the story of mankind-第18部分

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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

hours。　He　asked　him　about　the　‘‘dangerous　doctrines''　which

he　was　said　to　have　preached　on　the　shores　of　the　sea　of　Galilee。

But　Jesus　answered　that　he　never　referred　to　politics。　He　was

not　so　much　interested　in　the　bodies　of　men　as　in　Man's　soul。

He　wanted　all　people　to　regard　their　neighbours　as　their

brothers　and　to　love　one　single　God；　who　was　the　father　of　all

living　beings。



Pilatus；　who　seems　to　have　been　well　versed　in　the　doctrines

of　the　Stoics　and　the　other　Greek　philosophers；　does　not　appear

to　have　discovered　anything　seditious　in　the　talk　of　Jesus。

According　to　my　informant　he　made　another　attempt　to　save

the　life　of　the　kindly　prophet。　He　kept　putting　the　execution

off。　Meanwhile　the　Jewish　people；　lashed　into　fury　by　their

priests；　got　frantic　with　rage。　There　had　been　many　riots　in

Jerusalem　before　this　and　there　were　only　a　few　Roman　soldiers

within　calling　distance。　Reports　were　being　sent　to　the

Roman　authorities　in　Caesarea　that　Pilatus　had　‘‘fallen　a　victim

to　the　teachings　of　the　Nazarene。''　Petitions　were　being

circulated　all　through　the　city　to　have　Pilatus　recalled；　because

he　was　an　enemy　of　the　Emperor。　You　know　that　our　governors

have　strict　instructions　to　avoid　an　open　break　with

their　foreign　subjects。　To　save　the　country　from　civil　war；

Pilatus　finally　sacrificed　his　prisoner；　Joshua；　who　behaved

with　great　dignity　and　who　forgave　all　those　who　hated　him。

He　was　crucified　amidst　the　howls　and　the　laughter　of　the

Jerusalem　mob。



That　is　what　Joseph　told　me；　with　tears　running　down　his

old　cheeks。　I　gave　him　a　gold　piece　when　I　left　him；　but　he

refused　it　and　asked　me　to　hand　it　to　one　poorer　than　himself。

I　also　asked　him　a　few　questions　about　your　friend　Paul。　He

had　known　him　slightly。　He　seems　to　have　been　a　tent　maker

who　gave　up　his　profession　that　he　might　preach　the　words　of

a　loving　and　forgiving　God；　who　was　so　very　different　from

that　Jehovah　of　whom　the　Jewish　priests　are　telling　us　all

the　time。　Afterwards；　Paul　appears　to　have　travelled　much

in　Asia　Minor　and　in　Greece；　telling　the　slaves　that　they　were

all　children　of　one　loving　Father　and　that　happiness　awaits　all；

both　rich　and　poor；　who　have　tried　to　live　honest　lives　and　have

done　good　to　those　who　were　suffering　and　miserable。



I　hope　that　I　have　answered　your　questions　to　your　satisfaction。

The　whole　story　seems　very　harmless　to　me　as　far　as

the　safety　of　the　state　is　concerned。　But　then；　we　Romans

never　have　been　able　to　understand　the　people　of　this　province。

I　am　sorry　that　they　have　killed　your　friend　Paul。　I　wish　that

I　were　at　home　again；　and　I　am；　as　ever；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Your　dutiful　nephew；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　GLADIUS　ENSA。







THE　FALL　OF　ROME



THE　TWILIGHT　OF　ROME





THE　text…books　of　ancient　History　give　the　date　476　as　the

year　in　which　Rome　fell；　because　in　that　year　the　last　emperor

was　driven　off　his　throne。　But　Rome；　which　was　not　built　in

a　day；　took　a　long　time　falling。　The　process　was　so　slow　and

so　gradual　that　most　Romans　did　not　realise　how　their　old

world　was　coming　to　an　end。　They　complained　about　the　unrest

of　the　timesthey　grumbled　about　the　high　prices　of　food

and　about　the　low　wages　of　the　workmenthey　cursed　the

profiteers　who　had　a　monopoly　of　the　grain　and　the　wool　and

the　gold　coin。　Occasionally　they　rebelled　against　an　unusually

rapacious　governor。　But　the　majority　of　the　people　during　the

first　four　centuries　of　our　era　ate　and　drank　（whatever　their

purse　allowed　them　to　buy）　and　hated　or　loved　（according　to

their　nature）　and　went　to　the　theatre　（whenever　there　was　a

free　show　of　fighting　gladiators）　or　starved　in　the　slums　of　the

big　cities；　utterly　ignorant　of　the　fact　that　their　empire　had

outlived　its　usefulness　and　was　doomed　to　perish。



How　could　they　realise　the　threatened　danger？　Rome

made　a　fine　showing　of　outward　glory。　Well…paved　roads　connected

the　different　provinces；　the　imperial　police　were　active

and　showed　little　tenderness　for　highwaymen。　The　frontier

was　closely　guarded　against　the　savage　tribes　who　seemed　to

be　occupying　the　waste　lands　of　northern　Europe。　The　whole

world　was　paying　tribute　to　the　mighty　city　of　Rome；　and　a

score　of　able　men　were　working　day　and　night　to　undo　the

mistakes　of　the　past　and　bring　about　a　return　to　the　happier

conditions　of　the　early　Republic。



But　the　underlying　causes　of　the　decay　of　the　State；　of

which　I　have　told　you　in　a　former　chapter；　had　not　been

removed　and　reform　therefore　was　impossible。



Rome　was；　first　and　last　and　all　the　time；　a　city…state　as

Athens　and　Corinth　had　been　city…states　in　ancient　Hellas。　It

had　been　able　to　dominate　the　Italian　peninsula。　But　Rome

as　the　ruler　of　the　entire　civilised　world　was　a　political

impossibility　and　could　not　endure。　Her　young　men　were　killed　in

her　endless　wars。　Her　farmers　were　ruined　by　long　military

service　and　by　taxation。　They　either　became　professional

beggars　or　hired　themselves　out　to　rich　landowners　who　gave

them　board　and　lodging　in　exchange　for　their　services　and

made　them　‘‘serfs；''　those　unfortunate　human　beings　who　are

neither　slaves　nor　freemen；　but　who　have　become　part　of　the

soil　upon　which　they　work；　like　so　many　cows；　and　the　trees。



The　Empire；　the　State；　had　become　everything。　The　common

citizen　had　dwindled　down　to　less　than　nothing。　As　for

the　slaves；　they　had　heard　the　words　that　were　spoken　by　Paul。

They　had　accepted　the　message　of　the　humble　carpenter　of

Nazareth。　They　did　not　rebel　against　their　masters。　On　the

contrary；　they　had　been　taught　to　be　meek　and　they　obeyed

their　superiors。　But　they　had　lost　all　interest　in　the　affairs

of　this　world　which　had　proved　such　a　miserable　place　of　abode。

They　were　willing　to　fight　the　good　fight　that　they　might　enter

into　the　Kingdom　of　Heaven。　But　they　were　not　willing　to

engage　in　warfare　for　the　benefit　of　an　ambitious　emperor　who

aspired　to　glory　by　way　of　a　foreign　campaign　in　the　land　of

the　Parthians　or　the　Numidians　or　the　Scots。



And　so　conditions　grew　worse　as　the　centuries　went　by。

The　first　Emperors　had　continued　the　tradition　of　‘‘leadership''

which　had　given　the　old　tribal　chieftains　such　a　hold　upon

their　subjects。　But　the　Emperors　of　the　second　and　third

centuries　were　Barrack…Emperors；　professional　soldiers；　who

existed　by　the　grace　of　their　body…guards；　the　so…called　Prae…

torians。　They　succeeded　each　other　with　terrifying　rapidity；

murdering　their　way　into　the　palace　and　being　murdered　out

of　it　as　soon　as　their　successors　had　become　rich　enough　to　bribe

the　guards　into　a　new　rebellion。



Meanwhile　the　barbarians　were　hammering　at　the　gates　of

the　northern　frontier。　As　there　were　no　longer　any　native

Roman　armies　to　stop　their　progress；　foreign　mercenaries　had

to　be　hired　to　fight　the　invader。　As　the　foreign　soldier　happened

to　be　of　the　same　blood　as　his　supposed　enemy；　he　was

apt　to　be　quite　lenient　when　he　engaged　in　battle。　Finally；

by　way　of　experiment；　a　few　tribes　were　allowed　to　settle

within　the　confines　of　the　Empire。　Others　followed。　Soon

these　tribes　complained　bitterly　of　the　greedy　Roman　tax…

gatherers；　who　took　away　their　last　penny。　When　they　got

no　redress　they　marched　to　Rome　and　loudly　demanded　that

they　be　heard。



This　made　Rome　very　uncomfortable　as　an　Imperial　residence。

Constantine　（who　ruled　from　323　to　337）　looked　for

a　new　capital。　He　chose　Byzantium；　the　gate…way　for　the

commerce　between　Europe　and　Asia。　The　city　was　renamed

Constantinople；　and　the　court　moved　eastward。　When　Constantine

died；　his　two　sons；　for　the　sake　of　a　more　efficient

administration；　divided　the　Empire　between　them。　The　elder

lived　in　Rome　and　ruled　in　the　west。　The　younger　stayed　in

Constantinople　and　was　master　of　the　east。



Then　came　the　fourth　century　and　the　terrible　visitation

of　the　Huns；　those　mysterious　Asiatic　horsemen　who　for　more

than　two　centuries　maintained　themselves　in　Northern　Europe

and　continued　their　career　of　bloodshed　until　they　were　defeated

near　Chalons…sur…Marne　in　France　in　the　year　451。

As　soon　as　the　Huns　had　reached　the　Danube　they　had　begun

to　press　hard　upon　the　Goths。　The　Goths；　in　order　to　save

themselves；　were　thereupon　obliged　to　invade　Rome。　The

Emperor　Valens　tried　to　stop　them；　but　was　killed　near

Adrianople　in　the　year　378。　Twenty…two　years　later；　under

their　king；　Alaric；　these　same　West　Goths　marched　westward

and　attacked　Rome。　They　did　not　plunder；　and　destroyed

only　a　few　palaces。　Next　came　the　Vandals；　and　showed　less

respect　for　the　venerable　traditions　of　the　city。　Then　the

Burgundians。　Then　the　East　Goths。　Then　the　Alemanni。

Then　the　Franks。　There　was　no　end　to　the　invasions。　Rome

at　last　was　at　the　mercy　of　every　ambitious　highway　robber

who　could　gather　a　few　follower