anner.bloodandgold(v2)-第22节

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　　　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　obviously　more　concerned　with　the　disunity　of　the　Christians　and　we　heard　word　in　Rome　of　huge　Christian　councils　in　the　East。　The　first　took　place　at　Antioch　where　I　had　lived　with　Pandora　and　which　was　still　a　great　city；　perhaps　in　many　respects　more　lively　and　interesting　at　this　point　than　Rome。
　　　The　Arian　heresy　was　the　cause　of　Constantine's　discontent。　And　the　whole　thing　had　to　do　with　something　extremely　small　in　the　Scriptures　which　seemed　to　Constantine　to　be　hardly　worth　the　dispute。　Nevertheless　certain　Bishops　were　exmunicated　from　the　growing　Church；　and　another　more　important　council　was　held　in　Nicaea　only　two　months　later；　where　Constantine　presided　again。
　　　There　the　Nicene　Creed　was　adopted；　which　is　recited　by　Christians　even　in　the　present　time。　The　Bishops　who　signed　this　Creed　effectively　again　condemned　and　exmunicated　the　theorist　and　Christian　writer　Arius　as　a　heretic　and　doomed　his　writings　to　be　burnt。　He　himself　was　to　be　shut　out　of　his　native　Alexandria。　The　Judgment　was　absolute。
　　　　　But　it　is　worth　noting；　and　I　did；　that　Arius　continued　his　struggle　for　recognition；　even　though　the　council　had　cast　him　out。
　　　　The　other　great　affair　of　this　council；　and　a　matter　which　is　still　rather　confusing　in　Christianity；　was　the　question　of　the　true　date　of　Easter；　or　the　anniversary　of　the　resurrection　of　Christ。　A　determination　was　made　as　to　how　this　date　would　be　calculated；　and　it　was　based　upon　a　Western　system。　And　then　the　council　came　to　an　end。
　　　Now　the　Bishops　who　had　e　to　the　council　were　asked　to　stay　and　help　the　Emperor　celebrate　his　twenty　years　on　the　throne；　and　of　course　they　did　so；　for　how　could　they　refuse？
　　　But　as　soon　as　word　reached　Rome　of　these　elaborate　festivities；　there　was　much　jealousy　and　discontent。　Rome　felt　ignored　in　all　these　goings…on。　And　so　there　was　considerable　relief　and　happiness　when　in　January　of　326；　the　Emperor　headed　for　our　city　once　again。
　　　Before　his　arrival；　however；　terrible　deeds　became　attached　to　Constantine's　name。　For　reasons　nobody　could　discover；　he　stopped　along　the　way　to　put　to　death　both　his　son　Crispus　and　his　stepson；　Licinianus；　and　his　own　wife；　the　Empress　Fausta。　Historians　can　speculate　forever　as　to　why　all　this　happened。　The　truth　is；　nobody　knows　why　Constantine　mitted　these　acts。　There　may　have　been　a　plot　against　him。　Perhaps　there　was　not。
　　　Let　me　say　here　that　it　cast　a　cloud　over　his　arrival　among　the　Romans；　and　that　when　he　did　e；　it　was　no　great　consolation　to　the　old　ruling　class；　because　he　dressed　very　much　in　the　extravagant　Eastern　style；　with　silk　and　damask；　and　would　not　be　part　of　the　important　procession　to　the　Temple　of　Jupiter；　as　the　people　had　expected　him　to　do。
　　　Of　course　the　Christians　adored　him。　Rich　and　poor　they　flocked　to　see　him　in　his　Eastern　robes　and　jewels。　They　were　overwhelmed　with　his　generosity　as　he　laid　the　ground　for　more　churches。
　　　And　though　he　had　spent　almost　no　time　in　Rome；　he　had　over　the　years　allowed　for　the　pletion　of　secular　buildings　begun　by　Maxentius；　and　he　built　a　large　public　bath　under　his　own　name。
　　　Then　came　appalling　rumors。　Constantine　had　plans　for　an　entirely　new　city。　Constantine　found　Rome　old　and　decayed　and　lacking　as　a　capital。　Constantine　meant　to　make　a　new　city　for　the　Empire；　he　meant　to　make　it　in　the　East；　and　it　would　honor　his　name！
　　　Imagine　it；　if　you　can。
　　　Of　course　the　Emperors　of　the　last　century　had　moved　all　over　the　provinces　of　the　Empire。　They　had　fought　each　other；　breaking　into　pairs　and　tetrarchies；　and　meeting　here　and　murdering　one　another　there。
　　　But　to　give　up　Rome　as　the　capital？　To　create　another　great　city　to　be　the　center　of　the　Empire？
　　　
　　　It　was　unthinkable　to　me。
　　　I　brooded　in　hatred。　I　knew　despair。
　　　All　of　my　nightly　guests　shared　my　misery。　The　elderly　soldiers　were　broken　by　the　news　and　one　of　the　old　philosophers　wept　bitterly。　Another　city　to　be　the　capital　of　the　Roman　Empire？　The　younger　men　were　furious；　but　they　could　not　hide　their　bitter　curiosity；　or　their　grudging　guesses　as　to　where　this　new　city　might　be。
　　　I　could　not　dare　weep　as　I　wanted　to　for　my　tears　would　have　been　full　of　blood。
　　　I　asked　the　musicians　to　play　old　songs；　songs　I　had　to　teach　them　for　they　had　never　heard　them；　and　there　came　a　strange　moment　when　we　sang　together…my　mortal　guests　and　me…a　slow　mournful　song　about　Rome's　tarnished　glory　which　we　would　not　forget。
　　　The　air　was　cool　on　that　evening。　I　went　out　into　the　garden　and　looked　down　over　the　side　of　the　hill。　I　could　see　lights　here　and　there　in　the　darkness。　I　could　hear　laughter　and　conversation　from　other　houses。
　　　〃This　is　Rome！〃　I　whispered。
　　　How　could　Constantine　abandon　the　city　which　had　been　the　capital　of　the　Empire　for　a　thousand　years　of　struggle；　triumph；　defeat；　glory？　Couldn't　someone　reason　with　him？　This　simply　could　not　e　to　pass。
　　　But　the　more　I　roamed　the　city；　the　more　I　listened　to　talk　both　far　and　wide；　the　more　I　roamed　outside　the　walls　and　into　the　towns　thereabout；　I　came　to　see　what　had　motivated　the　Emperor。
　　　Constantine　wanted　to　begin　his　Christian　Empire　in　a　place　of　incredible　advantage；　and　could　not　retreat　to　the　Italian　peninsula　when　so　much　of　the　culture　of　his　people　lay　to　the　East。　Also　he　had　to　defend　his　Eastern　borders。　The　Persian　Empire　of　the　East　was　always　a　threat。　And　Rome　was　not　a　fit　place　for　a　man　in　supreme　power　to　reside。
　　　Thus　Constantine　had　chosen　the　distant　Greek　city　of　Byzantium　to　be　the　site　of　Constantinople；　his　new　home。
　　　And　I　should　see　my　home；　my　sacred　city；　bee　now　a　castoff　of　a　man　whom　I；　as　a　Roman；　could　not　accept。
　　　There　were　rumors　of　the　incredible　if　not　miraculous　speed　with　which　Constantinople　had　been　mapped　out；　and　with　which　building　was　being　done。
　　　　At　once　many　Romans　followed　Constantine　to　the　burgeoning　new　city。　At　his　invitation　perhaps；　or　simply　on　their　own　impulse
　　　　
　　　Senators　decamped　with　their　families　and　their　wealth　to　live　in　this　new　and　shining　place；　a　subject　on　everyone's　lips。
　　　Soon　I　heard　that　Senators　from　all　the　cities　of　the　Empire　were　being　drawn　to　Constantinople；　and　indeed；　as　baths　and　meeting　halls　and　circuses　were　erected　in　the　new　capital；　beautiful　statues　were　being　looted　from　cities　throughout　Greece　and　Asia　to　adorn　the　new　architectural　works。
　　　Rome；　my　Rome；　what　will　bee　of　you；　I　thought。　Of　course　my　evening　feasts　were　not　really　deeply　affected。　Those　who　came　to　dine　with　Marius　were　poor　teachers　and　historians　who　had　no　means　of　moving　to　Constantinople；　or　curious　and　reckless　young　men　who　had　not　made　the　clever　choice　as　yet。
　　　I　had　plenty　of　mortal　pany　as　always；　and　indeed；　I　had　inherited　a　few　very　quick…witted　Greek　philosophers　who　had　been　left　behind　by　families　who　had　gone　to　Constantinople　where　they　would　no　doubt　find　more　brilliant　men　to　tutor　their　sons。　But　this；　the　pany　in　my　house　was　a　small　matter。　In　truth；　as　the　years　passed；　my　soul　was　crushed。　And　it　struck　me　as　more　than　ever　dreadful　that　I　had　no　other　immortal　panion　who　might　understand　what　I　felt。　I　wondered　if　Mael　or　Avicus　could　possibly　prehend　what　was　going　on。　I　knew　they　still　haunted　the　same　streets　as　I　did。　I　heard　them。
　　　And　my　need　of　Pandora　became　so　terrible　that　I　could　not　envision　her　or　think　of　her　anymore。
　　　But　still；　I　thought　desperately；　if　this　man　Constantine　can　preserve　the　Empire；　if　Christianity　can　bind　it　and　prevent　it　from　breaking　apart；　if　its　disparate　provinces　can　be　united；　if　Constantine　can　keep　back　the　barbarians　who　forever　pillage　without　building　or　preserving　anything；　who　am　I　to　judge　him；　I；　who　am　outside　of　life？
　　　I　went　back　to　my　scribbling　on　the　nights　when　my　mind　was　feverish。　And　on　those　when　I　was　certain　that　Mael　and　Avicus　were　nowhere　in　the　vicinity　I　went　out　into　the　country　to　visit　the　shrine。
　　　My　work　on　the　walls　of　the　shrine　was　continuous。　As　soon　as　I　finished　painting　the　walls　of　the　entire　chapel；　I　covered　over　a　wall　and　began　painting　again。　I　could　not　make　my　nymphs　and　goddesses　to　suit　my　standards。　Their　figures　were　not　slender　enough　for　me；　and　the　arms　not　graceful　enough。　Their　hair　was　not　right。　And　as　for　the　gardens　I　rendered；　there　were　not　enough　kinds　of　flowers　for　me　to　include。
　　　Always；　there　was　that　sense　of　familiarity…that　I　had　seen　this　garden　that　I　had　known　it　long　before　I　was　allowed　by　Akasha　to　drink　her　blood。　I　had　seen　the　stone　benches　in　it；　I　had　seen　the　fountains。
　　　I　couldn't　shake　the　sensations　of　being　in　it　as　I　painted；　so　strong　was　the　feeling。　I'm　not　sure　it　aided　me　in　my　work。　Perhaps　it　hurt。
　　　But　as　I　gained　skill　as　a　painter；　and　I　did　indeed　gain　skill；　other　aspects　of　the　work　disturbed　me。
　　　I　was　convinced　that　there　was　something　unnatural　in　it；　something　inherently　ghastly　in　the　manner　with　which　I　drew　human　figures　so　nearly　perfectly；　something　unnatural　in　the　way　I　made　the　colors　so　unusually　b