N the 804th year of the foundation of Rome, and the 13th of the principality of Claudius C?sar, Junius Ann?us Novatus was proconsul of Achaia. Born of a knightly2 family of Spanish origin, a son of Seneca the Rhetor and of the chaste4 Helvia, a brother of Ann?us Mela, and of the famed Lucius Ann?us, he bore the name of his adoptive father, the Rhetor Gallio, exiled by Tiberius. In his mother’s veins5 flowed the same blood as that of Cicero, and he had inherited from his father, together with immense wealth, a love of letters and of philosophy. He studied the works of the Greeks even more assiduously than those of the Latins. His mind was a prey8 to noble aspiration9. He was an interested student of nature and of what appertains to her. The activity of his intelligence was so keen that he enjoyed being read to while in his bath, and that, even when joining in the chase, he was wont10 to carry with him his tablets of wax and his stylus. During the leisure moments which he managed to secure in the intervals13 of most serious duties and most important works, he wrote books on subjects relating to nature, and composed tragedies.
His clients and his freedmen loudly proclaimed his gentleness. His was indeed a genial14 character. He had never been known to give way to a fit of anger. He looked upon violence as the worst and most unpardonable of weaknesses.
All deeds of cruelty were held in execration15 by him, save when their true character escaped him owing to the consecration17 of custom and of public opinion. He frequently discovered, amid the severities rendered sacred by ancestral usage and sanctified by the laws, revolting excesses against which he raised his voice in protest, and which he would have attempted to sweep away, had not the interests of the State and the common welfare been objected from all quarters. In those days, conscientious18 magistrates19 and honest functionaries21 were not few and far between throughout the Empire. There were indeed a number as honest and as impartial22 as Gallio himself, but it is to be doubted whether another could be found so humane23.
Entrusted24 with the administration of that Greece despoiled25 of her riches, her pristine26 glory departed, and fallen from her freedom so full of life into an idle tranquillity27, he remembered that she had formerly29 taught the world wisdom and the fine arts, and his treatment of her combined the vigilance of a guardian30 with the reverence31 of a son. He respected the liberties of the cities and the rights of individuals. He showed honour to those who were truly Greeks by birth and education, regretting that their numbers were sorely restricted, and that his authority extended for the greater part over an infamous32 rabble33 of Jews and Syrians; yet he remained equitable34 in dealing35 with these Asiatics, laying unction to his soul for what he considered a meritorious36 endeavour.
He dwelt in Corinth, the richest and most densely38 populated city of Roman Greece. His villa39, built in the time of Augustus, enlarged and embellished40 since then by the pro-consuls41 who had governed the province in succession, stood on the furthermost western slopes of the Acrocorinthus, whose foliaged summit was crowned by the Temple of Venus and the groves43 where dwelt her priests. It was a somewhat spacious44 mansion45 surrounded by gardens studded with bushy trees, watered by springs, ornamented46 with statues, alcoves47, gymnasia, baths, libraries, and altars consecrated48 to the gods.
He was strolling in it on a certain morn, according to his wont, with his brother Ann?us Mela, discoursing49 on the order of nature and the vicissitudes50 of fortune. The sun was rising, hazy51 in its white splendour in the roseate heavens. The gentle undulations of the hills of the Isthmus52 concealed54 the Saronic shore, the Stadium, the sanctuary55 of the sports, and the eastern harbour of Cenchre?. Between the fallow slopes of the Geranean range and the crimson56 twin-peaked Helicon, one could, however, obtain a glimpse of the quiescent57 blue waters of the Alcyonium Mare58. In the distance, and to the north, glistened59 the three snow-capped summits of Parnassus. Gallio and Mela proceeded together as far as the edge of the elevated foreground. At their feet spread Corinth standing60 on an extensive plateau of pale yellow sand, and sloping gently towards the spumous fringe of the Gulf61. The pavements of the forum62, the columns of the basilica, the tiers of the hippodrome, the white steps of the porches sparkled, while the gilded63 roofs of the temples flashed dazzling rays. Vast and new, the town was intersected with straight-running streets. A wide road descended65 to the harbour of Lech?um, whose shore was fringed with warehouses66 and whose waters were covered with ships. To the west, the atmosphere reeked68 with the smoke of the iron-foundries, while the streams ran black from the pollution of the dye-houses, and on that side, forests of pine extending to the edge of the horizon, were lost to sight in the skies.
Gradually, the town awoke from its slumbers70. The strident neighing of a horse rent the morning calm, and soon were heard the muffled71 rumblings of wheels, shouting of waggoners, and the chanting voices of women selling herbs. Emerging from their hovels amid the ruins of the Palace of Sisyphus, aged12 and blind hags bearing copper72 vessels73 on their heads, and led by children, wended their way to draw water from the Pirene fountain. On the flat roofs of the houses abutting75 the grounds of the proconsul, Corinthian women were spreading linen76 to dry, and one of them was castigating77 her child with leek-stalks. In the hollow road leading to the Acropolis, a semi-nude old bronze-coloured man, prodded78 the rump of an ass7 laden79 with salad herbs and chanted between the stumps80 of his teeth and in his unkempt beard, a slave-song:
Much good will it do you:
You may be sure of it.”
Meanwhile, at the sight of the town resuming its daily labour, Gallio fell a-musing over the earlier Corinth, the lovely Ionian city, opulent and joyous83 until the day when she witnessed the massacre84 of her citizens by the soldiery of Mummius, her women, the noble daughters of Sisyphus, sold at auction85, her palaces and temples the prey of flames, her walls razed86 to the ground, and her riches piled away into the Liburnian ships of the Consul1.
“Hardly a century ago,” he remarked, “the work wrought87 by Mummius still stood revealed in all its horror. The shore which you see, brother mine, was more of a desert than the Libyan sands. The divine Julius rebuilt the town wrecked89 by our arms, and peopled it with freedmen. On this very strand90, where the illustrious Bacchiad? formerly revelled91 in their haughty92 indolence, poor and rude Latins settled, and Corinth entered upon a new lease of life. She grew rapidly, and realised how to take advantage of her position. She levies93 tribute on all ships which, whether from the East or from the West, cast anchor in her two harbours of Lech?um and Cenchre?. Her population and wealth increase apace under the ?gis of the Roman peace.
“What blessings94 has not the Empire bestowed95 throughout the world! To the Empire is due the profound tranquillity which the countryside enjoys. The seas are swept of pirates, and the highways of robbers. From the befogged Ocean to the Permulic Gulf, from Gades to the Euphrates, the trading of merchandise proceeds in undisturbed security. The law protects the lives and property of all. Individual rights must not be infringed96 upon. Liberty has henceforth no other limits than its lines of defence, and is circumscribed98 for its own security alone. Justice and reason rule the world.”
Unlike his two brothers, Ann?us Mela had not intrigued99 for honours. Those who loved him, and their name was legion, for he was ever in his intercourse100 affable and extremely pleasant, attributed his detachment from public affairs to the moderation of a mind attracted by the blessings of tranquil28 obscurity, a mind which had no other care than the study of philosophy. But those who observed him with greater insight were under the impression that he was ambitious after his own fashion, and that like M?cenas, he, a simple knight3, was consumed with the envy of enjoying the same consideration as the consuls. Lastly, certain evil-minded individuals believed that they discerned in him the greed of the Senecas for the riches which they affected102 to despise, and thus did they explain to themselves that Mela had for a long time lived in obscurity in Betica, giving himself up entirely103 to the management of his vast estates, and that subsequently summoned to Rome by his brother the philosopher, he had devoted104 himself to the administration of the finances of the Empire, rather than go in the quest of high judiciary or military posts. His character could not be readily determined105 from his utterances106, for he spoke108 the language of the Stoics109, a language equally adapted for the concealment110 of the weaknesses of the mind and the revelation of the grandeur111 of one’s sentiments. It was in those days the height of elegance112 to utter virtuous113 discourse114. At any rate, there is no doubt that Mela spoke his thoughts.
He replied to his brother that, although not versed115 in public affairs like himself, he had had occasion to admire the power and wisdom of the Romans.
“They reveal themselves,” he said, “in the most remote parts of our own Spain. But it is in a wild pass of the mountains of Thessaly that I have been made to appreciate at its highest the beneficent majesty116 of the Empire. I had come from Hypata, a town renowned117 for its cheeses, and whose women were notorious for witchcraft118, and I had been riding for some hours along mountain paths, without coming across a human face. Overcome by the heat and fatigue119, I tethered my horse to a tree by the road, and lay down under an arbutus-bush. I had been resting there a short while only, when there came along a lean old man bowed down under a load of branches. Utterly120 exhausted121, he tottered122 in his steps, and just as he was about to fall, exclaimed: ‘C?sar.’ On hearing such an invocation escape the lips of a poor woodcutter in this stony123 solitude124, my heart overflowed125 with veneration126 for the tutelary127 City, which inspires, even unto the farthermost lands, the most rustic128 of minds with so great a conception of its sovereign providence130. But sadness and a feeling of distress131 mingled132 with my admiration133, brother mine, when I reflected upon the injury and insults to which the inheritance of Augustus and the fortune of Rome were exposed through men’s folly134 and the vices135 of the century.”
“I have witnessed on the spot, brother mine,” replied Gallio, “the crimes and follies136 which sadden your mind. My cheek has blanched137 under the gaze of the victims of Caius from my seat in the Senate. I have held my peace, as I did not despair of better days. I am of the opinion that good citizens should serve the Republic under bad princes rather than shirk their duty in a useless death.”
As Gallio was uttering these sentiments, two men, still in their youth and wearing the toga, came up to him. The one was Lucius Cassius, of a Roman family, plebeian138 but ancient, and having attained139 distinction. The other, Marcus Lollius, son and grandson of consuls, and moreover of a knightly family, which had sprung from the free town of Terracina. Both had frequented the schools of Athens, and acquired a knowledge of the laws of nature of which those Romans who had not been in Greece were totally ignorant.
At the present moment, they were studying in Corinth the management of public affairs, and the proconsul surrounded himself with them as an ornamental141 adjunct to his magistracy. Somewhat behind them, the Greek Apollodorus, wearing the short cape16 of the philosophers, bald of head, and with Socratic beard, sauntered along, with uplifted arm and gesticulating fingers, discussing with himself.
“The rose of dawn is already fading,” he said, “and the sun is beginning to shed its steeled darts143. Come along, my good friends, to the coolness of the shady foliage42 beyond.”
Saying this, he led them along the banks of a stream whose babbling144 murmur145 invited peaceful reflections, until they had reached an enclosure of verdant146 bushes in the midst of which lay in a hollow an alabaster147 basin filled with limpid148 waters on whose surface floated the feather of a dove, which had just bathed in them, and which was now cooing plaintively149 from a branch. They took their seats on a semicircular marble bench supported by griffins. Laurel and myrtle bushes blended their shadows about it. Statues encircled the enclosure. A wounded Amazon gracefully150 coiled her arm about her head. Grief appeared a thing of beauty on her lovely face. A shaggy Satyr was playing with a goat. A Venus, emerging from the bath, was drying her wetted limbs along which a shudder153 of pleasurable emotion seemed to run. Near by, a youthful Faun was smilingly placing a flute154 to his lips. His face was partly concealed by the branches, but his shining belly155 glistened amid the leafage.
“That Faun seems animated,” remarked Marcus Lollius. “One could imagine that a gentle breathing was causing his bosom156 to heave.”
“He is true to life, Marcus,” said Gallio. “One expects to hear rustic melodies flow from his flute. A Greek slave carved him out of the marble, in imitation of an ancient model. The Greeks formerly excelled in the making of these fanciful statues. Several of their efforts in this style are justly renowned. There is no gainsaying157 it: they have found the means of giving august traits to the gods and of expressing in both marble and bronze the majesty of the masters of the world. Who but admires the Olympian Zeus? And yet, who would care to be Phidias!”
“No Roman would assuredly care to be Phidias,” exclaimed Lollius, who was spending the fortune he had inherited from his ancestry158 in ornamenting159 his villa at Pausilypum with the masterpieces of Phidias and Myron brought over from Greece and Asia.
Lucius Cassius was of the same opinion. He argued with some warmth that the hands of a free man were not made to wield160 the sculptor161’s chisel162 or the painter’s brush, and that no Roman citizen would condescend163 to the degrading work of casting bronze, hewing164 marble into shape, and painting forms on a wall.
He professed165 admiration for the manners of the ancient times, and vaunted at every opportunity the ancestral virtues167.
“Men of the stamp of Curius and Fabricius cultivated their lettuce-beds, and slept under thatched roofs,” he said. “They wot of no other statue than the Priapus carved in the heart of a box-tree, who, protruding168 his vigorous pale in the centre of their garden, threatened pilferers with a terrible and shameful169 punishment.”
Mela, who was well versed in the annals of Rome, opposed to this opinion the example of an old patrician170.
“In the days of the Republic,” he pointed171 out, “that illustrious man, Caius Fabius, of a family issued from Hercules and Evander, limned172 with his own hand on the walls of the Temple of Salus paintings so highly prized that their recent loss, on the destruction of the temple by fire, has been considered a public misfortune. It is moreover related that he did not doff173 his toga when painting, thus to indicate that such work was not unworthy of a Roman citizen. He was given the surname of Pictor, which his descendants were proud to bear.”
“When painting victories in a temple, Caius Fabius had in mind those victories, and not the painting of them. No painters existed in Rome in those days. Anxious that the doughty176 deeds of his ancestors should for ever be present to the gaze of the Romans, he set an example to the artisans. But just as a pontiff or an ?dile lays the first stone of an edifice177, without exercising for that the trade of a mason or of an architect, Caius Fabius executed the first painting Rome boasted of, without it being permissible178 to number him with the workmen who earn their livelihood179 by painting on walls.”
Apollodorus signified approval of this speech with a nod, and, stroking his philosophic180 beard, remarked:
“The sons of Ascanius are born to rule the world. Any other care would be unworthy of them.”
Then, speaking at some length and in well-rounded sentences, he sang the praises of the Romans. He flattered them because he feared them. But in his innermost being, he felt nothing but contempt for their shallow intelligences so devoid181 of finesse182. He beslavered Gallio with praise in these words:
“Thou hast ornamented this city with magnificent monuments. Thou hast assured the liberty of its Senate and of its people. Thou hast decreed excellent regulations for trade and navigation, and thou dispensest justice with even tempered equity183. Thy statue shall stand in the Forum. The title shall be granted to you of the second founder184 of Corinth, or rather Corinth shall take from you the name of Ann?a. All these things are worthy174 of a Roman, and worthy of Gallio. But, do not think that the Greeks have an exaggerated affection for the manual arts. If many of them are engaged in painting vases, in dyeing stuffs, and in modelling figures, it is through necessity. Ulysses constructed his bed and his ship with his own hands. At the same time, the Greeks proclaim that it is unworthy of a wise man to give himself up to futile185 and gross arts. In his youth, Socrates followed the trade of a sculptor, and modelled an image of the Charites still to be seen on the Acropolis of Athens. His skill was certainly not of a mediocre187 order, and, had he so wished, he could, like the most renowned artists, have portrayed188 an athlete throwing a discus or bandaging his head. But he abandoned like works to devote himself to the quest of wisdom, as commanded by the oracle189. Henceforth, he attached himself to young men, not for the purpose of measuring the proportions of their bodies but solely190 to teach them that which is honest. He preferred those whose soul was beautiful to those of perfect form, differing in this respect from sculptors191, painters and debauchees, who consider only external beauty, despising the inner comeliness192. You are aware that Phidias engraved193 on the great toe of his Jupiter the name of an athlete, because he was handsome, and without considering whether he was pure.”
“Hence it is,” was Gallio’s summing up, “that we do not sing the praises of sculptors, while bestowing194 them on their works.”
“By Hercules!” exclaimed Lollius, “I do not know whether to admire most that Venus or that Faun. The goddess seems to reflect coolness from the water still dripping from her. She is truly the desire of gods and men; do you not fear, Gallio, that some night, a lout195 concealed in your grounds may subject her to an outrage196 similar to the one inflicted197 by a profane199 youth, so it is reported, on the Aphrodite of the Cnidians? The priestesses of her temple discovered one morning traces of the outrage on the body of the goddess, and travellers affirm that from that day until now she bears the indelible mark of her defilement200. The audacity201 of the man and the patience of the Immortal202 One are to be wondered at.”
“The crime did not remain unpunished,” affirmed Gallio. “The sacrilegious profaner203 flung himself into the sea, and fell on the rocks a shapeless mass. He was never again seen.”
“There can be no doubt,” resumed Lollius, “that the Venus of Cnidus surpasses all others in beauty. But the artisan who carved the one in your grounds, Gallio, knew how to make marble plastic. Look at that Faun; he is laughing, and saliva204 moistens his teeth and his lips; his cheeks have the fresh bloom of the apple: his whole body glistens205 with youth. However, I prefer the Venus to the Faun.”
Raising his right arm, Apollodorus said:
“Most gentle Lollius, just think a bit, and you will fain admit that a like preference is pardonable in an ignorant individual who follows his instincts and who reasons not, but that it is not permitted to one as wise as yourself. That Venus cannot be as beautiful as that Faun, for the body of woman enjoys a perfection lesser206 than that of man, and the copy of a thing which is less perfect can never equal in beauty the copy of a thing that is more perfect. No doubt can assuredly exist, Lollius, that the body of woman is less beautiful than that of man, since it contains a less beautiful soul. Women are vain, quarrelsome, their mind occupied with trifles and incapable207 of elevated thoughts, while sickness oftentimes obscures their intellect.”
“And yet,” remarked Gallio, “both in Rome and in Athens, virgins208 and matrons have been held worthy of presiding over sacred rites186 and of placing offerings on the altars. Nay209 more, the gods have at times selected virgins to give utterance107 to their oracular words, or to reveal the future to men. Cassandra wore the bands of Apollo about her head and prophesied210 the discomfiture211 of the Trojans. Juturna, to whom the love of a god gave immortality212, was entrusted with the guardianship213 of the fountains of Rome.”
“Quite true,” replied Apollodorus. “But the gods sell dearly to virgins the privilege of interpreting their wishes, and of announcing future events. While conferring on them the power of seeing that which is hidden, they deprive them of their reason and inflict198 madness on them. I will, however, Gallio, grant you that some women are better than some men and that some men are less good than some women. This arises from the fact that the two sexes are not as distinct and separate from each other as one would believe, and that, quite on the contrary, there is something of man in many women, and of woman in many a man. The following is the explanation of this commingling215:
“The ancestors of the men who nowadays people the earth sprang from the hands of Prometheus, who, to give them shape, kneaded the clay as does the potter. He did not confine himself to shaping with his hands a single couple. Far too prudent216 and too industrious217 to cause the entire human race to grow from one seed and from a single vessel74, he undertook the manufacture of a multitude of women and men, in order to secure at once to humanity the advantage of numbers. In order better to carry out so difficult a work, he modelled separately at the outset all the parts which were to constitute both male and female bodies. He fashioned as many lungs, livers, hearts, brains, bladders, spleens, intestines218, matrices and generative organs as were required, and, lastly, he made with subtle art, and in sufficient quantity, all the organs by means of which human beings might breathe freely, feed themselves, and enjoy the reproduction of the species. He forgot neither muscles, tendons, bones, blood nor fluids. He next cut out skins, intending to place in each one, as in a sack, the requisite219 articles. All these component220 parts of men and women were duly finished, and nothing remained but to put them together, when he was of a sudden invited to partake of supper at the residence of Bacchus. He went thither221, crowned with roses, and indulged too freely in libations to the god, returning with tottering222 steps to his workshop. His brain befogged with the fumes223 of wine, his eyesight dimmed, and his hands shaky, he resumed his task, greatly to our misfortune. The distribution of organs among human beings seemed to him an easy enough pastime. He knew not what he was about, and was perfectly224 contented225 with his job, however badly he accomplished226 it. He was constantly and inadvertently allotting227 to woman that which was proper to man, and to man the things pertaining228 to woman.
“Thus it came about that our first parents were composed of ill-assorted pieces which did not harmonise. And, having mated by choice or at haphazard229, they produced beings as incoherent as themselves. Thus has it come about, through the Titan’s fault, that we see so many virile230 women and so many effeminate men. This also explains the contradictory231 characteristics to be met with in the firmest of minds and how it is that the most determined character is perpetually false to itself. And, finally, this is why we are all at variance232 with our own selves.”
Lucius Cassius expressed condemnation233 of this fable101, because it did not teach man to conquer himself, but on the contrary induced him to yield to nature.
Gallio pointed out that the poets and philosophers gave a different interpretation234 as to the origin of the world and the creation of mankind.
“The fables235 told by the Greeks,” he said, “should not be believed in too blindly, nor should we hold as truthful236, Apollodorus, what they state in particular concerning the stones thrown by Pyrrha. The philosophers are not in accord among themselves as to the principle presiding over the creation of the world, and leave us in doubt as to whether the earth was produced by water, by air, or, as seems more credible237, by the subtile heat. But the Greeks wish to know all things, and so they forge ingenious falsehood. How much better it is to confess our ignorance. The past is as much concealed from us as is the future; we are circumscribed by two dense37 clouds, in the forgetfulness of what was, and in the uncertainty238 of what shall be. And yet we suffer ourselves to be the playthings of an inquisitive239 desire to become acquainted with the causes of things, and a consuming anxiety incites240 us to ponder over the destinies of mankind and of the world.”
“It is true,” sighed Cassius, “that we are everlastingly242 striving to penetrate243 the impenetrable future. We toil at this quest with all our might, and call to our aid all kinds of means. Anon we think to attain140 our object by meditation244; again, by prayer and ecstasy245. Some of us consult the oracles246 of the gods; others, fearing not to do that which is forbidden, appeal to the augurs247 of Chald?a, or try the Babylonian spells. Futile and sacrilegious curiosity! For, of what advantage would be to us the knowledge of future things, since they are inevitable249! Nevertheless the wise men, still more so than the vulgar herd250, feel the desire of delving251 into the future and of, so to speak, hurling253 themselves into it. It is doubtless because they hope thus to escape the present which inflicts254 on them so much that is sad and distasteful. Why should not the men of to-day be goaded255 with the desire of fleeing from these wretched times? We are living in an age replete257 with deeds of cowardice258, abounding260 in ignominious262 acts, and fertile in crimes.”
Cassius spoke at some length in depreciation263 of the times in which he lived. He lamented264 the fact that the Romans, fallen from their ancient virtues, no longer found any pleasure except in the consumption of the oysters265 of the Lucrine lake and of the birds of Phasis river, and that they had no taste except for mummers, chariot-drivers, and gladiators. He deplored266 the ills which the Empire was suffering from, the insolent267 luxury of the great, the contemptible268 avidity of the clients, and the savage269 depravity of the multitude.
Gallio and his brother agreed with him. They loved virtue166. Nevertheless, they had nothing in common with the patricians270 of old who, having no other care than the fattening271 of their swine, and the performance of the sacred rites, conquered the world for the better administration of their farms. This nobility of the byre, instituted by Romulus and Remus, was long since extinct. The patrician families created by the divine Julius and by the Emperor Augustus, had passed away. Intelligent men from all the provinces of the Empire had stepped into their places. Romans in Rome, they were nowhere strangers. They greatly surpassed the old Cethegus family by their refined minds and humane feelings. They did not regret the Republic; they did not regret liberty, the recollection of which recalled simultaneously272 proscriptions and civil wars. They honoured Cato as the heroic figure of another age, without wishing to see so exalted273 a type of virtue arise on top of fresh ruins. They looked upon the Augustan epoch274 and the first years of Tiberius as the happiest the world had ever known, since the Golden Age had existed in the imagination of the poets only. They lamented the fact that the new order of things, which had promised the world a long reign129 of felicity, should have so promptly275 burdened Rome with an unheard of shame unknown even to the contemporaries of Marius and Sulla. They had, during the madness of Caius, seen the best citizens branded with a hot iron, sentenced to the mines, to labour on the roads, thrown to wild beasts, fathers compelled to be present at the agony of their children, and men shining by their virtues, such as Cremutius Cordus, suffer themselves to die of starvation, in order to cheat the tyrant276 of their death. To Rome’s shame, be it said, Caligula respected neither his sisters nor the most illustrious dames278. And, what filled these rhetors and philosophers with as great an indignation as the one they felt over the rape280 of the matrons and the assassination281 of the best citizens, were the crimes perpetrated by Caius against eloquence282 and letters. This madman had conceived the idea of destroying the poems of Homer, and had caused to be removed from all bookshelves the writings, the portraits, and the names of Virgil and of Livy. Finally, Gallio could not forgive him for having compared the style of Seneca to mortar283 without cement.
They dreaded285 Claudius in a somewhat lesser degree, but despised him the more for all that. They ridiculed287 his pumpkin-like head and his seal-like voice. That old savant was not a monster of wickedness. The worst they could reproach him with was his weakness. But, in the exercise of the sovereign power, such weakness became at times as cruel as the cruelty of Caius. They also bore domestic grievances288 against him. If Caius had held Seneca up to ridicule286, Claudius had banished289 him to Corsica. It is true that he had subsequently recalled him to Rome and conferred a pr?torship on him. But they showed him no gratitude290 for having thus carried out the behests of Agrippina, in ignorance of what he was commanding. Indignant but long suffering, they left it to the Empress to determine the fate of the aged man, and the choice of the new prince. Many rumours291 were current to the shame of the unchaste and cruel daughter of Germanicus. They heeded292 them not, and sang the praises of the illustrious woman to whom the Senecas owed the termination of their misfortune and their rise in honours. As will oftentimes happen, their convictions were in harmony with their interests. A painful experience of public life had left unshaken their trust in the régime established by the divine Augustus, a régime placed on a firmer basis by Tiberius, and under which they filled high positions. They were reckoning on a new master to redress293 the evils engendered294 by the masters of the Empire.
“Dear friends,” he said, “I have learnt this morning, through letters from Rome, that our young prince has married Octavia, the daughter of C?sar.”
A murmur of approval greeted the news.
“We should indeed,” continued Gallio, “congratulate ourselves over a union, by virtue of which the prince, combining with his former qualifications those of husband and of son-in-law, becomes henceforth the equal of Britannicus. My brother Seneca never ceases praising in his letters to me the eloquence and gentleness of his pupil who sheds lustre296 on his youth by pleading before the Senate in the presence of the Emperor. He has not yet completed his sixteenth year, yet he has already won the cases of three unfortunate or guilty cities—Ilion, Bolonia, and Apamea.”
“He has not then,” asked Lucius Cassius, “inherited the evil disposition297 of the Domitians, his ancestors?”
“Indeed he has not,” replied Gallio. “It is Germanicus who lives anew in him.”
Ann?us Mela, who was not looked upon as a sycophant298, joined in the praise of the son of Agrippina. His praises appeared affecting and sincere, since he pledged them, so to speak, on the head of his son, who was still of tender age.
“Nero is chaste, modest, of a kindly disposition, and religious. My little Lucan, who is dearer to me than my eyes, was his play- and school-mate. Together they practised declamation299 in the Greek and Latin languages. Together they attempted to indite300 verse. Never did Nero, in the course of these contests of skill at versification, manifest the slightest symptom of jealousy301. Quite the contrary, he enjoyed praising his rival’s verses, which, in spite of his tender age, revealed traces here and there of a consuming energy. He sometimes seemed happy to be surpassed by the nephew of his teacher. Such was the charming modesty302 of the prince of youth! Poets will some day compare the friendship of Nero and Lucan with that of Euryalus and Nisus.”
“Nero,” the proconsul went on to say, “displays with the ardour of youth a gentle and merciful spirit. Time will but strengthen such virtues.
“Claudius, when adopting him, has wisely acquiesced303 in the hope expressed by the Senate and the wish of the people. In so doing, he has removed from the Imperial succession a child overwhelmed by the shame of his mother, and has now, by giving Octavia to Nero, secured the accession of a youthful C?sar whom Rome will delight in. The respectful son of an honoured mother, the zealous305 disciple306 of a philosopher, Nero, whose adolescence307 is illumined with the most agreeable qualities, Nero, our hope and the hope of the world, will remember, when clad in purple, the teachings of the Portico308, and will rule the universe with justice and moderation.”
“’Tis difficult to predict the future,” said Gallio. “Still, we experience no doubts regarding the eternity309 of the City. The oracles have promised Rome an empire without end, and it would be sacrilegious not to put our faith in the gods. Shall I reveal to you my fondest hope? I joyfully310 expect the time when peace will reign for ever on the earth, following upon the chastising311 of the Parthians. Yes indeed, we may, without fear of deceiving ourselves, herald312 the end of war so hated by mothers. Who is there to disturb the Roman peace henceforth? Our eagles have spread to the confines of the universe. All the nations have experienced our strength and our mercy. The Arab, the Sab?an, the dweller313 on the slopes of the H?mus, the Sarmatian who quenches314 his thirst with the blood of his steed, the Sygambri of the curly locks, the woolly-headed Ethiopian, all come in hordes316 to worship Rome their protectress. Whence would new barbarians317 spring? Is it likely that the icy plains of the North or the burning sands of Libya hold in store enemies of the Roman nation? All Barbarians, won over to our friendship, will lay down their arms, and Rome, the white-haired great-grandmother, tranquil in her old age, will see the nations respectfully grouped about her as her adopted children, dwelling319 in harmony and love.”
All signified their approval of the foregoing sentiments, excepting Cassius, who shook his head in disagreement.
He felt a pride in his military ancestry while the glory of arms, so greatly extolled320 by poets and rhetors, kindled321 his enthusiasm.
“I doubt, my friend Gallio,” he commented, “that nations will ever cease to hate and fear one another. To tell the truth, I should not desire such a consummation. Did war cease, what would become of strength of character, grandeur of soul, and love of country? Courage and devotion would be virtues out of date.”
“Rest assured, Lucius,” said Gallio, “that when men shall cease to conquer one another, they will strive to subdue322 their own selves. That is the most virtuous attempt they can make, and the most noble use to which they can put their bravery and magnanimity. Yes indeed, the august mother whose wrinkles and whose hairs, blanched by centuries, we worship, Rome, will establish universal peace. Then shall the enjoyment323 of life be realised. Life under certain conditions is worth living. Life is a tiny flame between two infinite shadows; ’tis our share of the divine essence. During the term of his life, a man is similar to the gods.”
While Gallio was thus discoursing, a dove perched itself on the shoulder of the Venus, whose marble contours gleamed among the myrtles.
“My dear Gallio,” said Lollius with a smile, “the bird of Aphrodite takes delight in thy words. They are gentle and full of gracefulness325.”
A slave approached, bearing cool wine, and the friends of the proconsul discoursed326 of the gods. Apollodorus was of opinion that it was not easy to grasp their nature. Lollius doubted their very existence.
“When thunder peals,” he said, “it all depends upon the philosopher whether it is the cloud or the god who has thundered.”
Cassius, however, did not countenance327 such thoughtless arguments. He believed in the gods of the Republic. While entertaining doubts as to the extent of their providence, he asserted their existence, as he did not wish to differ from humanity on an essential point. And to support his belief in the faith of his ancestors, he had recourse to an argument he had learnt from the Greeks.
“The gods exist,” he said. “Men have formed their idea of what they are like. Now, it is impossible to conceive an image not based on reality. How would it be possible to see Minerva, Neptune328, and Mercury, were there neither Mercury, nor Neptune, nor Minerva?”
“You have convinced me,” said Lollius mockingly. “The old woman who sells honey-cakes in the Forum, outside the basilica, has seen the god Typhon, he with the shaggy head of an ass, and a monster belly. He threw her on her back, threw her clothes over her ears, chastised329 her while keeping time to each resounding330 blow, and left her for dead, after polluting her in a disgusting fashion. She has herself told how, even as Antiope, she had been favoured with the visit of an immortal god. It is certain that the god Typhon exists, since he committed an outrage on an old cake-selling hag.”
“In spite of thy mockery, Marcus, I do not doubt the existence of the gods,” resumed Cassius. “And I believe that they enjoy a human form, since it is under that form that they always show themselves to us, whether we slumber69 or whether we are awake.”
“It would be better,” remarked Apollodorus, “to say that men possess the divine form, since the gods existed before them.”
“My dear Apollodorus,” exclaimed Lollius. “You forget that Diana was first worshipped under the form of a tree, and that several important gods have the shape of an unhewn stone. Cybele is represented, not as a woman should be, with two breasts, but with several teats like a bitch or a sow. The sun is a god, but being too hot to assume the human form, he has taken the shape of a ball; he is a round god.”
“All that is related about the gods,” he said, “should not be taken literally332. The vulgar herd calls wheat Ceres, and wine Bacchus. But where is to be found the man crazy enough to believe that he drinks and eats a god? Let us indulge in a more exalted knowledge of the divine nature. The gods are but the several parts of nature, and they are all lost in one god, who is nature in its entirety.”
The proconsul signified his approval of the words of his brother, and speaking in a serious strain, defined the attributes of divinity.
“God is the soul of the world; this soul spreads to all parts of the universe, infusing motion and life into it. This soul, a creative flame, penetrating333 the inert334 mass of matter, gave shape to the world, governing and preserving it. Divinity, an active force, is essentially335 good. The matter which it has put to good use, being inert and passive, is bad in certain of its parts. God has been powerless to change its nature. This explains the origin of the evil in the world. Our souls are particles of the divine fire into which they will some day be merged336. Consequently, God is within us and he dwells in particular in the virtuous man whose soul is not hampered337 with gross materialism338. This wise man, in whom God dwells, is God’s equal. He should not implore339 him, but contain him within himself. And what madness it is to pray to God! What an act of impiety340 it is to petition him! It is tantamount to believing that it is possible to enlighten his intelligence, to change his heart, and to persuade him to mend his behaviour. It is displaying ignorance of the necessity governing his immutable342 wisdom. He is subjected to Destiny, or, to be more accurate, he is Destiny. His ways are laws to which he is like ourselves subjected. For once that he commands, he obeys for ever. Free and powerful in his submission343, it is to himself that he shows obedience344. All the happenings in the world are the manifestations346 of sovereign intentions originating with himself. His helplessness against himself is infinite.”
Gallio’s speech was applauded by his hearers. Apollodorus, however, craved347 permission to submit a few objections.
“You are right, Gallio,” he said, “when you believe that Jupiter is at the mercy of Anankè and I hold with you that Anankè is the first among the immortal goddesses. But it appears to me that your god, above all admirable in his compass and his perpetuity, had better intentions than luck when he created the world, since he found nothing better wherewith to knead it than a rebellious348 and ingrate349 substance, and that the material betrays the workman. I cannot but feel for him over his discomfiture. The potters of Athens are more fortunate. They procure350, for the purpose of making vases, a delicate and plastic clay which readily takes and preserves the contours they give it. Hence do their goblets351 and amphor? present an agreeable form. Their curves are graceful151, and the painter limns352 with ease figures pleasing to the eye, such as old Silenus bestriding his ass, the toilet of Aphrodite, and the chaste Amazons. When I come to think of it, Gallio, I am of the opinion that if your god was less fortunate than the potters of Athens, ’tis for the reason that he lacked wisdom and that he was a poor artisan. The material at his disposal was not of the best. Still, it was not devoid of all serviceable properties, as you have yourself confessed. Nothing is absolutely good or absolutely bad. A thing may be bad if put to a certain use, while it may be excellent in some other. It would be waste of time to plant olive-trees in the clay used in fashioning amphor?. The tree of Pallas would not grow in the light and pure soil of which are made the beautiful vases which our victorious353 athletes receive, blushing the while with pride and modesty. It seems to me, Gallio, that your god, when fashioning the world with a material that was not suitable for the undertaking354, was guilty of the mistake which a vine-dresser of Megara would be committing, were he to plant a vine in modelling clay, or were some worker in ceramics355 to select for the making of amphor? the stony soil which affords nutriment to the clusters of the grape-vine. Your god, you say, made the universe. He ought certainly to have given form to some other thing, in order to make suitable use of his material. Since the substance, as you assert, proved rebellious to him, either through its inherent inertia356, or through some other bad quality, should he have persisted in putting it to a use it could not respond to, and, as the saying goes, carve his bow out of a cypress357? The secret of industry does not consist in accomplishing much, but in doing good work. Why did he not content himself with creating some small thing, say a gnat279, or a drop of water, but finish it to perfection?
“I might add further remarks about your god, Gallio, and ask you, for instance, if you do not entertain a fear that from his constant rubbing against matter, he may wear out, just as a millstone becomes worn in the long run in the course of grinding wheat. But such questions are not to be solved in a hurry, and the time of a proconsul is precious. Permit me at least to say to you that you are not justified358 in believing that your god rules and preserves the world, since, according to your own admission, he deprived himself of intelligence after having become acquainted with all things; of will-power, after having willed all things, and of power, following upon his ability to do what he saw fit. Herein again lay, on his part, a serious mistake, for he was thus an instrument in depriving himself of the means of correcting his imperfect work. So far as I am concerned, I am inclined to believe that god is in reality, not the one you have conceived, but indeed the matter he discovered on a certain day, and which the Greeks have styled chaos359. You are mistaken in your belief that matter is inert. It is ever in motion, and its perpetual activity keeps life a-going throughout the universe.”
Thus spake the philosopher Apollodorus. Gallio, who had listened to his speech with some degree of impatience360, denied that he had fallen a victim to the mistakes and contradictions with which the Greek charged him. But he failed in refuting successfully the arguments of his opponent, as his intellect was not a subtle one and because he demanded principally of philosophy the means of rendering361 men virtuous, and because he was interested in useful truths only.
“Try to grasp, Apollodorus,” he said, “that God is none other than nature. Nature and himself are one. God and Nature are the two names of a single being, just as Novatus and Gallio designate one and the same man. God, if you prefer, is divine reason commingling with the earth. You need have no fear that he will wear out through this amalgamation362, since his tenuous363 substance participates of the fire which consumes all matter while remaining unchanged.
“But should, nevertheless,” proceeded Gallio, “my doctrine364 embrace ill-assorted ideas, do not blame me for it, my dear Apollodorus, but rather give me praise because I suffer a few contradictions to find a place in my mind. Were I not conciliatory as regards my own ideas, were I to confer upon a single system an exclusive preference, I could no longer tolerate the freedom of every opinion; having destroyed my own freedom of thought, I could not readily tolerate it in the case of others, and I should forfeit365 the respect due to every doctrine established or professed by a sincere man. The gods forbid that I should see my opinion prevail to the exclusion366 of any other, and exercise an absolute sway on other minds. Conjure367 up a picture, my dear friends, of the state of manners and morals, were a sufficient number of men firmly to believe that they were the sole possessors of the truth, if, by some impossible chance, they were thoroughly368 agreed as to that truth. A too narrow piety341 among the Athenians, who are nevertheless full of wisdom and of doubt, was the cause of the banishment369 of Anaxagoras and of the death of Socrates. What would happen were millions of men enslaved by one solitary370 idea concerning the nature of the gods? The genius of the Greeks and the prudence371 of our ancestors made allowance for doubt, and tolerated the worship of Jupiter under several names. No sooner should a powerful sect64 come on this ailing372 earth and proclaim that Jupiter has one name only, than blood would flow the world over, and no longer would there be but one Caius whose madness should threaten the human race with death. All the men of such a sect would be so many Caiuses. They would face death for a name. For a name, they would kill, since it is rather in the nature of men to kill than to die on behalf of what seems to them true and most excellent. Hence it is better to base public order on the diversity of opinions, than to seek to establish it on a universal consent to one and the same belief. A like unanimous consent could never be realised, and in seeking to obtain it, men would become stupid and maddened. For, indeed, the most patent truth is but a vain jangle of words to the men on whom it is attempted to impose it. You would compel me to believe a thing which you understand, but which passes my understanding. You would thus be forcing upon me not a thing that is intelligible373, but one that is incomprehensible. And I am nearer you when holding a different belief, one which I understand. For, in that case, both of us are making use of our reason, and we both possess an intelligent comprehension of our own belief.”
“Enough of all this,” remarked Lollius. “Educated men will never combine for the purpose of stifling374 all other doctrines375 to the advantage of a single one. As to the vulgar herd, who cares to teach it that Jupiter has six hundred names, or a single one?”
Cassius, slow of utterance, and of a serious turn of mind, spoke next.
“Beware, Gallio,” he said, “lest the existence of God, such as expounded377 by you, be not in contradiction with the beliefs of our forefathers378. It matters little, after all, whether your arguments are better or worse than those of Apollodorus. What we have to consider is the fatherland. To its religion does Rome owe her virtues and her power. To destroy our gods is to compass our own destruction.”
“You need not fear, my friend,” rejoined Gallio with some show of animation379, “have no fear, I repeat, that I deny in an insolent spirit the heavenly protectors of the Empire. The only divinity which the philosophers acknowledge embodies380 within itself all the gods, just as humanity embraces all men. The gods whose worship was instituted by the wisdom of our forefathers, Jupiter, Juno, Mars, Minerva, Quirinus, and Hercules, constitute the most august parts of the universal providence, and no less than the whole do these parts exist. No, indeed, I am not an impious man, nor inimical to the laws. None respects the sacred things more than Gallio.”
No one seemed disposed to dispute these ideas. Thereupon Lollius, bringing the conversation back to its starting-point, remarked:
“We have been seeking to penetrate the veil of the future. What are man’s destinies, according to you, my friends, after his demise382?”
In reply to this question, Ann?us Mela promised immortality to heroes and wise men, while denying it to the common of mankind.
“It passes belief,” he said, “that misers383, gluttons384, and mean-spirited men should possess an immortal soul. Could so singular a privilege be the portion of coarse and silly oafs? I cannot entertain such a thought. It would be an insult to the majority of the gods to believe that they have decreed the immortality of the boor385 who wots only of his goats and cheeses, or of the freedman, richer than Cr?sus, who had no other cares in the world than to check the accounts of his stewards386. Why, good gods, should they be provided with a soul? What sort of a figure would they present among heroes and wise men in the Elysian fields? These wretches387, like so many others here below, are incapable of realising humanity’s short-spanned life. How could they realise a life of longer duration? Vulgar souls are snuffed out at the hour of death, or they may for a while whirl about our globe, to vanish in the dense strata388 of the atmosphere. Virtue only, by making man the equal of the gods, makes them participate in their immortality. To quote the poet:
“‘Illustrious virtue never descends389 into the Stygian shades. Lead a hero’s life, and the fates will not consign390 thee to the pitiless river of forgetfulness. When comes thy last day, glory will open to thee the path of heaven.’
“Let us realise our condition. We must all die, and all that we are must die. The man of shining virtue simply escapes the common destiny by becoming god, and by obtaining his admission into Olympus among the Heroes and the Gods.”
“But he is not conscious of his own apotheosis,” said Marcus Lollius. “There does not exist upon earth a slave or a barbarian318 who is not aware that Augustus is a god. But Augustus knows it not. Hence it is that our C?sars journey reluctantly towards the constellations391, and even now we see Claudius near with blanched face these shadowy honours.”
Gallio shook his head, and remarked, “The poet Euripides has said:
“‘We love the life which is revealed unto us upon earth, since we know of no other.’
“Everything that is related concerning the dead is open to doubt, and is bound up with fables and falsehoods. Nevertheless, I believe that virtuous men attain an immortality of which they are fully152 cognisant. Let it be clearly understood that they achieve it by their own efforts, and not as a recompense conferred by the gods. By what right should the immortal gods degrade a virtuous man to the extent of rewarding him? The leading of a blameless life is its own reward, and no prize is there worthy of virtue, which is its own reward. Let us leave to vulgar souls, that they may thereby392 sustain their wretched fortitude393, the dread284 of punishment, and the hope of a reward. Let us love virtue for its own sake. Gallio, if what the poets tell of the infernal regions be true, if after your death you are arraigned394 before the tribunal of Minos, you may say to him: “Minos shall not judge me. By my actions have I been judged.””
“How,” inquired Apollodorus the philosopher, “can the gods give to men an immortality they themselves do not enjoy?”
Apollodorus, indeed, did not believe in the immortality of the gods, or rather that their sway over the world should be exercised for all time.
He proceeded to develop the reasons for his belief.
“The reign of Jupiter,” he said, “began after the Golden Age. We know through the traditions preserved for us by the poets that the son of Saturn395 succeeded to his father in the governing of the world. Now, everything that had a beginning must have an end. It is foolish to suppose that anything finite in one part can be infinite in another. It would then become necessary to call it finite and infinite as a whole, which would be absurd. Anything possessed396 of an extreme point can be measured from that point itself, and could not in any way cease to be measured at any point of its extent, without changing its nature, and the proper of what is measurable is to be comprised between two extreme points. We may therefore make up our minds that the reign of Jupiter will end just as did that of Saturn. As ?schylus has said:
“‘Jupiter is subordinate to Anankè. He cannot escape his fate.’”
“I consider with you, Apollodorus, that the reigns398 of the gods are not immortal, and the observation of the celestial399 phenomena400 inclines me to this belief. The heavens, as well as the earth, are subject to corruption402, and the divine palaces, liable to ruin just as the dwellings403 of mankind, crumble404 under the weight of the centuries. I have seen stones fall from the aerial regions. They were blackened and corroded405 by fire, and bore testimony406 to a celestial conflagration407.
“The bodies of the gods, Apollodorus, are not any more exempt408 from injury than their dwellings. If it be true, as Homer teaches, that the gods, inhabitants of Olympus, impregnate the flanks of goddesses and mortal women, it is assuredly because they are not themselves immortal, in spite of their life’s span being greater than that of mankind, and hence it is patent that fate subjects them to the necessity of transmitting a life which they may not enjoy for ever.
“In truth,” said Lollius, “it is hardly to be conceived that immortals409 should produce children in the same way as human beings and animals, or even that they should possess organs adapted to such a purpose. But perhaps the loves of the gods owe their origin to the mendacity of the poets.”
Apollodorus persisted in his assertion that the reign of Jupiter would some day cease, supporting his opinion with subtile reasons. He prophesied that Prometheus would succeed the son of Saturn.
“Prometheus,” replied Gallio, “was set free by Hercules with the consent of Jupiter, and he enjoys in Olympus the happiness he owes to his foresight410 and to his love of mankind. Nothing will ever happen to change his happy fate.”
Apollodorus asked him:
“Who then, according to you, Gallio, shall inherit the thunder which sets the world a-quaking?”
“Although it may seem audacious to answer this question,” replied Gallio, “I think I am competent to do so, and to name Jove’s successor.”
As he spoke, an officer of the basilica, whose duty it was to call cases, approached him, and informed him that some suitors were waiting for him in court.
“It is a most petty case, Gallio,” replied the officer of the basilica. “A man from the harbour of Cenchre? has just dragged a stranger before your tribunal. They are both Jews and of humble413 condition. They are quarrelling over some barbarian custom or some gross superstition414, as is the wont of Syrians. Here is the minute of their case. It is all Punic to the clerk who wrote it.
“The plaintiff sets forth97, Gallio, that he is the head of the assembly of the Jews or, as one says in Greek, of the synagogue, and he begs justice of you against a man from Tarsus, who, recently settled at Cenchre?, goes every Saturday to the synagogue, for the purpose of speaking against the Jewish law. ‘It is a scandal and an abomination, which thou shalt put an end to,’ says the plaintiff, and he clamours for the integrity of the privileges belonging to the children of Israel. The defendant415 claims for all those who believe his teachings adoption416 and incorporation417 into the family of a man named Abraham, and he threatens the plaintiff with the divine ire. You see, Gallio, that the case is a petty and ambiguous one. It rests with you to decide whether you will take the case yourself, or whether you will leave it to be judged by a lesser magistrate20.”
“I make it my duty,” he said in response to their prayers, “to follow in this respect the rules laid down by the divine Augustus. I must therefore try personally, not only important cases, but also smaller ones, when the jurisprudence concerning them has not been determined. Certain light cases recur419 daily and are of importance, if only for their frequency. It is meet that I should personally try one of each class. A judgment420 rendered by a proconsul serves as an example, and establishes a precedent421 in law.”
“You deserve praise, Gallio,” said Lollius, “for the zeal304 you display in the fulfilment of your consular422 duties. But, acquainted as I am with your wisdom, I doubt whether it is agreeable for you to render justice. That which men honour with this title is really an administration of base prudence and of cruel revenge. Human laws are the daughters of fear and anger.”
Gallio protested feebly against this definition. He did not admit that human laws bore the character of real justice, saying:
“The punishment of crime consists in its commission. The penalty added thereto by the laws is superfluous423, and does not fit the crime. However, since through the fault of mankind laws there are, we should apply them equitably424.”
Thereupon he told the officer of the court that he would proceed to the tribunal very shortly, and, turning towards his friends, he said:
“To speak truly, I have a special reason for looking into this case with my own eyes. I must not neglect any opportunity of keeping an eye on these Jews of Cenchre?, a turbulent, rancorous race, which shows contempt for the laws, and which it is not easy to hold in check. If ever the peace of Corinth should be troubled, it will be by them. This port, where all the ships of the East come to anchor, conceals425 amid a congested mass of warehouses and taverns426, a countless427 horde315 of thieves, eunuchs, soothsayers, sorcerers, lepers, desecraters of graves, and assassins. It is the haunt of every abomination and of every form of superstition. Isis, Eschmoun, the Ph?nician Venus, and the god of the Jews, are all worshipped there. I am alarmed at seeing those unclean Jews multiply, rather in the way of fishes than in that of mankind. They swarm428 about the miry streets of the harbour like crabs429 under the rocks.”
“What is more dreadful is that they infest430 Rome to a like extent,” exclaimed Lucius Cassius. “To great Pompey’s own door must be laid the crime of introducing this plague of leprosy into the City. He it was who committed the wrong of not treating as did our ancestors the prisoners he brought from Jud?a for his triumphal entry into the City, and they have peopled the right bank of the Tiber with their base spawn431. Dwelling about the base of the Janiculum, amid the tanneries, the gut-works, and the fermenting-troughs, in the suburbs whither flock all the abominations and horrors of the world, they earn their livelihood at the vilest432 of trades, unloading lighters433, selling rags and refuse, and exchanging matches for broken glasses. Their women tell fortunes in the houses of the wealthy; their children beg from the frequenters of Egeria’s groves. As you rightly said, Gallio, hostile to the human race and to themselves, they are ever fomenting434 sedition436. A few years back, the followers437 of a certain Chrestus or Cherestus raised bloody438 riots among the Jews. The Porta Portuensis was put to fire and sword, and C?sar was compelled to exercise severe repression439, in spite of his forbearance. He expelled from Rome the leaders of the movement.”
“Full well do I know it,” said Gallio. “Several of these exiles came to Cenchre?, among others a Jew and a Jewess from the Pontus, who still dwell there, following some humble trade. I believe that they weave the coarse stuffs of Cilicia. I have not learnt anything noteworthy in regard to the partisans440 of Chrestus. As to Chrestus himself, I am ignorant of what has become of him, and whether he is still of this world.”
“I am as ignorant on this score as you are, Gallio,” resumed Lucius Cassius, “and no one will ever know it. These vile214 wretches do not so much as attain celebrity441 in the annals of crime. Moreover, there are so many slaves of the name of Chrestus that it would be no easy matter to distinguish a particular one amid the throng442.
“It is but a trifling443 matter that the Jews should cause tumult444 within the low purlieus where their number and their lowliness protect them from supervision445. They swarm through the city, they ingratiate themselves into families, and are everywhere a source of trouble. They shout in the Forum on behalf of the agitators446 who pay them, and these despicable foreigners incite241 the citizens to a hatred447 of one another. Too long have we endured their presence in popular assemblages, and for a long time now have public speakers avoided running counter to the opinion of these wretches, for fear of their insults. Obstinate448 in the observance of their barbarian law, they wish to subject others to it, and they find adepts449 among the Asiatics, and even among the Greeks. And, what is hardly to be credited, they impose their customs on the Latins themselves. There are, in the City, whole quarters where all the shops are closed on their Sabbath day. Oh the shame of Rome! And, while corrupting450 the lowly folk among whom they dwell, their kings, admitted into C?sar’s palace, insolently451 practise their superstitions452, and set to all citizens a detestable and noted453 example. Thus do the Jews inoculate454 Italy on all sides with an oriental venom455.”
Ann?us Mela, who had travelled over the whole of the Roman world, sought to make his friends realise the extent of the evil they deplored.
“The Jews corrupt401 the whole world,” he said. “There is not a Greek city, there are hardly any barbarian towns where work does not cease on the seventh day, where lamps are not lit, where their keeping of fast-days is not followed, and where the abstaining456 from the flesh of certain animals is not observed in imitation of them.
“I have met in Alexandria an aged Jew not lacking in intelligence, who was even versed in Greek literature. He rejoiced at the progress of his religion in the Empire. ‘In proportion to the knowledge foreigners acquire of our laws,’ he told me, ‘do they find them pleasant, and they conform readily to them, both Romans and Greeks, those who dwell on the mainland and the people of the isles457, Eastern and Western nations, Europe and Asia.’ The ancient one spoke perhaps with some degree of exaggeration. Still one sees a number of Greeks yielding to the beliefs of the Jews.”
Apollodorus sharply denied such to be the case.
“The Greeks who judaise,” he said, “are not to be met with except amid the dregs of the populace, and among the barbarians wandering about Greece, as brigands458 and tramps. The followers of the Stammerer459 may, however, have persuaded some few ignorant Greeks, by inducing them to believe that the ideas of Plato are to be found in the Hebrew scriptures460. Such is the lie which they strive to spread.”
“It is a fact,” replied Gallio, “that the Jews recognise an only, invisible, almighty461 god, who has created the earth. But they are far from worshipping him with wisdom. They publicly proclaim that this god is the enemy of all that is not Jewish, and that he will not tolerate in his temple either the effigies462 of the other gods, or the statue of C?sar, or his own images. They regard as impious those who fashion out of perishable463 matter a god the image of man. Various reasons, some of them good and in harmony with the ideas which we conceive in regard to the divine providence, are adduced why this god should not be given expression to in marble or in bronze. But what can be thought, dear Apollodorus, of a god sufficiently464 inimical to the Republic that he will not admit in his sanctuary the statues of the Prince? How conceive a god who takes offence at the honours rendered to other gods? And what opinion can one have of a nation which credits its gods with like sentiments! The Jews look upon the gods of the Latins, Greeks and Barbarians as hostile gods, and they carry superstition to the point of believing that they possess a full and complete knowledge of God, one to which nothing can be added, and from which nothing can be subtracted.
“As you are aware, my dear friends, it is not sufficient to tolerate every religion; we should honour them all, believe that all are sacred, that they are all coequal in the sincerity465 of those professing466 them, and that similar to arrows shot from various points towards the same goal, they all meet in the bosom of God. Alone the religion which only tolerates itself, cannot be endured. Were it to be permitted to spread, it would absorb all others. Nay, so unsociable a religion is not a religion, but rather an abligion, and no longer a bond that unites pious381 men, but one severing467 that sacred bond. It is the most impious of things. Can, indeed, a greater insult be offered to the deity468 than to worship it under a particular form, while at one and the same time dooming469 it to execration under all the other forms it assumes in the eyes of men?
“What! Because I sacrifice to Jupiter crowned with a bushel, I am to forbid a foreigner from sacrificing to a Jupiter whose head of hair, similar to the flower of the hyacinth, drops uncrowned over his shoulders; and that, impious man that I should be, I should still consider myself a worshipper of Jupiter! No, by all means no! The religious man bound to the immortal gods is equally bound to all men by the religion which embraces both the earth and the heavens. Odious470 is the error of the Jews who believe they are pious in that they worship their god alone!”
“They suffer themselves to be circumcised in his honour,” spoke Ann?us Mela. “In order that this mutilation should not be noticed, it is necessary, when frequenting the public baths, for them to conceal53 that which should neither be made a display of, nor covered as a thing of shame. For it is alike ridiculous for a man to pride himself on, or to be ashamed of, what he shares in common with all men. We have good cause to dread, my friends, the progress of Judaic customs in the Empire. There is, however, no cause to fear that Romans and Greeks will adopt circumcision. It passes belief that this custom is likely to make its way among the Barbarians who, however, would feel the disgrace of it to a lesser degree, since they are, for the greater part, absurd enough to reckon as disgraceful for a man to appear before his fellow men in a state of nudity.”
“While I think of it!” exclaimed Lollius. “When our gentle Canidia, the flower of the matrons of the Esquiline, sends her beautiful slaves to the hot baths, she compels them to wear drawers, as she grudges471 everybody even a view of what is most dear to her about their bodies. By Pollux, she will be the cause of their being taken for Jews, an insulting supposition, even for a slave.”
Lucius Cassius resumed, revealing the irritation472 which consumed him:
“I cannot say whether the Jewish folly will overtake the whole world. But it is past endurance that this madness should spread among the ignorant, that it should be tolerated in the Empire, that this f?tid race, which has descended to every form of turpitude473, absurd and sordid474 in its manners and customs, impious and villainous in its laws, and execrated475 by the immortal gods, should be suffered to exist. The obscene Syrian is corrupting the City of Rome. We have cast aside with contempt our ancient usages, and the salutary methods of discipline of our ancestors. We no longer serve these masters of the earth, who conquered it for us. Which of us still believes in the haruspices? Who is there with any respect for the augurs? Who shows reverence to Mars and the divine Twins? Oh the sad neglect of our religious duties! Italy has repudiated477 her indigenous478 gods, and her tutelary genii. She is henceforth on all sides at the mercy of foreign superstitions, and is handed over defenceless to the impure479 horde of oriental priests. Alas480, did Rome conquer the world only to be conquered by the Jews? Warnings have assuredly not been lacking. The overflowing481 of the Tiber and the grain famine are certainly not doubtful manifestations of the divine ire. No day passes without its sinister482 presage483. The earth quakes, the sun is veiled, while lightning flashes in a clear sky. Wonders follow upon wonders. Birds of ill omen have been seen to perch324 on the summit of the Capitol. An ox has been heard to speak on the Etruscan shore. Women have brought forth monsters; a wailing484 voice has sounded amid the recreations of the theatre. The statue of Victory has dropped the reins485 of her chariot.”
“The hosts of the celestial palaces,” remarked Lollius, “have strange ways of making themselves heard. If they desire a little more incense486, or sigh for a few more fat offerings, let them say so plainly, instead of expressing their wishes by means of thunder, clouds, crows, bronze statues, and two-headed children. Moreover, you must admit, Lucius, theirs is a far too one-sided part when they presage the evils threatening us, since, in the natural course of things, not a day goes by but what brings some individual or public misfortune.”
Gallio exhibited distress at the sorrows of Cassius.
“Claudius,” he remarked, “Claudius, although he is always dozing487, has deeply felt this great peril488. He has complained to the Senate of the contempt into which ancient usages have been suffered to fall. Alarmed at the progress of foreign superstitions, the Senate has, on his recommendation, re-established haruspices. But it is not sufficient that the observance of the ceremonial rites of worship should be restored; rather is it necessary once more to instil489 into men’s hearts their primitive490 purity. The souls of virtuous men constitute the proper shrine491 of the gods in this world. Give a home within your hearts to past virtues once more, simplicity492, good faith, love of the public welfare, and the gods will immediately re-enter them. You shall then yourselves be temples and altars.”
He spoke, and, taking leave of his friends, entered his litter, which, for some little time past, had been awaiting him near a clump493 of myrtle-bushes to convey him to the tribunal.
His friends had risen from their seats, and leaving the grounds, followed leisurely494 behind him under a double portico, so disposed as to afford shadow at all hours of the day, and leading from the walls of the villa to the basilica where the proconsul dispensed495 justice.
By the way, Lucius Cassius expressed to Mela his regret at the oblivion into which the ancient methods of discipline had fallen.
Marcus Lollius, placing a hand on the shoulder of Apollodorus, said:
“It seems to me that neither our gentle Gallio nor Mela, nor even Cassius, have stated their reasons for their deep hatred of the Jews. I think I know, and I am going to tell you, most dear Apollodorus. The Romans who offer up to the gods a white sow ornamented with white bands, execrate476 the Jews who refuse to partake of pork. It is not in vain that the fates sent to the pious ?neas a white female boar as a presage. Had the gods not studded with oaks the wild realms of Evander and Turnus, Rome would not be to-day the mistress of the world. The acorns496 of Latium fattened497 the swine whose flesh has alone appeased498 the insatiable hunger of the magnanimous descendants of Remus. Our Italians, whose bodies are built on boars and pigs, feel offended at the proud abstinence of the Jews, who persist in casting aside as unclean victuals499 the fat sounders, beloved of old Cato, which furnish food to the masters of the Universe.”
Thus discoursing pleasantly, and enjoying the kindly shade, the four friends reached the furthermost end of the portico, when of a sudden the Forum appeared before them in a glitter of light.
At that early hour, it was all astir with the coming and going of noisy crowds. In the centre of the square stood a bronze Minerva on a pedestal on which were sculptured the Muses500, and to the right and to the left stood a Mercury and a bronze Apollo, the work of Hermogenes of Cythera. A Neptune with a green beard arose from the centre of a basin. At the feet of the god, a dolphin vomited501 forth water.
The Forum was surrounded in all directions by monuments, the high columns and the arches of which revealed the Roman style of architecture. Facing the portico by way of which Mela and his friends had come, the Propyl?, surmounted502 by two gilded chariots, formed the boundary of the public square, and led, by way of marble steps, to the broad and straight road of the harbour of Lech?um. On either side of these heroic gates rose in kingly fashion the painted pediments of the sanctuaries503, the Pantheon, and the temple of Artemis of Ephesus. The temple of Octavia, the sister of Augustus, dominated the Forum, and looked upon the sea.
Between it and the basilica ran an insignificant504 little street. The building rose over two stories of arcades505 supported by pillars flanked with Doric half-columns forming a square. The Roman style, which stamped its character upon all the other buildings of the city, was patent. There remained of the pristine Corinth nothing but the calcined ruins of an old temple.
The lower arcades of the basilica were open and served as shops to sellers of fruit, vegetables, oil, wine and fried foods, to bird-fanciers, jewellers, booksellers, and barbers. Money-changers sat at little tables laden with gold and silver coins. From the gloomy hollow of these stalls emerged shouts, laughter, hailings, the noise of disputes, and pungent506 odours. On the marble steps, wherever their slabs507 were tinted508 blue by the shade, loafers shook dice259 or tossed knuckle-bones, suitors paced to and fro with anxious mien509, sailors gravely looked for the pleasures upon which they should squander510 their wages, while quidnuncs read news from Rome written for them by frivolous511 Greeks. Blended with this crowd of Corinthians and foreigners, numerous blind beggars persistently512 obtruded513 themselves, as well as callow and rouged514 youths, matchsellers and crippled sailors from whose necks depended a picture of the wreck88 of their ships. Doves flew in flocks from the roof of the basilica down to the large open spaces on which the sun shone, and picked up grain between the cracks of the heated flagstones.
A girl of twelve, dark and velvety515 as a pansy of Xanthus, placed on the ground her little brother, as yet unable to walk, put beside him a chipped bowl filled with porridge and a wooden spoon, saying to him:
“Eat, Comatas, eat and keep quiet, or that red horse will have you.”
Then, holding an obolus in her hand, she ran towards the fish-dealer, whose wrinkled face and naked breast, the colour of saffron, appeared amid baskets lined with seaweed.
While she was thus engaged, a dove hovering516 about the little Comatas got its talons517 entangled518 in the child’s locks. The boy began to cry, and to call his sister to his help, screaming in a voice choked with sobs519:
“Joessa! Joessa!”
But Joessa heard him not. She was rummaging520 in the old man’s baskets, amid the fish and the shell-fish, for something that would improve the taste of her stale bread. Naturally she did not pick out a peacock-fish or a smaris, whose flesh is most delicate, but which cost money. She brought away in the hollow of her gown, which she had tucked up, three handfuls of sea-urchins and sticklebacks.
“Joessa! Joessa!”
Unlike Jove’s eagle, the bird of Venus did not carry off little Comatas into the glorious skies. It left him on the earth, taking with it in its flight, between its pink talons, three golden hairs from his matted locks.
The child, with cheeks glistening522 with tears and begrimed with dust, clenching523 his wooden spoon in his tiny fists, was sobbing524 beside his overturned bowl.
Ann?us Mela, followed by his three friends, had reached the top of the basilica’s steps. Alike heedless of the noise and stir of the idle multitude, he was imparting information to Cassius in regard to the future renovation525 of the universe.
“On a day determined by the gods,” he said, “the things existing to-day, whose order and disposition claim our attention, will be destroyed. Stars will clash with stars, all matters composing the earth, the air, and the waters will be consumed in one conflagration. Human souls, imperceptible débris amid the universal destruction, will be resolved anew into their primitive elements. An entirely new world....”
As he uttered the words, Ann?us Mela stumbled against a sleeper526 stretched out in the shade. It was an old man who had artistically527 gathered about his dust-covered body the ragged412 remnants of his cloak. His wallet, his sandals, and his stick lay beside him.
The proconsul’s brother, ever courteous528 and kindly, even to men of the lowliest class, was about to apologise, but the recumbent individual did not allow him time to do so.
“Try and see where you put your feet, you brute,” he exclaimed, “and give alms to the philosopher Posocharis.”
“I perceive a wallet and a stick,” smilingly replied the Roman, “but so far I do not see any philosopher.”
Just as he was about to toss a piece of silver to Posocharis, Apollodorus stayed his hand, saying:
“Do not give him anything, Ann?us. It is not a philosopher; nay, not even a man.”
“But I am one,” replied Mela, “if I give him money, and he is a man if he takes this coin. For, alone among all animals, man does both these things. And can you not see that for the sake of a small coin I satisfy myself that I am a better man than he? Your master teaches that he who gives is better than he who receives.”
Posocharis took the coin. Then he hurled529 coarse invectives at Ann?us Mela and his companions, stigmatising them as arrogant530 and as debauchees, and referring them to the jugglers and harlots who walked past them with undulating hips67. Then, baring to the navel his hairy body, and drawing over his face his tattered531 cloak, he once more stretched himself out at full length on the pavement.
“Would it not interest you,” asked Lollius of his companions, “to hear those Jews expound376 their dispute in the pr?torium?”
They replied that they entertained no such curiosity, preferring to stroll under the portico, while waiting for the proconsul, who would doubtless not be long in coming out.
“I am with you, my friends,” said Lollius. “We shall not miss anything very interesting.”
“Moreover,” he went on to say, “the Jews who have come from Cenchre? to accompany the suitors are not all in the basilica. Here comes one who is recognisable by his beaked532 nose and his forked beard. He is in as fine a state of frenzy533 as Pythia herself.”
Lollius was pointing with both look and finger at a lean stranger, poorly clad, who was vociferating under the portico, in the midst of a railing mob.
“Men of Corinth, you place a vain trust in your wisdom, which is naught534 but madness. You follow blindly the precepts535 of your philosophers who teach you death, and not life. You do not observe the natural law, and in order to punish you, God has delivered you unto unnatural536 vices....”
A sailor, who had just joined the group of spectators, recognised the man, for, with a shrug537 of the shoulders, he muttered:
“Why, ’tis Stephanas, the Jew of Cenchre?, who brings once more some extraordinary piece of news from his trip to the skies, into which he ascended538, if we are to credit him.”
And Stephanas was teaching the people.
“The Christian539 is not bound by law and concupiscence. He is exempt from damnation through the mercy of God, who sent his only son to assume a sinful body, in order to destroy sin. But ye shall only be delivered if, breaking with the flesh, you live according to the spirit.
“The Jews observe the laws, and believe that they are saved by their works. But it is their faith which saves them, and not their works. Of what use is it to them to be circumcised in fact, if their heart is uncircumcised?
“Men of Corinth, glory in the faith, and ye shall be incorporated into the family of Abraham.”
The mob was beginning to laugh and jeer540 at these obscure utterances. Still the Jew continued prophesying541 in hollow tones. He was announcing a great manifestation345 of wrath543 and the all-destroying fire which was to consume the earth.
“And these things shall come to pass in my lifetime,” he cried, “and I shall witness them with mine own eyes. The hour has come for us to awaken544 from our sleep. The night has passed, and the day is dawning. The Saints will rejoice in Heaven, and those who have not believed in Jesus crucified shall perish.”
Then, promising545 the resurrection of the body, he invoked546 Anastasis, amid the jeers547 of the hilarious548 crowd.
Just then, a leather-lunged man, Milo the baker549, a member of the Corinthian Senate, who for some time past had been listening to the Jew with impatience, came up to him, took him by the arm, and shaking him roughly said:
“Cease, you wretch256, spouting550 idle words. All this is children’s fables and nonsense fit to capture a woman’s mind. How canst thou, on the strength of thy dreams, indulge in such foolery, casting aside all that is beautiful, and taking pleasure in what is evil only, without even deriving551 any advantage from thy hatred? Renounce552 your strange phantasies, your perverse553 designs, your gloomy forebodings, lest a god abandon you to the crows, to punish you for your imprecations against this city and the Empire.”
The citizens applauded Milo’s speech.
“He speaks truly,” they shouted. “Those Syrians have but one design: they seek to weaken our fatherland. They are the enemies of C?sar.”
A number of them abstracted from the fruiterers’ stalls gourds554 and locust-beans, others picked up oyster-shells, and flung them at the apostle, who was still vaticinating.
Thrown down the steps of the portico, he wended his way through the Forum, shouting, amid a storm of hooting555, insults, and blows, pelted556 with dirt, bleeding, and half naked:
The children pursued him on the Cenchre? road, yelling.
“Anastasis! Anastasis!”
Posocharis was not sleeping. Hardly had the friends of the proconsul gone away, when he raised himself upon his elbow. Seated on a step, a short distance from him, the swarthy Joessa was crunching559 between her teeth the shell of a sea-urchin. The cynic hailed her and showed her the glittering piece of silver he had just received. Then, having readjusted his rags and tatters, he rose, slipped his feet into his sandals, picked up his stick and wallet, and went down the steps. Joessa went up to him, relieved him of his wallet full of holes, which she gravely placed on her shoulder, as if to carry it as an offering to the august Cypris, and followed the old man.
Apollodorus saw them taking the Cenchre? road with the object of reaching the cemetery560 of the slaves, and the place of execution conspicuous561 from afar by the swarms562 of crows which hovered563 over the crosses. The philosopher and the young girl knew there a clump of arbutus always deserted564, and favourable565 to dalliance with Eros.
At the sight of this, Apollodorus, pulling Mela by the flap of his toga, remarked:
“Just look. No sooner has that cur received your alms than he decoys a child, in order to mate with her.”
“Which goes to prove,” answered Mela, “that I gave money to the kind of man who knows full well what to do with it.”
Meanwhile, the brat566 Comatas, squatting567 on the heated flagstone and sucking his thumbs, was laughing at the sight of a pebble568 glistening in the sun.
“Besides,” resumed Mela, “you must admit, Apollodorus, that the way in which Posocharis makes love is not a bit philosophical569. The dog is assuredly wiser than our young debauchees of the Palatine, who love amid perfumes, tears, and laughter, with languor570 or with passion...”
As he spoke, a hoarse571 clamour arose in the pr?torium, deafening572 to the ears of the Greek and the three Romans.
“By Pollux!” exclaimed Lollius, “the suitors whose case our friend Gallio is trying are shouting like dockers, and it seems to me that together with their growls573 a stench of sweat and onions reaches us.”
“Nothing is more true,” quoth Apollodorus. “But, were Posocharis a philosopher instead of the dog he is, far from sacrificing to the Venus of the cross-roads, he would flee from the whole breed of women, and attach himself solely to some youth, whose eternal comeliness he would contemplate574 merely as the expression of an inner beauty more noble and more precious.”
“Love,” resumed Mela, “is an abject575 passion. It disturbs the reason, destroys noble impulses, and diverts the most elevated ideas to the vilest cares. It has no place in a sensible mind. As the poet Euripides teaches us....”
Mela did not finish his sentence. Preceded by lictors, who pushed the crowd aside, the proconsul came out of the basilica, and went up to his friends.
“I have not been away from you long,” he said. “The case which I was summoned to try was as meagre as could be, and ridiculous in the extreme. On entering the pr?torium, I found it invaded by a motley crowd of the Jews who, in their sordid shops along the wharves576 of the harbour of Cenchre?, sell carpets, stuffs, and petty articles of silver and gold jewellery to the sailors. The atmosphere was filled with their shrill577 yelping578, and with a pungent odour of goat. It was with difficulty that I could grasp the meaning of their words, and it cost me an effort to understand that one of those Jews, Sosthenes by name, who styled himself the chief of the synagogue, was charging with impiety another Jew, the latter, repulsively579 ugly, bandy-legged, and blear-eyed, and named Paul or Saul, a native of Tarsus, who has for some time past been exercising in Corinth his trade of weaver580, and has gone into partnership581 with certain Jews expelled from Rome, for the weaving of tent-cloths and Cilician garments in goat-hair. They all spoke at once, and in very bad Greek. I made out, however, that this Sosthenes imputed582 as a crime to this Paul that he had entered the house wherein the Jews of Corinth are in the habit of meeting every Saturday, and had spoken with the object of seducing583 his co-religionists, and of persuading them to worship their god in a fashion contrary to their law. I had heard enough. So having, not without difficulty, silenced them, I informed them that had they come to me to complain of some matter of wrong or of some deed of violence wherefrom they might have suffered injury, I should have listened to them with patience, and with all the necessary attention; but, since their case turned simply upon a question of words, and a disagreement in regard to their law, it concerned me not, and that I could not be judge of such matters. I thereupon dismissed them with these words: ‘Settle your quarrels among yourselves, as best you see fit.’”
“What did they say to that?” asked Cassius. “Did they submit with good grace to so wise a decision?”
“It is not in the nature of brutes584,” replied the proconsul, “to relish585 wisdom. Those fellows greeted my decision with harsh murmurings of which, as you may well imagine, I took no notice. I left them shouting and struggling at the foot of the tribunal. From what I could see, most of the blows fell to the plaintiff. He will be left for dead, if my lictors do not interfere586. These Jews from the harbour are great ignoramuses, and like most ignorant people, not enjoying the faculty587 of supporting with arguments the truth of what they believe, they know no other argument than kicks and fisticuffs.
“The friends of that little deformed588 and blear-eyed Jew named Paul seem to be particularly clever at that kind of controversy589. Ye gods! How they got the better of the chief of the synagogue, raining blows on him, and trampling590 him under their feet! But I do not doubt that had the friends of Sosthenes been the stronger of the two parties, they would have treated Paul as the friends of Paul treated Sosthenes.”
Mela congratulated the proconsul.
“Could I do otherwise?” replied Gallio. “How could I have decided592 between that Sosthenes and that Paul who are the one as stupid and as rabid as the other?... If I treat them with contempt, do not, my friends, think that is because they are poor and humble, because Sosthenes reeks6 of salted fish, or for the reason that Paul’s fingers have become worn in weaving carpets and tent-cloth. No, Philemon and Baucis were poor, yet worthy of the highest honours. The gods did not disdain593 being entertained at their frugal594 board. Wisdom raises a slave above his master. Nay, a virtuous slave is superior to the gods. If he is their equal in wisdom, he surpasses them in the beauty of the accomplishment595. Those Jews are to be despised simply because they are boorish596, and that no image of the divinity is reflected in them.”
A smile overspread the countenance of Marcus Lollius at these word.
“Truly, the gods,” he said, “would hardly frequent the Syrians who infest the harbours, amid the sellers of fruit and the strumpets.”
“The Barbarians themselves,” resumed the proconsul, “possess some knowledge of the gods. Not to mention the Egyptians, who, in the olden days, were men filled with piety, there is not in wealthy Asia a nation which has not worshipped Diana, Vulcan, Juno, or the mother of the ?ne?des. They give these divinities strange names, confused forms, and sometimes offer up to them human sacrifices, but they recognise their power. Alone are the Jews ignorant of the providence of the gods. I know not whether that Paul, whom the Syrians also call Saul, is as superstitious597 as the others, and as obstinate in his errors. I know not what obscure idea he conceives of the immortal gods, and to tell the truth, I am not concerned to know it. What is there to be learned of those who know nothing! It amounts, to put it plainly, to educating oneself in ignorance. I gathered from some of his confused expressions in my presence and in reply to his accuser, that he joins issue with the priests of his nation, that he repudiates598 the religion of the Jews, and that he worships Orpheus under an assumed name which has escaped me. What makes me suppose this, is that he speaks with respect of a god, or rather of a hero, who is supposed to have descended into Hades, and to have reascended into the heavens, after having wandered among the pallid599 shades of the dead. He may perhaps have set himself to worship some subterranean600 Mercury. I should, however, feel more inclined to believe that he worships Adonis, for I think I heard him say that, following in the steps of the women of Byblos, he wept over the sufferings and the death of a god.
“These youthful gods, who die and come to life again, abound261 on Asiatic soil. The Syrian courtesans have brought several of them to Rome, and these celestial youths please, more than is proper, our respectable women. Our matrons do not blush to celebrate their mysterious rites in private. My Julia, so prudent and so self-contained, has repeatedly asked me how much should be believed of them. ‘What kind of a god,’ have I answered her with indignation, ‘what can be the god who takes delight in the stealthy homage601 of a married dame277? A woman should know no other friends than those of her husband. And do not the gods stand first in order among our friends?’”
“Does not this man of Tarsus,” inquired the philosopher Apollodorus, “pay reverence rather to Typhon, whom the Egyptians call Sethon? It is said that a god with an ass’s head is shown honour by a certain Jewish sect. This god can be no other than Typhon, and I should not be surprised if the weavers602 of Cenchre? held a secret intercourse with the Immortal, who, according to our gentle Marcus, committed so disgusting an outrage on the old woman who sold cakes.”
“I know not,” resumed Gallio. “They do indeed say that a number of Syrians meet to celebrate in secret the worship of a god with a donkey’s head. It may be that Paul is one of them. But what matters the Adonis, the Mercury, the Orpheus, or the Typhon of that Jew? He will never reign over any but the female fortune-tellers, the usurers, and the sordid traders who spoil the sailors in seaports603. At the very utmost will he be able to win over, in the suburbs of the big cities, a few handfuls of slaves.”
“Oho! Oho!” exclaimed Marcus Lollius in an outburst of laughter, “can you see that hideous604 Paul founding a religion of slaves? By Castor, it would indeed be a miraculous605 novelty! Should perchance the god of the slaves (may Jove avert606 the omen!) climb up into Olympus and expel therefrom the gods of the empire, what would he do in turn? In what way would he exercise his power over the astonished world? I should enjoy seeing him at work. He would no doubt keep up the Saturnalia during the entire course of the year. He would open to gladiators the road to the highest honours, establish the prostitutes of the Suburra in the temple of Vesta, and perhaps make of some wretched straggling village in Syria the capital of the world.”
Lollius might have followed up his jest for some time had Gallio not interrupted him.
“Marcus,” he said, “do not entertain the hope of witnessing these marvellous novelties. Although men are capable of stupendous acts of folly, it is not a little Jew weaver who could seduce607 them with his bad Greek and his tales about a Syrian Orpheus. The slaves’ god could but foment435 uprisings and servile wars, which would be promptly put down in blood, and he would soon perish himself, together with his worshippers, in an amphitheatre, under the teeth of wild beasts, to the plaudits of the Roman people.
“Enough of Paul and Sosthenes. Their mind would not be of any help to us in the quest we were engaged upon ere they so untowardly608 interrupted us. We were seeking to know the future the gods have in store for us, not for you, dear friends, or for me in particular (for we are prepared to endure all that is to be), but for the fatherland and for the human race which we love and towards which we feel kindly. It is not that Jew weaver, with his inflamed609 eyelids610, who could tell us, whatever Marcus may think, the name of the god who is to dethrone Jupiter.”
Gallio broke off his speech to dismiss the lictors, who stood motionless in line before him, shouldering their fasces.
“We require neither the rods nor the axes,” he remarked with a smile. “Speech is our only weapon. May the day come when the universe shall know no others. If you are not tired, my friends, let us walk towards the Pirene fountain. We shall find midway an old fig-tree under which, so it is related, the betrayed Medea meditated611 her cruel revenge. The Corinthians hold the tree in reverence, in memory of that jealous queen, and suspend votive tablets from its branches, for Medea never brought them but good. It has cleft613 the earth with its branches, which have thrown out roots, and it is still crowned with a luxuriant foliage. Seated in its shade, we can while away time with conversation till our bath-hour.”
The children, weary of pursuing Stephanas, were playing at knuckle-bones by the roadside. The apostle was striding along rapidly, when he came across, near the place of execution, a band of Jews, who had come up from Cenchre? to ascertain614 the judgment rendered by the proconsul in regard to the synagogue. They were friends of Sosthenes, and were greatly irritated against the Jew of Tarsus and his adherents615 because they sought to change the law. Noticing the man, who was wiping with his sleeve his eyes blinded with blood, they thought they recognised him, and one of them, pulling him by the beard, asked him if he were not Stephanas, the companion of Paul.
Proudly he answered:
He was quickly thrown to the ground, and trampled617 under foot. The Jews were picking up stones and shouting:
“He is a blasphemer! Stone him!”
A couple of the most zealous tore up the milestone618 sunk by the Romans, and were endeavouring to heave it at him. The stones fell with a dull thud on the skinny bones of the apostle, who yelled:
“Oh the delight of these wounds! Oh the joy of these sufferings! Oh the refreshment619 of this torture! I behold Jesus.”
A few steps farther off, under an arbutus, and to the murmurings of a spring, old Posocharis was pressing in his arms the smooth flanks of Joessa. Annoyed at the disturbance620, he growled621 with a choking voice, with head buried in the hair of the young girl:
“Begone, you low brutes, and do not trouble a philosopher’s pastime.”
After a few minutes, a centurion622 who was passing along the now deserted road, raised Stephanas from the ground, made him swallow a mouthful of wine, and gave him linen wherewith to bandage his wounds.
While this was going on, Gallio, sitting with his friends under Medea’s tree, was saying:
“If you wish to know the successor of the master of gods and men, meditate612 the words of the poet:
“This line designates, not the august Juno, but the most illustrious among the noble women with whom consorted624 the Olympian who so often changed his form and his loves. It seems to me assured that the government of the universe is to fall to the lot of Hercules. This opinion has long since taken root in my mind, by reasons derived not only from the poets, but from philosophers and men of science. I have, so to speak, greeted by anticipation625 the accession of the son of Alcmene, in the climax626 of my tragedy of Hercules on ?ta, ending with the following words:
“‘Hail, great conqueror627 of monsters, and pacifier of the world; be propitious628 unto us! Cast thy gaze upon the earth, and if some monster of a new kind strike terror into mankind, destroy it with a thunderbolt. Better than thy father wilt629 thou know how to hurl252 thunder.’
“I augur248 favourably630 of the coming reign of Hercules. During his life upon earth, he displayed a spirit patient and inclined to elevated thoughts. When the time comes for thunder to arm his hand, he will not suffer a new Caius to govern the Empire with impunity631. Virtue, ancient simplicity, courage, innocence632, and peace will reign with him. Thus do I prophesy542.”
And Gallio, having risen, took leave of his friends with these words:
“Fare ye well, and love me.”
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1
consul
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| n.领事；执政官 | |
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2
knightly
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| adj. 骑士般的 adv. 骑士般地 | |
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knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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chaste
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| adj.贞洁的；有道德的；善良的；简朴的 | |
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veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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reeks
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| n.恶臭( reek的名词复数 )v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的第三人称单数 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象） | |
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ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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aspiration
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| n.志向，志趣抱负；渴望；(语)送气音；吸出 | |
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10
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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omen
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| n.征兆，预兆；vt.预示 | |
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12
aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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execration
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| n.诅咒，念咒，憎恶 | |
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16
cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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consecration
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| n.供献，奉献，献祭仪式 | |
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18
conscientious
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| adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的 | |
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magistrates
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| 地方法官，治安官( magistrate的名词复数 ) | |
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magistrate
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| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
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21
functionaries
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| n.公职人员，官员( functionary的名词复数 ) | |
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22
impartial
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| adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的 | |
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humane
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| adj.人道的，富有同情心的 | |
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entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25
despoiled
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| v.掠夺，抢劫( despoil的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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26
pristine
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| adj.原来的，古时的，原始的，纯净的，无垢的 | |
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27
tranquillity
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| n. 平静, 安静 | |
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tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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30
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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31
reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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32
infamous
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| adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的 | |
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rabble
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| n.乌合之众，暴民；下等人 | |
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34
equitable
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| adj.公平的；公正的 | |
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35
dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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36
meritorious
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| adj.值得赞赏的 | |
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37
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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38
densely
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| ad.密集地；浓厚地 | |
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39
villa
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| n.别墅，城郊小屋 | |
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40
embellished
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| v.美化( embellish的过去式和过去分词 )；装饰；修饰；润色 | |
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41
consuls
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| 领事( consul的名词复数 )； （古罗马共和国时期）执政官 （古罗马共和国及其军队的最高首长，同时共有两位，每年选举一次） | |
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42
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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43
groves
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| 树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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44
spacious
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| adj.广阔的，宽敞的 | |
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45
mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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46
ornamented
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| adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47
alcoves
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| n.凹室( alcove的名词复数 )；（花园）凉亭；僻静处；壁龛 | |
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48
consecrated
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| adj.神圣的，被视为神圣的v.把…奉为神圣，给…祝圣( consecrate的过去式和过去分词 )；奉献 | |
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49
discoursing
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| 演说（discourse的现在分词形式） | |
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50
vicissitudes
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| n.变迁，世事变化；变迁兴衰( vicissitude的名词复数 )；盛衰兴废 | |
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51
hazy
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| adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的 | |
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52
isthmus
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| n.地峡 | |
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53
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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54
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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55
sanctuary
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| n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区 | |
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56
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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57
quiescent
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| adj.静止的，不活动的，寂静的 | |
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58
mare
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| n.母马，母驴 | |
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59
glistened
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| v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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60
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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61
gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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62
forum
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| n.论坛，讨论会 | |
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63
gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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64
sect
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| n.派别，宗教，学派，派系 | |
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65
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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66
warehouses
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| 仓库，货栈( warehouse的名词复数 ) | |
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67
hips
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| abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯，耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 )；[建筑学]屋脊；臀围（尺寸）；臀部…的 | |
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68
reeked
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| v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的过去式和过去分词 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象） | |
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69
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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slumbers
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| 睡眠，安眠( slumber的名词复数 ) | |
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71
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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72
copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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73
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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74
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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75
abutting
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| adj.邻接的v.（与…）邻接( abut的现在分词 )；（与…）毗连；接触；倚靠 | |
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76
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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77
castigating
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| v.严厉责骂、批评或惩罚（某人）( castigate的现在分词 ) | |
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78
prodded
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| v.刺，戳( prod的过去式和过去分词 )；刺激；促使；（用手指或尖物）戳 | |
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79
laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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80
stumps
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| （被砍下的树的）树桩( stump的名词复数 )； 残肢； （板球三柱门的）柱； 残余部分 | |
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81
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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82
toiled
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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83
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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84
massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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85
auction
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| n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖 | |
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86
razed
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| v.彻底摧毁，将…夷为平地( raze的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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87
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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88
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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91
revelled
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| v.作乐( revel的过去式和过去分词 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉 | |
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92
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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93
levies
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| （部队）征兵( levy的名词复数 )； 募捐； 被征募的军队 | |
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94
blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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95
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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96
infringed
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| v.违反（规章等）( infringe的过去式和过去分词 )；侵犯（某人的权利）；侵害（某人的自由、权益等） | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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circumscribed
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| adj.[医]局限的：受限制或限于有限空间的v.在…周围划线( circumscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；划定…范围；限制；限定 | |
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99
intrigued
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| adj.好奇的，被迷住了的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的过去式)；激起…的兴趣或好奇心；“intrigue”的过去式和过去分词 | |
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100
intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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101
fable
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| n.寓言；童话；神话 | |
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102
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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103
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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104
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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106
utterances
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| n.发声( utterance的名词复数 )；说话方式；语调；言论 | |
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107
utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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108
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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109
stoics
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| 禁欲主义者，恬淡寡欲的人，不以苦乐为意的人( stoic的名词复数 ) | |
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110
concealment
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| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
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111
grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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112
elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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113
virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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114
discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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115
versed
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| adj. 精通，熟练 | |
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116
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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117
renowned
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| adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的 | |
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118
witchcraft
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| n.魔法，巫术 | |
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119
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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120
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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121
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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122
tottered
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| v.走得或动得不稳( totter的过去式和过去分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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123
stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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124
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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125
overflowed
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| 溢出的 | |
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126
veneration
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| n.尊敬，崇拜 | |
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127
tutelary
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| adj.保护的；守护的 | |
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128
rustic
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| adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬 | |
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129
reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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130
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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131
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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132
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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133
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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134
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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135
vices
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| 缺陷( vice的名词复数 )； 恶习； 不道德行为； 台钳 | |
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136
follies
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| 罪恶，时事讽刺剧； 愚蠢，蠢笨，愚蠢的行为、思想或做法( folly的名词复数 ) | |
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137
blanched
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| v.使变白( blanch的过去式 )；使（植物）不见阳光而变白；酸洗（金属）使有光泽；用沸水烫（杏仁等）以便去皮 | |
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138
plebeian
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| adj.粗俗的；平民的；n.平民；庶民 | |
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139
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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140
attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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141
ornamental
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| adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物 | |
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142
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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143
darts
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| n.掷飞镖游戏；飞镖( dart的名词复数 )；急驰，飞奔v.投掷，投射( dart的第三人称单数 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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144
babbling
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| n.胡说，婴儿发出的咿哑声adj.胡说的v.喋喋不休( babble的现在分词 )；作潺潺声（如流水）；含糊不清地说话；泄漏秘密 | |
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145
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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146
verdant
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| adj.翠绿的，青翠的，生疏的，不老练的 | |
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147
alabaster
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| adj.雪白的；n.雪花石膏；条纹大理石 | |
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148
limpid
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| adj.清澈的，透明的 | |
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149
plaintively
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| adv.悲哀地，哀怨地 | |
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150
gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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151
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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152
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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153
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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154
flute
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| n.长笛；v.吹笛 | |
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155
belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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156
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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157
gainsaying
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| v.否认，反驳( gainsay的现在分词 ) | |
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158
ancestry
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| n.祖先，家世 | |
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159
ornamenting
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| v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的现在分词 ) | |
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160
wield
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| vt.行使，运用，支配；挥，使用(武器等) | |
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161
sculptor
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| n.雕刻家，雕刻家 | |
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162
chisel
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| n.凿子；v.用凿子刻，雕，凿 | |
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163
condescend
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| v.俯就，屈尊；堕落，丢丑 | |
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164
hewing
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| v.（用斧、刀等）砍、劈( hew的现在分词 )；砍成；劈出；开辟 | |
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165
professed
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| 公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的 | |
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166
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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167
virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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168
protruding
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸 | |
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169
shameful
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|
| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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170
patrician
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|
| adj.贵族的，显贵的；n.贵族；有教养的人；罗马帝国的地方官 | |
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171
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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172
limned
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| v.画( limn的过去式和过去分词 )；勾画；描写；描述 | |
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173
doff
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| v.脱，丢弃，废除 | |
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174
worthy
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|
| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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175
vivacity
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|
| n.快活，活泼，精神充沛 | |
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176
doughty
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|
| adj.勇猛的，坚强的 | |
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177
edifice
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| n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室) | |
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178
permissible
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| adj.可允许的，许可的 | |
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179
livelihood
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| n.生计，谋生之道 | |
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180
philosophic
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| adj.哲学的，贤明的 | |
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181
devoid
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| adj.全无的，缺乏的 | |
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182
finesse
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| n.精密技巧，灵巧，手腕 | |
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183
equity
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| n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票 | |
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184
Founder
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| n.创始者，缔造者 | |
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185
futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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186
rites
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| 仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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187
mediocre
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| adj.平常的，普通的 | |
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188
portrayed
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| v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画 | |
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189
oracle
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| n.神谕，神谕处，预言 | |
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190
solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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191
sculptors
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| 雕刻家，雕塑家( sculptor的名词复数 )； [天]玉夫座 | |
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192
comeliness
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| n. 清秀, 美丽, 合宜 | |
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193
engraved
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| v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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194
bestowing
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| 砖窑中砖堆上层已烧透的砖 | |
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195
lout
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| n.粗鄙的人；举止粗鲁的人 | |
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196
outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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197
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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198
inflict
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| vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担 | |
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199
profane
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| adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污 | |
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200
defilement
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| n.弄脏，污辱，污秽 | |
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201
audacity
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| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
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202
immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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203
profaner
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| adj.不敬（神）的；渎神的；亵渎的；世俗的vt.不敬；亵渎，玷污n.未受秘传的人 | |
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204
saliva
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| n.唾液，口水 | |
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205
glistens
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| v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的第三人称单数 ) | |
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206
lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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207
incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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208
virgins
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| 处女，童男( virgin的名词复数 )； 童贞玛利亚（耶稣之母） | |
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209
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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210
prophesied
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| v.预告，预言( prophesy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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211
discomfiture
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| n.崩溃；大败；挫败；困惑 | |
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212
immortality
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| n.不死，不朽 | |
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213
guardianship
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| n. 监护, 保护, 守护 | |
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214
vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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215
commingling
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| v.混合，掺和，合并( commingle的现在分词 ) | |
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216
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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217
industrious
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| adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的 | |
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218
intestines
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| n.肠( intestine的名词复数 ) | |
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219
requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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220
component
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| n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的 | |
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221
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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222
tottering
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| adj.蹒跚的，动摇的v.走得或动得不稳( totter的现在分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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223
fumes
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| n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体 | |
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224
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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225
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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226
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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227
allotting
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| 分配，拨给，摊派( allot的现在分词 ) | |
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228
pertaining
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| 与…有关系的，附属…的，为…固有的(to) | |
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229
haphazard
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| adj.无计划的，随意的，杂乱无章的 | |
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230
virile
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| adj.男性的；有男性生殖力的；有男子气概的；强有力的 | |
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231
contradictory
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| adj.反驳的，反对的，抗辩的；n.正反对，矛盾对立 | |
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232
variance
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| n.矛盾，不同 | |
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233
condemnation
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| n.谴责; 定罪 | |
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234
interpretation
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| n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理 | |
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235
fables
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| n.寓言( fable的名词复数 )；神话，传说 | |
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236
truthful
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| adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的 | |
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237
credible
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| adj.可信任的，可靠的 | |
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238
uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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239
inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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240
incites
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| 刺激，激励，煽动( incite的第三人称单数 ) | |
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241
incite
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| v.引起，激动，煽动 | |
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242
everlastingly
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| 永久地，持久地 | |
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243
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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244
meditation
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| n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录 | |
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245
ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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246
oracles
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| 神示所( oracle的名词复数 )； 神谕； 圣贤； 哲人 | |
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247
augurs
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| n.（古罗马的）占兆官( augur的名词复数 )；占卜师，预言者v.预示，预兆，预言( augur的第三人称单数 )；成为预兆；占卜 | |
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248
augur
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| n.占卦师；v.占卦 | |
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249
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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250
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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251
delving
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| v.深入探究，钻研( delve的现在分词 ) | |
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252
hurl
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| vt.猛投，力掷，声叫骂 | |
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253
hurling
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| n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的现在分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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254
inflicts
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的第三人称单数 ) | |
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255
goaded
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| v.刺激( goad的过去式和过去分词 )；激励；（用尖棒）驱赶；驱使（或怂恿、刺激）某人 | |
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256
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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257
replete
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| adj.饱满的，塞满的；n.贮蜜蚁 | |
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258
cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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259
dice
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| n.骰子；vt.把（食物）切成小方块，冒险 | |
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260
abounding
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| adj.丰富的，大量的v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的现在分词 ) | |
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261
abound
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| vi.大量存在；(in，with)充满，富于 | |
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262
ignominious
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| adj.可鄙的，不光彩的，耻辱的 | |
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263
depreciation
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| n.价值低落，贬值，蔑视，贬低 | |
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264
lamented
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| adj.被哀悼的，令人遗憾的v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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265
oysters
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| 牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 ) | |
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266
deplored
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| v.悲叹，痛惜，强烈反对( deplore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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267
insolent
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|
| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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268
contemptible
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| adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的 | |
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269
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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270
patricians
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| n.（古罗马的）统治阶层成员( patrician的名词复数 )；贵族，显贵 | |
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271
fattening
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|
| adj.（食物）要使人发胖的v.喂肥( fatten的现在分词 )；养肥（牲畜）；使（钱）增多；使（公司）升值 | |
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272
simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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273
exalted
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| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
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274
epoch
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| n.(新)时代；历元 | |
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275
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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276
tyrant
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| n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人 | |
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277
dame
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| n.女士 | |
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278
dames
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| n.（在英国）夫人（一种封号），夫人（爵士妻子的称号）( dame的名词复数 )；女人 | |
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279
gnat
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| v.对小事斤斤计较，琐事 | |
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280
rape
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| n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸 | |
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281
assassination
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| n.暗杀；暗杀事件 | |
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282
eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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283
mortar
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| n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合 | |
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284
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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285
dreaded
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|
| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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286
ridicule
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|
| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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287
ridiculed
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| v.嘲笑，嘲弄，奚落( ridicule的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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288
grievances
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| n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚 | |
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289
banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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290
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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291
rumours
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| n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传 | |
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292
heeded
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|
| v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 )；变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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293
redress
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| n.赔偿，救济，矫正；v.纠正，匡正，革除 | |
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294
engendered
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| v.产生（某形势或状况），造成，引起( engender的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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295
papyrus
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| n.古以纸草制成之纸 | |
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296
lustre
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| n.光亮，光泽；荣誉 | |
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297
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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298
sycophant
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| n.马屁精 | |
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299
declamation
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| n. 雄辩，高调 | |
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300
indite
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|
| v.写（文章，信等）创作 | |
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301
jealousy
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|
| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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302
modesty
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|
| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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303
acquiesced
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| v.默认，默许( acquiesce的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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304
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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305
zealous
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| adj.狂热的，热心的 | |
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306
disciple
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| n.信徒，门徒，追随者 | |
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307
adolescence
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| n.青春期，青少年 | |
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308
portico
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| n.柱廊，门廊 | |
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309
eternity
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|
| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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310
joyfully
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|
| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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311
chastising
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|
| v.严惩（某人）（尤指责打）( chastise的现在分词 ) | |
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312
herald
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| vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎 | |
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313
dweller
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| n.居住者，住客 | |
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314
quenches
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| 解（渴）( quench的第三人称单数 )； 终止（某事物）； （用水）扑灭（火焰等）； 将（热物体）放入水中急速冷却 | |
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315
horde
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|
| n.群众，一大群 | |
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316
hordes
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|
| n.移动着的一大群( horde的名词复数 )；部落 | |
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317
barbarians
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|
| n.野蛮人( barbarian的名词复数 )；外国人；粗野的人；无教养的人 | |
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318
barbarian
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|
| n.野蛮人；adj.野蛮(人)的；未开化的 | |
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319
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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320
extolled
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|
| v.赞颂，赞扬，赞美( extol的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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321
kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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322
subdue
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| vt.制服，使顺从，征服；抑制，克制 | |
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323
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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324
perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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325
gracefulness
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326
discoursed
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| 演说（discourse的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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327
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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328
Neptune
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| n.海王星 | |
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329
chastised
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| v.严惩（某人）（尤指责打）( chastise的过去式 ) | |
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330
resounding
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| adj. 响亮的 | |
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331
censured
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|
| v.指责，非难，谴责( censure的过去式 ) | |
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332
literally
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|
| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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333
penetrating
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|
| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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334
inert
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|
| adj.无活动能力的，惰性的；迟钝的 | |
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335
essentially
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| adv.本质上，实质上，基本上 | |
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336
merged
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| （使）混合( merge的过去式和过去分词 )； 相融； 融入； 渐渐消失在某物中 | |
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337
hampered
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| 妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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338
materialism
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| n.［哲］唯物主义，唯物论；物质至上 | |
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339
implore
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| vt.乞求，恳求，哀求 | |
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340
impiety
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| n.不敬；不孝 | |
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341
piety
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| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
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342
immutable
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| adj.不可改变的，永恒的 | |
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343
submission
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| n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出 | |
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344
obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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345
manifestation
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| n.表现形式；表明；现象 | |
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346
manifestations
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| n.表示，显示（manifestation的复数形式） | |
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347
craved
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| 渴望，热望( crave的过去式 )； 恳求，请求 | |
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348
rebellious
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|
| adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的 | |
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349
ingrate
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| n.忘恩负义的人 | |
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350
procure
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|
| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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351
goblets
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|
| n.高脚酒杯( goblet的名词复数 ) | |
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352
limns
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| v.画( limn的第三人称单数 )；勾画；描写；描述 | |
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353
victorious
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|
| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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354
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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355
ceramics
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| n.制陶业；陶器 | |
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356
inertia
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|
| adj.惰性，惯性，懒惰，迟钝 | |
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357
cypress
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| n.柏树 | |
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358
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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359
chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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360
impatience
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|
| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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361
rendering
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|
| n.表现，描写 | |
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362
amalgamation
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|
| n.合并，重组；；汞齐化 | |
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363
tenuous
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|
| adj.细薄的，稀薄的，空洞的 | |
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364
doctrine
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| n.教义；主义；学说 | |
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365
forfeit
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|
| vt.丧失；n.罚金，罚款，没收物 | |
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366
exclusion
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|
| n.拒绝，排除，排斥，远足，远途旅行 | |
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367
conjure
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|
| v.恳求，祈求；变魔术，变戏法 | |
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368
thoroughly
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|
| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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369
banishment
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| n.放逐，驱逐 | |
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370
solitary
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|
| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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371
prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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372
ailing
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| v.生病 | |
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373
intelligible
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|
| adj.可理解的，明白易懂的，清楚的 | |
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374
stifling
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| a.令人窒息的 | |
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375
doctrines
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|
| n.教条( doctrine的名词复数 )；教义；学说；（政府政策的）正式声明 | |
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376
expound
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| v.详述；解释；阐述 | |
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377
expounded
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| 论述，详细讲解( expound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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378
forefathers
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|
| n.祖先，先人；祖先，祖宗( forefather的名词复数 )；列祖列宗；前人 | |
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379
animation
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|
| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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380
embodies
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| v.表现( embody的第三人称单数 )；象征；包括；包含 | |
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381
pious
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|
| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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382
demise
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|
| n.死亡；v.让渡，遗赠，转让 | |
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383
misers
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| 守财奴，吝啬鬼( miser的名词复数 ) | |
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384
gluttons
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|
| 贪食者( glutton的名词复数 )； 贪图者； 酷爱…的人； 狼獾 | |
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385
boor
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| n.举止粗野的人；乡下佬 | |
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386
stewards
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|
| （轮船、飞机等的）乘务员( steward的名词复数 )； （俱乐部、旅馆、工会等的）管理员； （大型活动的）组织者； （私人家中的）管家 | |
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387
wretches
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|
| n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 )；可怜的人；恶棍；坏蛋 | |
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388
strata
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| n.地层（复数）；社会阶层 | |
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389
descends
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|
| v.下来( descend的第三人称单数 )；下去；下降；下斜 | |
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390
consign
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|
| vt.寄售（货品），托运，交托，委托 | |
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391
constellations
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|
| n.星座( constellation的名词复数 )；一群杰出人物；一系列（相关的想法、事物）；一群（相关的人） | |
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392
thereby
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|
| adv.因此，从而 | |
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393
fortitude
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|
| n.坚忍不拔；刚毅 | |
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394
arraigned
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|
| v.告发( arraign的过去式和过去分词 )；控告；传讯；指责 | |
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395
Saturn
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|
| n.农神，土星 | |
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396
possessed
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|
| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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397
derived
|
|
| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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398
reigns
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|
| n.君主的统治( reign的名词复数 )；君主统治时期；任期；当政期 | |
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399
celestial
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|
| adj.天体的；天上的 | |
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400
phenomena
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|
| n.现象 | |
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401
corrupt
|
|
| v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的 | |
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402
corruption
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|
| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
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403
dwellings
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|
| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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404
crumble
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|
| vi.碎裂，崩溃；vt.弄碎，摧毁 | |
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405
corroded
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|
| 已被腐蚀的 | |
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406
testimony
|
|
| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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407
conflagration
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|
| n.建筑物或森林大火 | |
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408
exempt
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|
| adj.免除的；v.使免除；n.免税者，被免除义务者 | |
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409
immortals
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|
| 不朽的人物( immortal的名词复数 )； 永生不朽者 | |
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410
foresight
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| n.先见之明，深谋远虑 | |
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411
paramount
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| a.最重要的，最高权力的 | |
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412
ragged
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|
| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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413
humble
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|
| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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414
superstition
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|
| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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415
defendant
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|
| n.被告；adj.处于被告地位的 | |
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416
adoption
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|
| n.采用，采纳，通过；收养 | |
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417
incorporation
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|
| n.设立，合并，法人组织 | |
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418
miserable
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|
| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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419
recur
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| vi.复发，重现，再发生 | |
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420
judgment
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|
| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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421
precedent
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|
| n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的 | |
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422
consular
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| a.领事的 | |
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423
superfluous
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|
| adj.过多的，过剩的，多余的 | |
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424
equitably
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| 公平地 | |
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425
conceals
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|
| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的第三人称单数 ) | |
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426
taverns
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|
| n.小旅馆，客栈，酒馆( tavern的名词复数 ) | |
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427
countless
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|
| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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428
swarm
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|
| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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429
crabs
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|
| n.蟹( crab的名词复数 )；阴虱寄生病；蟹肉v.捕蟹( crab的第三人称单数 ) | |
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430
infest
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|
| v.大批出没于；侵扰；寄生于 | |
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431
spawn
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|
| n.卵，产物，后代，结果；vt.产卵，种菌丝于，产生，造成；vi.产卵，大量生产 | |
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432
vilest
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|
| adj.卑鄙的( vile的最高级 )；可耻的；极坏的；非常讨厌的 | |
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433
lighters
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|
| n.打火机，点火器( lighter的名词复数 ) | |
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434
fomenting
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|
| v.激起，煽动（麻烦等）( foment的现在分词 ) | |
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435
foment
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|
| v.煽动，助长 | |
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436
sedition
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|
| n.煽动叛乱 | |
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437
followers
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|
| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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438
bloody
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|
| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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439
repression
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|
| n.镇压，抑制，抑压 | |
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440
partisans
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|
| 游击队员( partisan的名词复数 )； 党人； 党羽； 帮伙 | |
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441
celebrity
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|
| n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望 | |
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442
throng
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|
| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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443
trifling
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|
| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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444
tumult
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|
| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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445
supervision
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|
| n.监督，管理 | |
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446
agitators
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|
| n.（尤指政治变革的）鼓动者( agitator的名词复数 )；煽动者；搅拌器；搅拌机 | |
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447
hatred
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|
| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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448
obstinate
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|
| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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449
adepts
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|
| n.专家，能手( adept的名词复数 ) | |
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450
corrupting
|
|
| （使）败坏( corrupt的现在分词 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏 | |
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451
insolently
|
|
| adv.自豪地，自傲地 | |
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452
superstitions
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|
| 迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
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453
noted
|
|
| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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454
inoculate
|
|
| v.给...接种，给...注射疫苗 | |
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455
venom
|
|
| n.毒液，恶毒，痛恨 | |
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456
abstaining
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|
| 戒（尤指酒），戒除( abstain的现在分词 )； 弃权（不投票） | |
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457
isles
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| 岛( isle的名词复数 ) | |
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458
brigands
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|
| n.土匪，强盗( brigand的名词复数 ) | |
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459
stammerer
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|
| n.口吃的人；结巴 | |
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460
scriptures
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|
| 经文，圣典( scripture的名词复数 )； 经典 | |
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461
almighty
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|
| adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的 | |
参考例句： |
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462
effigies
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|
| n.（人的）雕像，模拟像，肖像( effigy的名词复数 ) | |
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463
perishable
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|
| adj.（尤指食物）易腐的，易坏的 | |
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464
sufficiently
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|
| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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465
sincerity
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|
| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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466
professing
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|
| 声称( profess的现在分词 )； 宣称； 公开表明； 信奉 | |
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467
severing
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|
| v.切断，断绝( sever的现在分词 )；断，裂 | |
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468
deity
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|
| n.神，神性；被奉若神明的人(或物) | |
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469
dooming
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|
| v.注定( doom的现在分词 )；判定；使…的失败（或灭亡、毁灭、坏结局）成为必然；宣判 | |
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470
odious
|
|
| adj.可憎的，讨厌的 | |
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471
grudges
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|
| 不满，怨恨，妒忌( grudge的名词复数 ) | |
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472
irritation
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|
| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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473
turpitude
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|
| n.可耻；邪恶 | |
参考例句： |
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474
sordid
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|
| adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的 | |
参考例句： |
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475
execrated
|
|
| v.憎恶( execrate的过去式和过去分词 )；厌恶；诅咒；咒骂 | |
参考例句： |
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476
execrate
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|
| v.憎恶；厌恶；诅咒 | |
参考例句： |
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477
repudiated
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|
| v.（正式地）否认( repudiate的过去式和过去分词 )；拒绝接受；拒绝与…往来；拒不履行（法律义务） | |
参考例句： |
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478
indigenous
|
|
| adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的 | |
参考例句： |
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479
impure
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|
| adj.不纯净的，不洁的；不道德的，下流的 | |
参考例句： |
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480
alas
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|
| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
参考例句： |
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481
overflowing
|
|
| n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式 | |
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482
sinister
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|
| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
参考例句： |
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483
presage
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|
| n.预感，不祥感；v.预示 | |
参考例句： |
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484
wailing
|
|
| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
参考例句： |
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485
reins
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|
| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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486
incense
|
|
| v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气 | |
参考例句： |
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487
dozing
|
|
| v.打瞌睡,假寐 n.瞌睡 | |
参考例句： |
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488
peril
|
|
| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
参考例句： |
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489
instil
|
|
| v.逐渐灌输 | |
参考例句： |
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|
490
primitive
|
|
| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
参考例句： |
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491
shrine
|
|
| n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣 | |
参考例句： |
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492
simplicity
|
|
| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
参考例句： |
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493
clump
|
|
| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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494
leisurely
|
|
| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
参考例句： |
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495
dispensed
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|
| v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 )；施与；配（药） | |
参考例句： |
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496
acorns
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|
| n.橡子，栎实( acorn的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
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497
fattened
|
|
| v.喂肥( fatten的过去式和过去分词 )；养肥（牲畜）；使（钱）增多；使（公司）升值 | |
参考例句： |
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498
appeased
|
|
| 安抚，抚慰( appease的过去式和过去分词 )； 绥靖（满足另一国的要求以避免战争） | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
|
499
victuals
|
|
| n.食物；食品 | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
500
muses
|
|
| v.沉思，冥想( muse的第三人称单数 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
参考例句： |
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|
501
vomited
|
|
参考例句： |
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|
502
surmounted
|
|
| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
参考例句： |
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|
503
sanctuaries
|
|
| n.避难所( sanctuary的名词复数 )；庇护；圣所；庇护所 | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
504
insignificant
|
|
| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
参考例句： |
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|
505
arcades
|
|
| n.商场( arcade的名词复数 )；拱形走道（两旁有商店或娱乐设施）；连拱廊；拱形建筑物 | |
参考例句： |
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|
506
pungent
|
|
| adj.（气味、味道）刺激性的，辛辣的；尖锐的 | |
参考例句： |
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|
507
slabs
|
|
| n.厚板，平板，厚片( slab的名词复数 )；厚胶片 | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
508
tinted
|
|
| adj. 带色彩的 动词tint的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
509
mien
|
|
| n.风采；态度 | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
|
510
squander
|
|
| v.浪费，挥霍 | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
511
frivolous
|
|
| adj.轻薄的；轻率的 | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
512
persistently
|
|
| ad.坚持地；固执地 | |
参考例句： |
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|
513
obtruded
|
|
| v.强行向前，强行，强迫( obtrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
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|
514
rouged
|
|
| 胭脂，口红( rouge的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
515
velvety
|
|
| adj. 像天鹅绒的, 轻软光滑的, 柔软的 | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
516
hovering
|
|
| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
参考例句： |
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|
517
talons
|
|
| n.（尤指猛禽的）爪( talon的名词复数 )；（如爪般的）手指；爪状物；锁簧尖状突出部 | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
518
entangled
|
|
| adj.卷入的；陷入的；被缠住的；缠在一起的v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
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519
sobs
|
|
| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
520
rummaging
|
|
| 翻找，搜寻( rummage的现在分词 )； 海关检查 | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
521
bawling
|
|
| v.大叫，大喊( bawl的现在分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物） | |
参考例句： |
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|
522
glistening
|
|
| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
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|
|
523
clenching
|
|
| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
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|
524
sobbing
|
|
| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
参考例句： |
|
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|
|
525
renovation
|
|
| n.革新，整修 | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
526
sleeper
|
|
| n.睡眠者，卧车，卧铺 | |
参考例句： |
|
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|
|
527
artistically
|
|
| adv.艺术性地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
528
courteous
|
|
| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
参考例句： |
|
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|
|
529
hurled
|
|
| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
530
arrogant
|
|
| adj.傲慢的，自大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
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|
|
531
tattered
|
|
| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
参考例句： |
|
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|
|
532
beaked
|
|
| adj.有喙的，鸟嘴状的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
533
frenzy
|
|
| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
534
naught
|
|
| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
参考例句： |
|
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|
|
535
precepts
|
|
| n.规诫，戒律，箴言( precept的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
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|
|
536
unnatural
|
|
| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
537
shrug
|
|
| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
|
538
ascended
|
|
| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
|
539
Christian
|
|
| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
540
jeer
|
|
| vi.嘲弄，揶揄；vt.奚落；n.嘲笑，讥评 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
541
prophesying
|
|
| v.预告，预言( prophesy的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
542
prophesy
|
|
| v.预言；预示 | |
参考例句： |
|
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|
|
543
wrath
|
|
| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
544
awaken
|
|
| vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起 | |
参考例句： |
|
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|
|
545
promising
|
|
| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
参考例句： |
|
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|
|
546
invoked
|
|
| v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求 | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
547
jeers
|
|
| n.操纵帆桁下部（使其上下的）索具；嘲讽( jeer的名词复数 )v.嘲笑( jeer的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
548
hilarious
|
|
| adj.充满笑声的，欢闹的；[反]depressed | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
549
baker
|
|
| n.面包师 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
550
spouting
|
|
| n.水落管系统v.（指液体）喷出( spout的现在分词 )；滔滔不绝地讲；喋喋不休地说；喷水 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
551
deriving
|
|
| v.得到( derive的现在分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
参考例句： |
|
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|
|
552
renounce
|
|
| v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
553
perverse
|
|
| adj.刚愎的；坚持错误的，行为反常的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
554
gourds
|
|
| n.葫芦( gourd的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
555
hooting
|
|
| （使）作汽笛声响，作汽车喇叭声( hoot的现在分词 )； 倒好儿； 倒彩 | |
参考例句： |
|
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|
|
556
pelted
|
|
| （连续地）投掷( pelt的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续抨击； 攻击； 剥去…的皮 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
557
sweepings
|
|
| n.笼统的( sweeping的名词复数 )；（在投票等中的）大胜；影响广泛的；包罗万象的 | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
558
exulted
|
|
| 狂喜，欢跃( exult的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
|
559
crunching
|
|
| v.嘎吱嘎吱地咬嚼( crunch的现在分词 )；嘎吱作响；（快速大量地）处理信息；数字捣弄 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
560
cemetery
|
|
| n.坟墓，墓地，坟场 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
561
conspicuous
|
|
| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
562
swarms
|
|
| 蜂群，一大群( swarm的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
563
hovered
|
|
| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
564
deserted
|
|
| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
参考例句： |
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|
|
|
565
favourable
|
|
| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
566
brat
|
|
| n.孩子；顽童 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
567
squatting
|
|
| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
568
pebble
|
|
| n.卵石，小圆石 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
569
philosophical
|
|
| adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
570
languor
|
|
| n.无精力，倦怠 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
571
hoarse
|
|
| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
572
deafening
|
|
| adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
573
growls
|
|
| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的第三人称单数 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
574
contemplate
|
|
| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
575
abject
|
|
| adj.极可怜的，卑屈的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
576
wharves
|
|
| n.码头，停泊处( wharf的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
577
shrill
|
|
| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
578
yelping
|
|
| v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
579
repulsively
|
|
| adv.冷淡地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
580
weaver
|
|
| n.织布工；编织者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
581
partnership
|
|
| n.合作关系，伙伴关系 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
582
imputed
|
|
| v.把（错误等）归咎于( impute的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
583
seducing
|
|
| 诱奸( seduce的现在分词 )； 勾引； 诱使堕落； 使入迷 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
584
brutes
|
|
| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
585
relish
|
|
| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
586
interfere
|
|
| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
587
faculty
|
|
| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
588
deformed
|
|
| adj.畸形的；变形的；丑的，破相了的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
589
controversy
|
|
| n.争论，辩论，争吵 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
590
trampling
|
|
| 踩( trample的现在分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
591
litigants
|
|
| n.诉讼当事人( litigant的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
592
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
593
disdain
|
|
| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
594
frugal
|
|
| adj.节俭的，节约的，少量的，微量的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
595
accomplishment
|
|
| n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
596
boorish
|
|
| adj.粗野的，乡巴佬的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
597
superstitious
|
|
| adj.迷信的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
598
repudiates
|
|
| v.（正式地）否认( repudiate的第三人称单数 )；拒绝接受；拒绝与…往来；拒不履行（法律义务） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
599
pallid
|
|
| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
600
subterranean
|
|
| adj.地下的，地表下的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
601
homage
|
|
| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
602
weavers
|
|
| 织工，编织者( weaver的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
603
seaports
|
|
| n.海港( seaport的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
604
hideous
|
|
| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
605
miraculous
|
|
| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
606
avert
|
|
| v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
607
seduce
|
|
| vt.勾引，诱奸，诱惑，引诱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
608
untowardly
|
|
| adj.意外的； 不顺利的；倔强的；难对付的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
609
inflamed
|
|
| adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
610
eyelids
|
|
| n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
611
meditated
|
|
| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
612
meditate
|
|
| v.想，考虑，（尤指宗教上的）沉思，冥想 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
613
cleft
|
|
| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
614
ascertain
|
|
| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
615
adherents
|
|
| n.支持者，拥护者( adherent的名词复数 )；党羽；徒子徒孙 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
616
behold
|
|
| v.看，注视，看到 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
617
trampled
|
|
| 踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
618
milestone
|
|
| n.里程碑；划时代的事件 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
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619
refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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620
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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621
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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622
centurion
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| n.古罗马的百人队长 | |
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623
spouse
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| n.配偶(指夫或妻) | |
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624
consorted
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| v.结伴( consort的过去式和过去分词 )；交往；相称；调和 | |
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625
anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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626
climax
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| n.顶点；高潮；v.(使)达到顶点 | |
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627
conqueror
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| n.征服者，胜利者 | |
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628
propitious
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| adj.吉利的；顺利的 | |
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629
wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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630
favourably
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| adv. 善意地，赞成地 =favorably | |
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631
impunity
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| n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除 | |
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632
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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