The Roman (83 page)

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in frightening Tigellinus with his supernatural powers so that Tigellinus allowed him to stay in Rome, although Nero had banished all critical philosophers from the city. Before dawn of the following morning, Apollonius of Tyana appeared at the entrance of the Imperial palace in Alexandria and demanded entry. The guards stopped him and explained that Vespasian had long since risen in order to dictate important letters. �That man will be a ruler,� said Apollonius sanctimoniously, hoping that his prophecy would reach Vespasian�s ears, which of course it did. Later, he again appeared at the gate in the hope of a free morsel of food and cup of wine. This time he was at once taken to Vespasian with all the honors due to the most learned man in the world. Many people still look upon Apollonius as an equal to the gods. Apollonius seemed a little surprised at the gray legionary bread and sour wine which Vespasian offered him, for he had always been used to better food and never deprecated the art of cooking, although now and again he fasted to cleanse his body. But he continued in the role he had chosen and praised Vespasian�s simple habits by saying that they were evidence of all that was right and for the good of the State in Vespasian�s victory over Nero. �I should never have revolted against the legal Emperor,� replied Vespasian shortly. Apollonius, who had thought he would be able to make a good impression by boasting of his part in Vindex� Gallic rebellion, fell into a baffled silence and then asked if he might call in two of his famous companions who were still waiting at the entrance. Vespasian�s own escort was sharing the meal with him. Vespasian was a little impatient, for he had been awake half the night, dictating the most urgent orders and messages. But he controlled himself. �My doors will always be open to wise men,� he said, �but to you, incomparable Apollonius, my heart is also open.� In the presence of his disciples, Apollonius then gave a convincing lecture on democracy and the necessity of bringing back a democratic state instead of the autocracy which had proved so

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disastrous. I grew anxious, but Vespasian took no notice of my nudges and winks, and patiently listened to the end. �I am very much afraid,� he then said, �that the autocratic power which the Senate has tried its best to limit has managed to ruin the people of Rome. So it is difficult to carry out what you suggest at present. The people must first be prepared to accept the responsibility which freedom brings with it. Otherwise the result will be endless disputes, disturbances and a constant threat of civil war.� Apollonius replied so swiftly that I could only admire his flexibility. �What do I care about the building of the State?� he said. �I live for the gods alone. But I should not wish the majority of humankind to be brought down for the lack of a good and wise shepherd. In fact, when I think about it, an enlightened autocracy, carefully watched over by a well-chosen senate whose highest aim is the common good, is the best and most highly developed form of democracy.� He then began to explain in a roundabout way that he wished to acquaint himself with Egypt�s ancient wisdom, investigate the pyramids and possibly drink from the source of the Nile. But he could not afford to hire the necessary riverboat and oarsmen, although he was an old man whose feet were worn out from many journeys. So Vespasian took the opportunity to point to me. �I have no money,� he said, �except for the most unavoidable needs of the State, which I am sure you know, dear Apollonius. But my friend here, Minutus Manilianus, is, in his capacity as senator, as keen a friend of democracy as you are. He is wealthy and will probably give you a ship with oarsmen if you ask him, as well as pay for your journey to the source of the Nile. Nor need you fear any danger during the journey, for an expedition of scientists is on its way there now, sent by Nero two years ago and protected by Praetorians. Join them if you can.� Apollonius was delighted with this promise, which did not cost Vespasian a single coin. �Oh, Capolitian Jupiter,� he cried ecstatically, �healer of the chaos of State, preserve this man for your own. Your temple, which godless hands are now destroying in the light of the flames, he will build up again.�

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We were all dumbfounded at this prophecy and vision of his. To tell the truth, I took his behavior to be sheer pretense. Not until two weeks later did we hear of Vitellius� deposition and how Flavius Sabinus and Domitian had been forced to entrench themselves on the Capitoline. Domitian fled the siege like a coward, after shaving off his hair and disguising himself as a priest of Isis. He joined a group of sacrificial priests when Vitellius� soldiers, after setting fire to the temple and destroying its walls with their machines, released the imprisoned priests before the final slaughter. Old as he was, my former father-in-law Flavius Sabinus died there bravely for his brother Vespasian, his sword in his hand. Domitian fled to the other side of the Tiber and hid with the Jewish mother of one of his former school friends. All the members of the families of the Jewish sovereign princes go to the Palatine school. One of them was the son of the King of Chalcis, whose fate drove my son Jucundus to join the youthful conspiracy to destroy Rome and move the capital to the East. I mention this too, although I had thought to say nothing of it. Tigellinus had made the Prince of Chalcis drunk and then used him for his desires. In the presence of his school friends, the boy then committed suicide, for his religious prejudices forbade him to have intercourse with men, and after this he would never be able to inherit from his father and become King of Chalcis. It was in revenge for this that Rome had begun to burn once again, starting in Tigellinus� gardens after the great fire had already begun to die out. Jucundus was involved in this and so did not die an innocent victim. But the old Subura went with the fire and with it a shameful stain on Rome. In his cowardice, Domitian guessed that no one would think of looking for him in the Jewish section of the city, for the Jews hated Vespasian and his whole family because of the siege of Jerusalem and the losses his fateful pincer movement had caused the Jews when the rebels had attempted to fight out in the open field. At the mention of losses, Apollonius of Tyana again tried to intervene on the side of the Greeks in the internal struggle for power in Alexandria. As he left Vespasian before going on board the Nile boat I had bought him, he said, �I pricked up my ears

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when I heard that you had destroyed thirty thousand Jews in one battle and fifty thousand in another. Even then I thought: Who is this man? He could do better things. The Jews have long betrayed not only Rome but also the whole of mankind. A people who seek to isolate themselves from all other peoples, who will not eat or drink in the company of others and even refuse to perform the usual traditional prayers and incense offerings to the gods, such people are more distant from us than Susa and Bactra. It would be better if there were not a single Jew left in the world.� The wisest man of our times spoke so intolerantly that I was glad to finance his journey and earnestly hoped his boat would sink or the Nubian savages would impale him on a roasting spit. Naturally his eternal talk about democracy disturbed me most. Vespasian leaned far too far toward righteous meditation and gave more thought to the good of the people than to his own advantage as Emperor. Without doubt Apollonius of Tyana possessed supernatural powers. Later we decided that he had in fact seen the Capitoline burning in his mind�s eye as it was actually happening. Several days later Domitian crept out of the Jewess�s cellar and insolently proclaimed himself Emperor. Naturally the Senate must bear some of the responsibility for this, for they thought they would profit more from having an eighteen-year-old on the throne instead of Vespasian, who was used to giving orders if necessary. Domitian avenged his terror and humiliation on Vitellius by having the people hang him on a pole in the forum by his feet and then slowly kill him with dagger pricks. His body was then dragged to the Tiber on an iron hook. For this reason, too, never entrust yourself to the arbitrariness of the people. Love your people as much as you wish to, my son, but discipline your love. We did not yet know all this in Alexandria. Vespasian was still hesitating over the form of government, although he had been proclaimed Emperor. Republicanism was dear to him, as it was to all the older senators. We discuss it often and gladly, but do not act foolishly because of that. Apollonius� ecstasy did not convince him, for the slow postal system gave him no chance to investigate the truth of his vision. Then the priesthood in Alexandria confirmed his own divinity so that all the prophecies

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of a century which had spoken of an Emperor from the East would at last come true. One hot morning, when Vespasian was sitting in judgment outside the Serapis temple where he had had his judge�s podium set in honor of the gods of Egypt, two sick men were brought before him and asked for help. One was blind and the other lame. Vespasian had not wished to try, for outside the temple a great crowd had assembled to stare at the Emperor and he had no desire to make a fool of himself before the people. But I was seized with a feeling of having experienced all this before�the temple columns, the judge�s seat and the crowd. I even seemed to recognize the two men. Suddenly I remembered the dream I had had in my youth in the land of the Brigantes. I reminded Vespasian of it and urged him to try to do what I had seen him do in my dream. Reluctantly Vespasian rose and spat a great blob of spittle into the eyes of the blind man, then kicked the lame man hard on his leg. The blind man regained his sight and the lame man�s shriveled foot grew well again so rapidly that we could hardly believe our eyes. Then Vespasian at last believed that he had been born to be Emperor, although after this event he did not feel any holier or more godlike than before, or if so he hid all such feelings. I know for certain that he never again tested his powers in this way, though once I asked him to put his divine hand on my bleeding rectum when he came to see me on my deathbed. Vespasian refused and explained that his strange experience in Alexandria had affected him to such an extent that he had seriously feared he would become deranged. �Rome has had enough deranged Emperors,� he said. I must admit that one could not expose Rome to such a threat, not for your sake or that of my own health. Many people who believe only what they themselves can see, hear and smell, however misleading the human senses can be, are inclined to disbelieve my story, for the sorcery of Egyptian priests is famous. But I myself can certify that the Serapis priests examine a patient extremely carefully and ascertain whether he is really ill before they practice faith-healing on him. In their view, pretense and a cure of an imaginary illness would be an insult to the gods.

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I know that Paul was also very particular as to whom he allowed to receive his sweat-clothes as a cure for serious illnesses. He would mercilessly banish from the Christian community a man pretending to be ill. So judging from my own experience, I consider that Vespasian really did cure the two sick men, although I do not wish to explain how such things are possible. I also admit that Vespasian is wise not to wish to test his ability further. The loss of strength suffered in faith-healing is probably great. It is said of Jesus of Nazareth that he could not bear anyone secretly touching even the tassels on his cloak, for he could feel his strength ebbing away. He did cure the sick and raise the dead, I know, but only when begged to, or from compassion for their kin. In general he seems to have set little store by his miracles. He used to criticize those who saw but did not believe and praise the blessed who believed although they had never seen. Or so I have heard told. Not that my own belief weighs more than a grain of sand. I am very much afraid that it will not be sufficient for him, but I shall at least try to be honest to him. Speaking of Egyptian miracles makes me think of a Greek there who had used his inheritance and his wife�s dowry for insane inventions. This madman insisted so stubbornly on an audience with Vespasian that we finally had to receive him. With shining eyes, he told us about his inventions and especially praised the power of steam from water, which he believed would drive the heaviest grindstones. �What would we do with the slaves who live by turning the grindstones?� asked Vespasian. �Try to calculate how many unemployed the State would then have to support.� The man calculated rapidly in his head and admitted honestly that he had not thought of the damage to the national economy his invention might cause. Hopefully he went on to explain that the power in boiling water could be used to drive oars, if only he had enough money to make some necessary experiments. Then ships would no longer be dependent on the winds, as merchant ships and warships are. I intervened at this and explained how appallingly inflammable the expensive grain ships would be, not to mention passenger ships, if one were forced to have fires constantly burning on board to heat the water. Already the cooking of food on board had shown

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itself to be so dangerous that at the slightest sign of a storm the cooking-fire had to be extinguished at once on its bed of sand. Every seaman preferred dry food to exposure to fire at sea. Vespasian remarked that the Greek trireme has been, is, and always will be the most brilliant weapon in sea warfare, although on the other hand, he admitted, the Carthaginian merchant ships were the best in the world and there was no reason for altering them. The inventor looked downcast, but Vespasian had a considerable sum paid to him if he would refrain from further insane inventions. He said that for safety�s sake the money was to be paid to the inventor�s wife, so that the husband would not be able to spend it on his unnecessary inventions. On my part, I have often looked at the wonderful war machines and thought how easy it would be for a clever engineer to build machines for agriculture, for instance, to save the slaves the heavy work and a great deal of sweat. Such machines would be extremely useful for the art of ditching and drainage, which we learned from the Etruscans. One could even use baked brick pipes instead of faggots and stones on the bottom of the drainage ditches, much as we make our sewers, even if they are much larger. But I can see what appalling economic effects such inventions would have. Where would the slaves get their oil and bread then? The State has enough expenses with the distribution of free grain to its citizens. Work must be found for the slaves and preferably heavy work, for otherwise they would soon begin to think foolish thoughts. Generations of bitter experience have taught us that. The Egyptian priests have already made all the technical inventions that are needed. For example, they have an automatic holy-water sprinkler which squirts holy water on one if one puts the right kind of coin into it. The machine even sorts out full- weight coins from filed ones, however unbelievable that may sound. The loathsome habit of filing dust from gold and silver pieces began in Alexandria. When it is a question of hundreds and thousands of coins, it is quite profitable. Who first thought it up, I have no idea. The Greeks blame the Jews and the Jews the Greeks. I tell you this to convince you that Vespasian�s faith-healing was