_ 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 "piacuia," 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. Caesar 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 Graecina, Cornelius
Pudens, and Vinicius. Caesar 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
Poppaea 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 Poppaea; he saw
Terpnos, and the beautiful Pythagoras, and finally Aliturus and
Paris, to whom Caesar 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 Caesar that they had been trying
to bribe him. A.liturus alone, who at first was hostile to the
Christians, took pity on them then, and made bold to mention to
Caesar 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 Caesar
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 time 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. _