　of　the　Empire　to　establish　a　new　Caesar　where　another　had　been　put　to　rout。
　　　In　the　year　of　305；　there　were　two　of　these　sovereigns　known　as　Augusti；　and　two　known　as　Caesars；　and　I　myself　did　not　know　precisely　what　these　titles　meant。　Or　shall　I　say；　I　had　too　much　contempt　for　all　involved　to　know　what　they　meant。
　　　Indeed　these　so…called　〃Emperors〃　more　often　than　I　liked　were　invading　Italy　and　one　by　the　name　of　Severus　in　the　year　307　had　e　all　the　way　to　the　gates　of　Rome。
　　　Now　I；　with　little　more　than　the　greatness　of　Rome　to　keep　me　pany；　did　not　want　to　see　my　native　city　sacked！
　　　It　soon　became　clear　to　me　when　I　started　to　pay　attention　that　all　of　Italy　as　well　as　Sicily；　Corsica；　Sardinia　and　North　Africa　were　all　under　the　rule　of　the　〃Emperor〃　Maxentius；　and　it　was　he　who　had…repelled　Severus　and　was　now　repelling　yet　another　invader；　Galerius；　whom　he　chased　away　in　defeat。
　　　This　Maxentius　who　lived　only　six　miles　from　the　city　walls　was　himself　a　beast。　At　one　extremely　unhappy　event；　he　allowed　the　praetorians；　that　is；　his　personal　guards；　to　massacre　the　people　of　Rome。　And　he　was　very　against　the　Christians　whom　he　persecuted　needlessly　and　cruelly；　and　the　gossip　had　it　that　he　debauched　the　wives　of　outstanding　citizens；　thereby　giving　the　greater　offense。　In　fact；　the　Senators　suffered　a　great　deal　of　abuse　at　his　hands；　while　he　let　his　soldiers　run　riot　in　Rome。
　　　None　of　this　meant　much　to　me；　however；　until　I　heard　that　one　of　me　other　Emperors…Constantine…was　marching　on　Rome。　This　was　the　third　threat　in　recent　years　to　my　beloved　city；　and　I　was　much　relieved　when　Maxentius　went　out　to　fight　the　important　battle　a　great　distance　from　the　walls。　Of　course　he　did　this　because　he　knew　the　Romans　would　not　support　him。
　　　But　who　could　have　known　that　this　was　to　be　one　of　the　most　decisive　battles　in　the　history　of　the　Western　world？　Of　course　the　battle　occurred　in　the　day　so　that　I　could　know　nothing　of　it　until　I　waked　with　the　setting　sun。　At　once；　I　rushed　up　the　stairs　from　my　underground　hiding　place　and；　ing　to　my　house；　I　found　all　my　regular　philosopher　guests　drunk；　and　I　went　out　into　the　streets　to　learn　what　I　could　from　the　citizenry　of　what　had　taken　place。　Constantine　was　pletely　the　victor。　He　had　massacred　the　troops　of　Maxentius　and　the　latter　had　fallen　into　the　Tiber　and　drowned。　But　what　was　most　significant　to　those　congregating　everywhere　was　the　rumor　that　before　Constantine　went　into　battle　he　had　seen　a　sign　in　the　sky　which　had　e　from　Jesus　Christ。
　　　Indeed　the　sign　had　been　made　manifest　right　after　noon　when　Constantine　had　looked　up　and　beheld　just　above　the　declining　sun；　the　sign　of　the　cross　with　the　inscription　〃Conquer　with　This。〃
　　　My　reaction　was　incredulity。　Could　a　Roman　Emperor　possibly　have　seen　a　Christian　vision？　I　went　rushing　back　to　my　desk；　wrote　down　all　these　particulars　in　my　precarious　journal　of　events　and　waited　to　see　what　history　would　reveal。
　　　As　for　the　pany　in　my　banquet　room　they　were　now　all　awake　and　arguing　about　the　whole　matter。　None　of　us　believed　it。　
　　　Constantine　a　Christian？　More　wine；　please。
　　　At　once；　to　everyone's　amazement；　but　without　doubt；　Constantine　revealed　himself　to　be　a　Christian　man。
　　　Instead　of　endowing　temples　to　celebrate　his　great　victory；　as　was　the　custom；　he　endowed　Christian　churches；　and　sent　out　word　to　his　governors　that　they　should　behave　in　the　same　manner　as　he　had　done。　Then　he　presented　the　Pope　of　the　Christians　with　a　palace　on　the　Coelian　Hill。　And　let　me　point　out　that　this　palace　was　to　remain　in　the　hands　of　the　Popes　of　Rome　for　a　thousand　years。　I　had　once　known　those　who　lived　in　it；　and　I　went　myself　to　see　the　Vicar　of　Christ　ensconced　in　it；　and　speculated　as　to　what　all　this　would　mean。
　　　Soon　laws　were　passed　which　forbade　crucifixion　as　a　form　of　execution；　and　also　forbade　the　popular　gladiatorial　games。　Sunday　became　a　holiday。　And　the　Emperor　extended　other　benefits　to　the　Christians；　and　very　soon　we　heard　that　Christians　were　petitioning　him　to　take　part　in　their　doctrinal　disputes！
　　　Indeed；　their　arguing　over　matters　of　doctrine　became　so　serious　in　African　cities　that　riots　broke　out　in　which　Christians　murdered　each　other。　People　wanted　the　Emperor　to　intervene。
　　　I　think　this　is　a　very　important　thing　to　understand　about　Christianity。　　It　was　from　its　very　beginnings；　it　seems；　a　religion　of　great　quarrels　and　wars；　and　it　wooed　the　power　of　temporal　authorities；　and　made　them　part　of　itself　in　the　hope　of　resolving　through　sheer　force　its　many　arguments。
　　　All　this　I　watched　with　amazed　eyes。　Of　course　my　guests　argued　furiously　about　it。　It　seemed　some　who　were　dining　at　my　table　were　Christians　and　had　been　all　along。　Now　it　was　out　in　the　open；　yet　the　wine　flowed　and　the　music　went　on。
　　　Understand；　I　had　no　real　fear　of　or　inherent　distaste　for　Christianity。　As　I　have　said；　I　witnessed　its　growth　with　amazement。
　　　And　now…as　ten　years　or　more　passed　during　which　Constantine　shared　the　Empire　uneasily　with　Lacinius；　I　saw　changes　that　I　did　not　believe　would　ever　take　place。　Obviously　the　old　persecutions　had　been　utter　failures。　Christianity　was　a　marvelous　success。
　　　There　seemed　to　me　to　be　a　blending　of　Roman　thinking　with　Christian　ideas。　Perhaps　one　should　say　it　was　a　blending　of　styles；　and　ways　of　looking　at　the　world。
　　　Finally…when　Lacinius　was　gone；　Constantine　became　the　sole　ruler　of　the　Empire　and　we　saw　all　of　its　provinces　united　once　more。　He　became　obviousl