the story of mankind-第21章

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which　is　Latin　for　‘‘I　came；　I　saw；　I　conquered；''　and　returned

to　Egypt　where　he　fell　desperately　in　love　with　Cleopatra；　who

followed　him　to　Rome　when　he　returned　to　take　charge　of　the

government；　in　the　year　46。　He　marched　at　the　head　of　not

less　than　four　different　victory…parades；　having　won　four

different　campaigns。



Then　Caesar　appeared　in　the　Senate　to　report　upon　his

adventures；　and　the　grateful　Senate　made　him　‘‘dictator''　for

ten　years。　It　was　a　fatal　step。



The　new　dictator　made　serious　attempts　to　reform　the

Roman　state。　He　made　it　possible　for　freemen　to　become

members　of　the　Senate。　He　conferred　the　rights　of　citizenship

upon　distant　communities　as　had　been　done　in　the　early　days

of　Roman　history。　He　permitted　‘‘foreigners''　to　exercise

influence　upon　the　government。　He　reformed　the　administration

of　the　distant　provinces　which　certain　aristocratic　families

had　come　to　regard　as　their　private　possessions。　In　short　he

did　many　things　for　the　good　of　the　majority　of　the　people　but

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；

whe