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！
which made him thoroughly unpopular with the most powerful
men in the state。 Half a hundred young aristocrats formed a
plot ‘‘to save the Republic。'' On the Ides of March （the fifteenth
of March according to that new calendar which Caesar
had brought with him from Egypt） Caesar was murdered when
he entered the Senate。 Once more Rome was without a master。
There were two men who tried to continue the tradition of
Caesar's glory。 One was Antony； his former secretary。 The
other was Octavian； Caesar's grand…nephew and heir to his
estate。 Octavian remained in Rome； but Antony went to Egypt
to be near Cleopatra with whom he too had fallen in love； as
seems to have been the habit of Roman generals。
A war broke out between the two。 In the battle of Actium；
Octavian defeated Antony。 Antony killed himself and
Cleopatra was left alone to face the enemy。 She tried very
hard to make Octavian her third Roman conquest。 When she
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 Ar