annr.pandora-第14章
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It was nauseating trivia like this which of course protected me from my full and inevitable grief and shock over what happened。 Worry about whether your dress is properly girdled。 Don't see your Father lying dead with his own dagger in his chest。
As for Antioch； I had been far too embroiled in the life of Rome to know or hear much about this city。 If Tiberius had stationed his 〃heir；〃 Germanicus； there to get him away from Roman popularity； then I thought： Antioch must be the end of the civilized world。
Why in the name of the gods had I not run away in Alexandria； I thought？ Alexandria was the greatest city in the Empire； next to Rome。 It was a young city； built by Alexander； for whom it was named； but it was a marvelous port。 No one would ever dare raze the Temple of Isis in Alexandria。 Isis was an Egyptian goddess； wife of the powerful Osiris。
But what had that to do with things？ I must have been plotting in the back of my mind already； but I didn't allow any conscious plot to surface and blemish my highborn Roman moral character。
I quietly thanked my Hebrew guardians for this intelligence； for keeping it even from the young Roman Marcellus； the other man they had rescued from the Emperor's assassins； and I asked for frank answers to my questions regarding my brothers。
〃All taken by surprise；〃 said Jacob。 〃The Delatores； those spies of the Praetorian Guard； are so swift。 And your Father had so many sons。 It was your eldest brother's slaves who jumped the wall at their Master's mand and ran to warn your Father。〃
Antony。 I hope you shed their blood。 I know you fought with your last breath。 And my niece； my little niece Flora； had she run screaming from them； or did they do it with mercy'？ The Praetorian Guard doing anything with mercy！ Stupid to even think so。
I didn't say anything aloud。 Just sighed。
After all； when they looked at me； these two Jewish merchants beheld the body and face of a woman； naturally my protectors should think a woman was inside of me。 The disparity between outward appearances and inner disposition had disturbed me all my life。 Why disturb Jacob and David？ On to Antioch。
But I had no intention of living in any oldfashioned Greek family； if such still existed in the Greek city of Antioch； a family in which women lived apart from the men； and wove wool all day； never going out； having no part in the life of the world whatsoever。
I'd been taught all the virtuous female arts by my nurses and I could indeed do anything with yarn or thread or loom that any other woman could do； but I knew well what the 〃Old Greek Ways〃 had been； and I remembered vaguely my Father's Mother； who had died when I was very young … a virtuous Roman matron who was always making wool。 So they had said of her in her Epitaph； and in fact； they had said in my Mother's Epitaph： 〃She kept the House。 She made wool。〃
And so they had said of my Mother！ The very same tiresome words。
Well； no one was going to say that on mine。 （How humorous to reflect on the fact now； thousands of years later； that I have no Epitaph！）
What I failed to realize in my overall dejection was that the Roman world was enormous； and the Eastern portion of it differed dramatically from the Northern barbarian lands； where my brothers had fought。
The entire of Asia Minor； towards which we sailed； had been conquered by Alexander of Macedon hundreds of years before。 As you know； Alexander had been the pupil of Aristotle。 Alexander had wanted to spread Greek culture everywhere。 And in Asia Minor Greek ideas and styles found not mere country towns or farmers； but ancient cultures； like the Empire of Syria； willing to receive the new ideas； the grace and beauty of the Greek enlightenment； and willing to bring in tune with it their own centuries…old literature； religion； styles of life and dress。
Antioch had been built by a general of Alexander the Great who sought to rival the beauty of other Hellenistic cities； with splendid Temples； administrative buildings and libraries of books in the Greek language； its schools where Greek philosophy was taught。 A Hellenistic government was established … quite enlightened pared to ancient Eastern despotism； and yet there lay beneath all this the knowledge and customs and possibly the wisdom of the mysterious East。
The Romans had conquered Antioch early on because it was a huge trade center。 It was unique in this way； as Jacob showed to me； drawing a crude map with his wet finger on the wooden table。 Antioch was a port of the great Mediterranean because she was only twenty miles up the Orontes River。
Yet on the Eastern side she was open to the desert： all the old caravan routes came to Antioch； the camel merchants who brought fantastic wares from fabled lands … lands we know now to have been India and China … silk； carpet and jewels which never reached the markets of Rome。
Countless other traders came and went to Antioch。 Fine roads connected it in the East with the Euphrates River and the Parthian Empire beyond； and to the South you could go to Damascus and Judea； and to the North； of course； lay all the cities made by Alexander； which had flowered under Roman rule。
Roman soldiers loved it there。 It was an easy and interesting life。 And Antioch loved the Romans because the Romans protected the trade routes； and the caravans； and kept peace in the port。
〃You will find open places； arcades； Temples； all that you seek and such markets you would not believe。 There are Romans everywhere。 I hope to One Most High that you are not recognized by someone from your own background！ That is one danger of which your Father had no time to plan。〃
I waved it away。
〃Does it have teachers now； and markets of books？〃
〃From everywhere。 You will find books which no one can read。 And Greek is spoken by everyone。 You have to go out in the country to find some poor farmer who does not understand Greek。 Latin has now bee mon。
〃The philosophers never stop； they speak of Plato and Pythagoras； names that don't mean much to me； they talk about Chaldean magic from Babylon。 Of course there are Temples to every imaginable god。〃
He went on； reflecting as he spoke：
〃The Hebrews？ I think personally they are too worldly … they want to hang around in short tunics with the Greeks and go to the public baths。 They are too interested in the Greek philosophy。 It invades everything； all this thinking that Greeks did。 Not good。 But a Greek city is an inviting world。〃
He glanced up。 His Father was watching over us； and we were too dose together； at this table on the deck。
He hastily filled me in on other facts：
Germanicus Julius Caesar； heir to the Imperial throne； the official adopted son of Tiberius； had been granted the Imperium Maius in Antioch。 That is； he controlled all of this territory。 And Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso was the governor of Syria。
I assured him that they would know nothing of me or my old…fashioned family or our quiet； old house on the Palatine Hill； squeezed between so many other extravagant new mansions。
〃It's all Roman…style；〃 Jacob protested。 〃You'll see。 And you e with money！ And forgive me； but you are still beautiful at your age； you have fresh skin and you move your limbs like a girl。〃
I sighed and gave Jacob thanks。 Time for him to break away unless we wanted his Father ing down upon us。
I watched the ever rolling blue waves。
I was thankful in secret that our family had withdrawn from the parties and banquets at the Imperial Palace； but then I blamed myself for such thankfulness； knowing that our reclusiveness must have paved the way for our downfall。
I'd seen Germanicus on his triumphal procession through Rome； a gorgeous young man； much as Alexander had been； and I knew from my Father and my brothers that Tiberius； fearing the popularity of his appointed heir； had sent him off to the East to get him away from the Roman crowds。
The Governor Piso？ I had never laid eyes on him。 The gossip was that he was sent East to devil Germanicus。 Oh； such a waste of talent and thought。
Jacob returned to me。
〃Well； you go nameless and unknown into this vast city；〃 said Jacob。 〃And you have protectors of high character who are beloved of Germanicus。 He's young and
