annr.pandora-第42部分

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　〃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　an　Emperor　out　of　a　man　from　the　Provinces　named　Macrinus；　who　was　a　Moor　and　wore　an　earring　in　his　ear。
　He　at　once　had　a　fight　with　the　dead　Emperor's　Mother；　Julia　Domna；　because　he　wouldn't　allow　her　to　leave　Antioch　to　die　elsewhere。　She　starved　herself　to　death。
　This　was　all　too　dose　to　home！　These　lunatics　were　in　our　city；　not　far　away　in　a　capital　which　we　mourned。
　Then　war　broke　out　again；　because　the　Eastern　Kings；　who　were　caught　off　guard　before　by　Caracalla；　were　now　ready；　and　Macrinus　had　to　lead　the　Legions　into　battle。
　As　I　told　you；　the　Legions　now　controlled　everything。　Somebody　should　have　told　Macrinus。　Instead　of　fighting　he　bought　off　the　enemy。　The　troops　were　hardly　proud　of　this。　And　then　he　cracked　down　on　them；　taking　away　some　of　their　benefits。
　He　didn't　seem　to　grasp　that　he　had　to　maintain　their　approval　to　survive。　Though　of　course　what　good　had　this　done　for　Caracalla；　whom　they　loved？
　Whatever；　the　sister　of　Julia　Domna；　named　Julia　Maesa；　who　was　a　Syrian　and　of　a　family　dedicated　to　the　Syrian　sun　god；　seized　this　dreary　moment　in　the　life　of　the　lusty　legions　to　put　her　grandson；　born　of　Julia　Soemis；　in　power　as　Emperor！　It　was　an　outrageous　plan　actually；　for　any　number　of　reasons。　First　and　foremost；　all　three　Julias　were　Syrian。　The　boy　himself　was　fourteen　years　old；　and　also　he　was　a　hereditary　Priest　of　the　Syrian　sun　god。
　But　somehow　or　other　Julia　Maesa　and　her　daughter's　lover；　Gannys；　managed　to　convince　a　bunch　of　soldiers　in　a　tent　that　this　fourteen…year…old　Syrian　boy　should　bee　the　Emperor　of　Rome。
　The　Army　deserted　the　Imperial　Macrinus；　and　he　and　his　son　were　hunted　down　and　murdered。
　So；　high　on　the　shoulders　of　proud　soldiers　rode　this　fourteen…year…old　boy！　But　he　didn't　want　to　be　called　by　his　Roman　name。　He　wanted　to　be　called　by　the　name　of　the　god　he　worshiped　in　Syria；　Elagabalus。　The　very　presence　of　him　in　Antioch　shook　the　nerves　of　all　citizens。　At　last；　he　and　three　remaining　Julias　…　his　aunt；　his　Mother　and　his　grandmother；　all　of　them　Syrian　Priestesses　…　left　Antioch。
　In　Niedia；　which　was　very　near　to　us；　Elagabalus　murdered　his　Mother's　lover。　So　who　was　left？　He　also　picked　up　an　enormous　sacred　black　stone　and　brought　it　back　to　Rome；　saying　that　this　stone　was　sacred　to　the　Syrian　sun　god；　whom　all　must　now　worship。
　He　was　gone；　across　the　sea；　but　it　took　sometimes　no　more　than　eleven　days　for　a　letter　to　reach　Antioch　from　Rome；　and　soon　there　were　rampant　rumors。　Who　will　ever　know　the　truth　about　him？
　Elagabalus。　He　built　a　Temple　for　the　stone　on　the　Palatine　Hill。　He　made　Romans　stand　around　in　Phoenician　gowns　while　he　slaughtered　cattle　and　sheep　in　sacrifice。
　He　begged　the　physicians　to　try　to　transform　him　into　a　woman　by　creating　a　proper　opening　between　his　legs。　Romans　were　horrified　by　this。　At　night　he　dressed　as　a　woman；　plete　with　a　wig；　and　went　prowling　taverns。
　All　over　the　Empire　the　soldiers　started　to　riot。
　Even　the　three　Julias；　grandmother　Julia　Maesa；　his　aunt　Julia　Domna；　and　his　own　Mother；　Julia　Soemis；　started　to　get　sick　of　him。　After　four　years；　four　years；　mind　you；　of　this　maniac's　rule；　the　soldiers　killed　him　and　threw　his　body　in　the　Tiber。
　It　did　not　seem　to　Marius　that　there　was　anything　left　of　the　world　we　had　once　called　Rome。　And　he　was　thoroughly　sick　of　all　the　Christians　in　Antioch；　their　fights　over　doctrine。　He　found　all　mystery　religions　dangerous　now。　He　served　up　this　lunatic　Emperor　as　a　perfect　example　of　the　fanaticism　gaining　ground　in　the　times。
　And　he　was　right。　He　was　right。
　It　was　all　I　could　do　to　keep　him　from　despair。　In　truth　he　had　not　yet　confronted　that　terrible　darkness　I　had　once　spoken　of；　he　was　far　too　agitated；　far　too　irritated　and　quarrelsome。　But　I　was　very　frightened　for　him；　and　hurt　for　him；　and　didn't　want　him　to　see　more　darkly；　as　I　did；　to　be　more　aloof；　expecting　nothing　and　almost　smiling　at　the　collapse　of　our　Empire。
　Then　the　very　worst　thing　happened；　something　we　had　both　feared　in　one　form　or　another。　But　it　came　upon　us　in　the　worst　possible　form。
　One　night　there　appeared　at　our　eternally　open　doors　five　blood　drinkers。
　Neither　of　us　had　caught　the　sound　of　their　approach。　Lounging　about　with　our　books；　we　looked　up　to　see　these　five；　three　women　and　a　man　and　a　boy；　and　to　realize　that　all　wore　black　garments。　They　were　dressed　like　Christian　hermits　and　ascetics　who　deny　the　flesh　and　starve　themselves。　Antioch　had　a　whole　passel　of　these　men　in　the　desert　roundabouts。
　But　these　were　blood　drinkers。
　Dark　of　hair　and　eye；　and　dark　of　skin；　they　stood　before　us；　their　arms　folded。
　Dark　of　skin；　I　thought　quickly。　They　are　young。　They　were　made　after　the　great　burning。　So　what　if　there　are　five？
　They　had　in　general　rather　attractive　faces；　wellshaped　features　and　groomed　eyebrows；　and　deep　dark　eyes；　and　all　over　them　I　saw　the　marks　of　their　living　bodies　…　tiny　wrinkles　next　to　their　eyes；　wrinkled　around　their　knuckles。
　They　seemed　as　shocked　to　see　us　as　we　were　to　see　them。　They　stared　at　the　brightly　lighted　library；　they　stared　at　our　finery；　which　was　in　such　contrast　to　their　ascetic　robes。
　〃Well；〃　said　Marius；　〃who　are　you。〃
　Cloaking　my　thoughts；　I　tried　to　probe　theirs。　Their　minds　were　locked。　They　were　dedicated　to　something。　It　had　the　very　scent　of　fanaticism。　I　felt　a　horrid　foreboding。
　They　started　timidly　to　enter　the　open　door。
　〃No；　stop；　please；〃　said　Marius　in　Greek　〃This　is　my　house。　Tell　me　who　you　are；　and　then　I　perhaps　shall　invite　you　over　my　threshold。〃
　〃You're　Christians；　aren't　you？〃　I　said。　〃You　have　the　zeal。〃
　〃We　are！〃　said　one　in　Greek。　It　was　the　man。　〃We　are　the　scourge　of　humanity　in　the　name　of　God　and　his　son；　Christ。　We　are　the　Children　of　Darkness。〃
　〃Who　made　you？〃　asked　Marius。
　〃We　were　made　in　a　sacred　cave　and　in　our　Temple；〃　said　another；　a　woman；　speaking　in　Greek　also。　〃We　know　the　truth　of　the　Serpent；　and　his　fangs　are　our　fangs。〃
　I　limbed　to　my　feet　and　moved　towards　Marius。
　〃We　thought　you　would　be　in　Rome；〃