This is the eleventh and final post of Henryk
Sienkiewicz’s historical novel, Quo Vadis.
You can find Post #1 here.
Post #2 here.
Post #3 here.
Post #4 here.
Post #5 here.
Post #6 here.
Post #7 here.
Post #8 here.
Post #9 here.
Post #10 here.
Chapters 72, 73, & Epilogue
Summary
Vinicius from Sicily writes a letter to Petronius. Months have past since those climatic events in Rome. He and Lygia are happy in their domestic life. He writes on how his Christian religion has changed life for the better, how love as a principle transforms life. If only Caesar and Rome could convert, the world would be so much better. He hopes that Petronius could convert. Petronius in the southern Italian city of Cumae, where he and the other Roman aristocracy will be departing for Greece, reads the letter knowing that his life is near its end. He is no longer in Nero’s favor, especially since he is associated with the conspirators, and this trip to Greece is a means of isolating him for the end. Petronius writes back expressing joy in Vinicius’s happiness, but Petronius is still philosophically a skeptic and an epicurean and so has no use for Christ. He tells Vinicius that Tigellinus has won their struggle and he intends to die on his terms rather than allow them to take his life. He passes on his farewell to him and to Lygia.
Petronius, still at Cumae, receives word that Nero has called for his death. He receives the news with calm, and even sends Nero a gift. He laughs at a plan he conceives for his final acts. He has his servants prepare a feast at his villa and invites all the nobles. He sits to write a letter and prepares for a banquet. He tells Eunice that she can have his villa, and she realizes what he is going to do. That night at the banquet, the aristocracy enjoy themselves as only at a feast that Petronius, the elegant arbiter of taste, can arrange. Toward the end, Petronius stands, tells of his decision to end his life, and reads the letter he has composed to Nero. In the letter he tells of Nero’s abuses, the murders, the burning of Rome, and the persecution of the innocent Christians who he used to cover his crimes. He speaks of Nero’s terrible poetry, his horrible dancing, and atrocious singing. He tells Nero he can no longer stand Nero’s wretched art and so he has decided to take his life. The guests are shocked, more for their lives since associating with this letter will put them on Nero’s death list. Petronius calls the physician over to open the vein in his arm to bleed out. Eunice comes over and gives her arm as well to die along with her beloved. They die together.
Nero now in Rome ignores the revolt forming against his rule. He does not believe the rebels, led by the Gallic general Vindex, can overcome his divine authority. He continues to sing and compose while the legions make their way toward Rome. In his delusion he thinks he can defeat the legions with his song. When he hears that the Spanish general Galba has joined Vindex, he goes into a rage. He realizes the end but it is too late. Many of his servants have abandoned him. Several of his remaining servants push him to escape and rush him out in disguise. Outside of Rome he hears the shouts of joy from the pretorian soldiers that Galba has been declared emperor. He knows it is over and gives orders for his servants to kill him. “What an artist is perishing” are his last words. Nero tries to thrust a knife to his neck but needs help from his servant for the final thrust.
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My
Comment:
So what should we make of
Petronius? His skepticism leads him to give up hope and then end his life.
Obviously this is not Christian, but it's something that many non Christian
views endorse. We see it today. If you're going to die, assisted suicide turns
out to be an easy answer. Was he noble? I think his helping out Vinicius and
Lygia was certainly noble and that was at the root of his disfavor with Nero. I
assume he could have fled, but then he would no longer live as a nobleman, and
Nero might have been able to track him down. As it turns out he probably could
have held out until Nero was deposed, but he had no foreknowledge that would
happen.
Was Petronius the central character? Look back at the first chapter. The book starts with him and ends with him. Nero's death is presented as an epilogue, so the novel proper ends with the deaths of Petronius and Eunice. If Petronius is the central character, does this make the novel a tragedy? Could the deaths of Petronius symbolize the future death of the Roman pagan world? The epilogue does end with a projected Christian triumphalism.
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For
this final excerpt I will quote the passage where Petronius reads his letter to
Nero and then has his and Eunice’s veins opened.
He took from beneath the
purple cushion a paper, and read as follows:—
"I know, O Cæsar,
that thou art awaiting my arrival with impatience, that thy true heart of a
friend is yearning day and night for me. I know that thou art ready to cover me
with gifts, make me prefect of the pretorian guards, and command Tigellinus to
be that which the gods made him, a mule-driver in those lands which thou didst
inherit after poisoning Domitius. Pardon me, however, for I swear to thee by
Hades, and by the shades of thy mother, thy wife, thy brother, and Seneca, that
I cannot go to thee. Life is a great treasure. I have taken the most precious
jewels from that treasure, but in life there are many things which I cannot
endure any longer. Do not suppose, I pray, that I am offended because thou
didst kill thy mother, thy wife, and thy brother; that thou didst burn Rome and
send to Erebus all the honest men in thy dominions. No, grandson of Chronos.
Death is the inheritance of man; from thee other deeds could not have been
expected. But to destroy one's ear for whole years with thy poetry, to see thy
belly of a Domitius on slim legs whirled about in Pyrrhic dance; to hear thy
music, thy declamation, thy doggerel verses, wretched poet of the suburbs,—is a
thing surpassing my power, and it has roused in me the wish to die. Rome stuffs
its ears when it hears thee; the world reviles thee. I can blush for thee no
longer, and I have no wish to do so. The howls of Cerberus, though resembling
thy music, will be less offensive to me, for I have never been the friend of
Cerberus, and I need not be ashamed of his howling. Farewell, but make no
music; commit murder, but write no verses; poison people, but dance not; be an
incendiary, but play not on a cithara. This is the wish and the last friendly
counsel sent thee by the—Arbiter Elegantiæ."
The guests were
terrified, for they knew that the loss of dominion would have been less cruel
to Nero than this blow. They understood, too, that the man who had written that
paper must die; and at the same time pale fear flew over them because they had
heard such a paper.
But Petronius laughed
with sincere and gladsome joy, as if it were a question of the most innocent
joke; then he cast his eyes on all present, and said,—
"Be joyous, and
drive away fear. No one need boast that he heard this letter. I will boast of
it only to Charon when I am crossing in the boat with him."
He beckoned then to the
Greek physician, and stretched out his arm. The skilled Greek in the twinkle of
an eye opened the vein at the bend of the arm. Blood spurted on the cushion,
and covered Eunice, who, supporting the head of Petronius, bent over him and
said,—
"Didst thou think
that I would leave thee? If the gods gave me immortality, and Cæsar gave me
power over the earth, I would follow thee still."
Petronius smiled, raised
himself a little, touched her lips with his, and said,—
"Come with me."
She stretched her rosy
arm to the physician, and after a while her blood began to mingle and be lost
in his blood.
Then he gave a signal to
the leader of the music, and again the voices and cithariæ were heard. They
sang "Harmodius"; next the song of Anacreon resounded,—that song in
which he complained that on a time he had found Aphrodite's boy chilled and
weeping under trees; that he brought him in, warmed him, dried his wings, and
the ungrateful child pierced his heart with an arrow,—from that moment peace
had deserted the poet.
Petronius and Eunice, resting against each other, beautiful as two divinities, listened, smiling and growing pale. At the end of the song Petronius gave directions to serve more wine and food; then he conversed with the guests sitting near him of trifling but pleasant things, such as are mentioned usually at feasts. Finally, he called to the Greek to bind his arm for a moment; for he said that sleep was tormenting him, and he wanted to yield himself to Hypnos before Thanatos put him to sleep forever.
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Five stars! This is a classic, and a classic that entertains and delivers. Published in 1895, it is a grand historical novel of the 19th century style, large, lots of characters, a complicated plot, and precise realism that captures the psychological dimensions of the major characters. This novel captures the worldviews of the first century pagan Romans with that of the newly founded Christians.
Here are some observations about the novel with the hope I do not spoil it for others.
The novel is observed from the point of view of the pagan Romans. Sienkiewicz’s decision is both surprising and masterful, perhaps for several reasons. It narrates from the inside the psychological shift of the central character starting from a pagan worldview and then evolving to a conversion. That conversion is made much more interesting and believable than if it were told from a Christian’s perspective. Second it builds the Roman world much more credibly if told from the inside. Third it projects the future conversion of the Roman world from pagan to Christian. In order to write from the Roman perspective, Sienkiewicz had to learn so many details of the Roman culture, and by my estimate he did it exceptionally well.
Another observation is how well Sienkiewicz integrated real historical people with the fictional. Though the central Roman character, Vinicius is fictional, most of the major Roman characters are historical. Petronius, a key character, is the author of the ancient Roman novel, Satyricon, and of course Nero is the actual emperor. There are others. On the Christian side, saints Peter and Paul are integrated into the novel in a major way. Historical figures project their philosophies, and it was quite interesting to see Petronius, an exponent of Epicureanism, discuss philosophy with St. Paul and his Christianity.
The realism of the narrative is extraordinary. Sienkiewicz remarkably recreates first century Roman life. You do need to look up some Latin terms of common living practices, but it made for greater precision in the depictions. The realism of the great fire of Rome—started on the command of Nero and blamed on the Christian population—was breathtaking. The persecutions of the Christians in the amphitheater was repulsive in its recreated narrative. The mania of Nero was captured well. The execution of the two apostles was done off stage I believe to give them due reverence, but the narration leading up to their executions is captured well. As far as I can tell, all historical events are true to known history.
The mark of a good novel is that you don’t want it to end. I did not want this to end. I was engaged with the depictions of the various Romans, engaged with the depictions of the various Christians, engaged with the love between Vinicius and the Christian Lygia, and engaged in the subtle transformation of Vinicius’ worldview from pagan to Christian.
The title of the book comes from the words, "Quo vadis, Domine?" St. Peter was supposed to have said them as he was escaping Rome during the final persecutions and saw Christ going toward Rome. It means, “Where are you going Lord?” That scene is dramatized in the novel and brings a lump to one’s throat as St. Peter turns around and goes back to face his martyrdom.
If
you’re a Christian and you want to have insight into the early Christians, this
book is a good place to go, and it will entertain you. If you’re such a Christian and an ancient
Roman history buff as well, such as I am, this novel is a must. The novel is way better than the movies. I highly recommend it.
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