annr.pandora-第46节
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There was little new poetry。 Satire。 Satire seemed the only safe or honest expression of the Roman mind now； and so we had the riotously funny story The Golden Ass； by Apuleius； which seemed to make fun of every religion。 But there was a bitterness to the poet Martial。 And those letters of Pliny which reached me were full of dire judgments on the moral chaos of Rome。
I began as a vampire to feed exclusively on soldiers。 I liked them； their look； their strength。 I fed so much so on them； that in my carelessness； I became a legend amongst them； 〃The Greek Lady Death；〃 this on account of my clothes which to them appeared archaic。 I struck at random in the dark streets。 There wasn't a chance of their ever surrounding me or stopping me； so great was my skill； my strength and my thirst。
But I saw things in their rebellious deaths； the blaze of a pitched battle in a march； a hand…to…hand struggle on a steep mountain。 I took them down gently into the finish； filling myself to the brim with their blood； and sometimes； through a veil it seemed； I saw the souls of those whom they themselves had slain。
When I told Marius this； he said it was just the kind of mystical nonsense he would expect of me。
I didn't press the point。
He watched with keen interest the developments of Rome。 To me they seemed merely surprising。
He pored over the histories of Dio Cassius and Plutarch and Tacitus； and pounded his fist when he heard of the endless skirmishes on the Rhine River； and the push Northward into Britannia and the building of Hadrian's wall to forever keep away the Scots； who like the Germans would yield to no one。
〃They are not patrolling； preserving； containing an Empire any longer；〃 he said。 〃Conserving a way of life！ It's just war； and trade！〃
I couldn't disagree。
It was really even worse than he knew。 If he had gone as often as I did to listen to the philosophers he would have been appalled。
Magicians were appearing everywhere； claiming to be able to fly； to see visions； to heal with the laying on of hands！ They got into battles with the Christians and the Jews。 I don't think the Roman army paid them any attention。
Medicine as I had known it in my mortal life had been flooded with a river of Eastern secret formulae； amulets； rituals； and little statues to clutch。
Well over half the Senate was no longer Italian by birth。 This meant that our Rome was no longer our Rome。 And the title of Emperor had bee a joke。 There were so many assassinations； plots； squabbles； false emperors and palace coups that it soon became perfectly clear that the Army ruled。 The Army chose the Emperor。 The Army sustained him。
The Christians were divided into warring sects。 It was positively astonishing。 The religion didn't burn itself out in dispute。 It gained strength in division。 Occasional furious persecutions … in which people were executed for not worshiping at Roman altars … only seemed to deepen the sympathy of the populace with this new cult。
And the new cult was rampant with debate on every principle with regard to the Jews； God and Jesus。
The most amazing thing had happened to this religion。 Spreading wildly on fast ships； good roads and well…maintained trade routes； it suddenly found itself in a peculiar position。 The world had not e to an end； as Jesus and Paul had predicted。
And everybody who had ever known or seen Jesus was dead。 Finally everyone who had ever known Paul was dead。
Christian philosophers arose； picking and choosing from old Greek ideas and old Hebrew traditions。
Justin of Athens wrote that Christ was the Logos； you could be an atheist and still be saved in Christ if you upheld reason。
I had to tell this to Marius。
I thought sure it would set him off； and the night was dull； but he merely countered with more out…landish talk of the Gnostics。
〃A man named Saturninus popped up in the Forum today；〃 he said。 〃Perhaps you heard talk of him。 He preaches a wild variant of this Christian creed you find so amusing； in which the God of the Hebrews is actually the Devil and Jesus the new God。 This was not the man's first appearance。 He and his followers； thanks to the local Christian Bishop Ignatius； are headed for Alexandria。〃
〃There are books with those ideas already here；〃 I said； 〃having e from Alexandria。 They are impenetrable to me。 Perhaps not to you。 They speak of Sophia； a female principle of Wisdom； which preceded the Creation。 Jews and Christians alike want somehow to include this concept of Sophia in their faith。 It so reminds me of our beloved Isis。〃
〃Your beloved Isis！〃 he said。
〃It seems that there are minds who would weave it all together； every myth； or its essence； to make a glorious tapestry。〃
〃Pandora； you are making me ill again；〃 he warned。 〃Let me tell you what your Christians are doing。 They are tightly organizing。 This Bishop Ignatius will be followed by another； and the Bishops want to lay down now that the age of private revelation had ended； they want to weed through all the mad scrolls on the market and make a canon which all Christians believe。〃
〃I never thought such could happen；〃 I said。 〃I agreed with you more than you knew when you condemned them。〃
〃They are succeeding because they are moving away from emotional morality；〃 he said。 〃They are organizing like Romans。 This Bishop Ignatius is very strict。 He delegates power。 He pronounced on the accuracy of manuscripts。 Notice the prophets are getting thrown out of Antioch。〃
〃Yes； you're right；〃 I said。 〃What do you thinks Is it good or bad'？〃
〃I want the world to be better；〃 he said。 〃Better for men and women。 Better。 Only one thing is dear： the old blood drinkers have by now died out； and there is nothing you or I； or the Queen and the King can do to interfere in the flow of human events。 I believe men and women must try harder。 I try to understand evil ever more deeply with any victim I take。
〃Any religion that makes fanatical claims and demands on the basis of a god's will frightens me。〃
〃You are a true Augustan；〃 I said。 〃I agree with you； but it is fun to read these mad Gnostics。 This Marcion and this Valentinus。〃
〃Fun for you perhaps。 I see danger everywhere。 This new Christianity； it isn't merely spreading； it's changing in each place as it spreads； it's like an animal which devours the local flora and fauna and then takes on some specific power from the food。〃
I didn't argue with him。
By the end of the second century； Antioch was a heavily Christian city。 And it seemed to me as I read the works of new Bishops and philosophers that worse things than Christianity could e upon us。
Realize； however； David； that Antioch did not lie under a cloud of decay； there was no sense in the air of the end of the Empire。 If anything there was bustling energy everywhere。 merce gives one this feel； that false sense that there is growth and creativity； perhaps； when there is none。 Things are exchanged； not necessarily improved。
Then came the dark time for us。 Two forces came together which bore down on Marius； straining all his courage。 Antioch was more interesting than it had ever been。
The Mother and the Father had never stirred since the first night of my ing！
Let me describe the first disaster； because for me it was not so hard to bear； and I had only sympathy for Marius。
As I've told you； the question of who was Emperor had bee a joke。 But it really became a howl with the events of the early 200s。
The Emperor of the moment was Caracalla； a regular murderer。 On a pilgrimage to Alexandria to see the remains of Alexander the Great； he had … for reasons no one knows even now … rounded up thousands of young Alexandrians and slaughtered them。 Alexandria had never seen such a massacre。
Marius was distraught。 All the world was distraught。
Marius spoke of leaving Antioch；。 of getting far far away from the ruin of the Empire。 I began to agree with him。
Then this revolting Emperor Caracalla marched in our direction； intending to make a war on the Parthians North of us and to the East of us。 Nothing out of the ordinary for Antioch！
His Mother … and you need not remember these names … Julia Domna； took up residence in Antioch。 She was dying from cancer of her breast。 And let me add here that this woman had； with her son Caracalla； helped murder her other son； Geta； because the two brothers had been sharing Imperial power and threatening to make a Civil War。
Let me continue； and again you need not remember the names。
Troops were massed for this Eastern war against two Kings to the East； Vologases the Fifth and Artabanus the Fifth。 Caracalla did make war； achieve victory and return in triumph。 Then； only miles from Antioch； he was assassinated by his own soldiers while trying to relieve himself！
All this cast Marius in a hopeless frame of mind。 For hours he sat in the Shrine staring at the Mother and the Father。 I felt I knew what he was thinking； that we should immolate ourselves and them； but I couldn't bear the thought of it。 I didn't want to die。 I didn't want to lose life。 I didn't want to lose Marius。
I did not care so much about the fate of Rome。 Life still stretched before me； extending the promise of wonders。
Back to the edy。 The Army promptly made
