the story of mankind-第22章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



month　and　to…morrow　we　shall　continue　our　march　to　Petra；

where　there　has　been　trouble　with　some　of　the　Arab　tribes。　I

shall　use　this　evening　to　answer　your　questions；　but　pray　do

not　expect　a　detailed　report。



I　have　talked　with　most　of　the　older　men　in　this　city　but

few　have　been　able　to　give　me　any　definite　information。　A

few　days　ago　a　pedler　came　to　the　camp。　I　bought　some　of

his　olives　and　I　asked　him　whether　he　had　ever　heard　of　the

famous　Messiah　who　was　killed　when　he　was　young。　He　said

that　he　remembered　it　very　clearly；　because　his　father　had

taken　him　to　Golgotha　（a　hill　just　outside　the　city）　to　see

the　execution；　and　to　show　him　what　became　of　the　enemies　of

the　laws　of　the　people　of　Judaea。　He　gave　me　the　address　of

one　Joseph；　who　had　been　a　personal　friend　of　the　Messiah

and　told　me　that　I　had　better　go　and　see　him　if　I　wanted　to

know　more。



This　morning　I　went　to　call　on　Joseph。　He　was　quite　an

old　man。　He　had　been　a　fisherman　on　one　of　the　fresh…water

lakes。　His　memory　was　clear；　and　from　him　at　last　I　got　a

fairly　definite　account　of　what　had　happened　during　the

troublesome　days　before　I　was　born。



Tiberius；　our　great　and　glorious　emperor；　was　on　the　throne；

and　an　officer　of　the　name　of　Pontius　Pilatus　was　governor　of

Judaea　and　Samaria。　Joseph　knew　little　about　this　Pilatus。

He　seemed　to　have　been　an　honest　enough　official　who　left　a

decent　reputation　as　procurator　of　the　province。　In　the　year

755　or　756　（Joseph　had　forgotten　when）　Pilatus　was　called　to

Jerusalem　on　account　of　a　riot。　A　certain　young　man　（the

son　of　a　carpenter　of　Nazareth）　was　said　to　be　planning　a

revolution　against　the　Roman　government。　Strangely　enough

our　own　intelligence　officers；　who　are　usually　well　informed；

appear　to　have　heard　nothing　about　it；　and　when　they　investigated

the　matter　they　reported　that　the　carpenter　was　an

excellent　citizen　and　that　there　was　no　reason　to　proceed　against

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