the story of mankind-第19节

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saw　that　she　could　make　no　impression　upon　this　very　proud

aristocrat；　she　killed　herself；　and　Egypt　became　a　Roman　province。



As　for　Octavian；　he　was　a　very　wise　young　man　and　he　did

not　repeat　the　mistake　of　his　famous　uncle。　He　knew　how

people　will　shy　at　words。　He　was　very　modest　in　his　demands

when　he　returned　to　Rome。　He　did　not　want　to　be　a　‘‘dictator。''

He　would　be　entirely　satisfied　with　the　title　of　‘‘the　Honourable。''

But　when　the　Senate；　a　few　years　later；　addressed

him　as　Augustusthe　Illustrioushe　did　not　object　and　a　few

years　later　the　man　in　the　street　called　him　Caesar；　or　Kaiser；

while　the　soldiers；　accustomed　to　regard　Octavian　as　their

Commander…in…chief　referred　to　him　as　the　Chief；　the　Imperator　or

Emperor。　The　Republic　had　become　an　Empire；　but　the　average

Roman　was　hardly　aware　of　the　fact。



In　14　A。D。　his　position　as　the　Absolute　Ruler　of　the

Roman　people　had　become　so　well　established　that　he　was　made

an　object　of　that　divine　worship　which　hitherto　had　been　reserved

for　the　Gods。　And　his　successors　were　true　‘‘Emperors''the

absolute　rulers　of　the　greatest　empire　the　world　had

ever　seen。



If　the　truth　be　told；　the　average　citizen　was　sick　and　tired

of　anarchy　and　disorder。　He　did　not　care　who　ruled　him　provided

the　new　master　gave　him　a　chance　to　live　quietly　and

without　the　noise　of　eternal　street　riots。　Octavian　assured　his

subjects　forty　years　of　peace。　He　had　no　desire　to　extend　the

frontiers　of　his　domains；　In　the　year　9　A。D。　he　had　contem…

plated　an　invasion　of　the　northwestern　wilderness　which　was

inhabited　by　the　Teutons。　But　Varrus；　his　general；　had　been

killed　with　all　his　men　in　the　Teutoburg　Woods；　and　after　that

the　Romans　made　no　further　attempts　to　civilise　these　wild

people。



They　concentrated　their　efforts　upon　the　gigantic　problem

of　internal　reform。　But　it　was　too　late　to　do　much　good。　Two

centuries　of　revolution　and　foreign　war　had　repeatedly　killed

the　best　men　among　the　younger　generations。　It　had　ruined

the　class　of　the　free　farmers。　It　had　introduced　slave　labor；

against　which　no　freeman　could　hope　to　compete。　It　had

turned　the　cities　into　beehives　inhabited　by　pauperized　and

unhealthy　mobs　of　runaway　peasants。　It　had　created　a　large

bureaucracypetty　officials　who　were　underpaid　and　who　were

forced　to　take　graft　in　order　to　buy　bread　and　clothing　for

their　families。　Worst　of　all；　it　had　accustomed　people　to　violence；

to　blood…shed；　to　a　barbarous　pleasure　in　the　pain　and

suffering　of　others。



Outwardly；　the　Roman　state　during　the　first　century　of　our

era　was　a　magnificent　political　structure；　so　large　that　Alexander's

empire　became　one　of　its　minor　provinces。　Underneath

this　glory　there　lived　millions　upon　millions　of　poor　and　tired

human　beings；　toiling　like　ants　who　have　built　a　nest　underneath

a　heavy　stone。　They　worked　for　the　benefit　of　some　one

else。　They　shared　their　food　with　the　animals　of　the　fields。

They　lived　in　stables。　They　died　without　hope。



It　was　the　seven　hundred　and　fifty…third　year　since　the

founding　of　Rome。　Gaius　Julius　Caesar　Octavianus　Augustus

was　living　in　the　palace　of　the　Palatine　Hill；　busily　engaged

upon　the　task　of　ruling　his　empire。



In　a　little　village　of　distant　Syria；　Mary；　the　wife　of　Joseph

the　Carpenter；　was　tending　her　little　boy；　born　in　a　stable　of

Bethlehem。



This　is　a　strange　world。



Before　long；　the　palace　and　the　stable　were　to　meet　in　open

combat。



And　the　stable　was　to　emerge　victorious。







JOSHUA　OF　NAZARETH



THE　STORY　OF　JOSHUA　OF　NAZARETH；　WHOM

THE　GREEKS　CALLED　JESUS





IN　the　autumn　of　the　year　of　the　city　783　（which　would　be

62　A。D。；　in　our　way　of　counting　time）　AEsculapius　Cultellus；　a

Roman　physician；　wrote　to　his　nephew　who　was　with　the　army

in　Syria　as　follows：





My　dear　Nephew；



A　few　days　ago　I　was　called　in　to　prescribe　for　a　sick　man

named　Paul。　He　appeared　to　be　a　Roman　citizen　of　Jewish

parentage；　well　educated　and　of　agreeable　manners。　I　had

been　told　that　he　was　here　in　connection　with　a　law…suit；　an　appeal

from　one　of　our　provincial　courts；　Caesarea　or　some　such

place　in　the　eastern　Mediterranean。　He　had　been　described　to

me　as　a　‘‘wild　and　violent''　fellow　who　had　been　making

speeches　against　the　People　and　against　the　Law。　I　found　him

very　intelligent　and　of　great　honesty。



A　friend　of　mine　who　used　to　be　with　the　army　in　Asia

Minor　tells　me　that　he　heard　something　about　him　in　Ephesus

where　he　was　preaching　sermons　about　a　strange　new　God。　I

asked　my　patient　if　this　were　true　and　whether　he　had　told　the

people　to　rebel　against　the　will　of　our　beloved　Emperor。　Paul

answered　me　that　the　Kingdom　of　which　he　had　spoken　was

not　of　this　world　and　he　added　many　strange　utterances　which

I　did　not　understand；　but　which　were　probably　due　to　his

fever。



His　personality　made　a　great　impression　upon　me　and　I

was　sorry　to　hear　that　he　was　killed　on　the　Ostian　Road　a　few

days　ago。　Therefore　I　am　writing　this　letter　to　you。　When

next　you　visit　Jerusalem；　I　want　you　to　find　out　something

about　my　friend　Paul　and　the　strange　Jewish　prophet；　who

seems　to　have　been　his　teacher。　Our　slaves　are　getting　much

excited　about　this　so…called　Messiah；　and　a　few　of　them；　who

openly　talked　of　the　new　kingdom　（whatever　that　means）　have

been　crucified。　I　would　like　to　know　the　truth　about　all　these

rumours　and　I　am

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Your　devoted　Uncle；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　AESCULAPIUS　CULTELLUS。





Six　weeks　later；　Gladius　Ensa；　the　nephew；　a　captain　of　the

VII　Gallic　Infantry；　answered　as　follows：





My　dear　Uncle；



I　received　your　letter　and　I　have　obeyed　your　instructions。



Two　weeks　ago　our　brigade　was　sent　to　Jerusalem。　There

have　been　several　revolutions　during　the　last　century　and　there

is　not　much　left　of　the　old　city。　We　have　been　here　now　for　a

month　and　to…morrow　we　shall　continue　our　march　to　Petra；

where　there　has　been　trouble　with　some　of　the　Arab　tribes。　I

shall　use　this　evening　to　answer　your　questions；　but　pray　do

not　expect　a　detailed　report。



I　have　talked　with　most　of　the　older　men　in　this　city　but

few　have　been　able　to　give　me　any　definite　information。　A

few　days　ago　a　pedler　came　to　the　camp。　I　bought　some　of

his　olives　and　I　asked　him　whether　he　had　ever　heard　of　the

famous　Messiah　who　was　killed　when　he　was　young。　He　said

that　he　remembered　it　very　clearly；　because　his　father　had

taken　him　to　Golgotha　（a　hill　just　outside　the　city）　to　see

the　execution；　and　to　show　him　what　became　of　the　enemies　of

the　laws　of　the　people　of　Judaea。　He　gave　me　the　address　of

one　Joseph；　who　had　been　a　personal　friend　of　the　Messiah

and　told　me　that　I　had　better　go　and　see　him　if　I　wanted　to

know　more。



This　morning　I　went　to　call　on　Joseph。　He　was　quite　an

old　man。　He　had　been　a　fisherman　on　one　of　the　fresh…water

lakes。　His　memory　was　clear；　and　from　him　at　last　I　got　a

fairly　definite　account　of　what　had　happened　during　the

troublesome　days　before　I　was　born。



Tiberius；　our　great　and　glorious　emperor；　was　on　the　throne；

and　an　officer　of　the　name　of　Pontius　Pilatus　was　governor　of

Judaea　and　Samaria。　Joseph　knew　little　about　this　Pilatus。

He　seemed　to　have　been　an　honest　enough　official　who　left　a

decent　reputation　as　procurator　of　the　province。　In　the　year

755　or　756　（Joseph　had　forgotten　when）　Pilatus　was　called　to

Jerusalem　on　account　of　a　riot。　A　certain　young　man　（the

son　of　a　carpenter　of　Nazareth）　was　said　to　be　planning　a

revolution　against　the　Roman　government。　Strangely　enough

our　own　intelligence　officers；　who　are　usually　well　informed；

appear　to　have　heard　nothing　about　it；　and　when　they　investigated

the　matter　they　reported　that　the　carpenter　was　an

excellent　citizen　and　that　there　was　no　reason　to　proceed　against

him。　But　the　old…fashioned　leaders　of　the　Jewish　faith；　according

to　Joseph；　were　much　upset。　They　greatly　disliked　his

popularity　with　the　masses　of　the　poorer　Hebrews。　The

‘‘Nazarene''　（so　they　told　Pilatus）　had　publicly　claimed　that　a

Greek　or　a　Roman　or　even　a　Philistine；　who　tried　to　live　a　decent

and　honourable　life；　was　quite　as　good　as　a　Jew　who　spent

his　days　studying　the　ancient　laws　of　Moses。　Pilatus　does　not

seem　to　have　been　impressed　by　this　argument；　but　when　the

crowds　around　the　temple　threatened　to　lynch　Jesus；　and　kill

all　his　followers；　he　decided　to　take　the　carpenter　into　custody

to　save　his　life。



He　does　not　appear　to　have　understood　the　real　nature　of

the　quarrel。　Whenever　he　asked　the　Jewish　priests　to　explain

their　grievances；　they　shouted　‘‘heresy''　and　‘‘treason''　and　got

terribly　excited。　Finally；　so　Joseph　told　me；　Pilatus　sent　for

Joshua　（that　was　the　name　of　the　Nazarene；　but　the　Greeks

who　live　in　this　part　of　the　world　always　refer　to　him　as　Jesus）

to　examine　him　personally。　He　talked　to　him　for　several