The Gladiators. A Tale of Rome and Judæa

by G. J. Whyte-Melville

  CHAPTER XIV

  CAESAR

  When a woman feels herself scorned, her first impulse seems to be revengeat any price. Some morbid sentiment, which the other sex can hardlyfathom, usually prompts her in such cases to select for her instrument theman whom in her heart she loathes and despises, whose society is aninsult, and whose attentions are a disgrace. Thus lowering herself in herown esteem, she knows that she inflicts a poisoned wound on the offender.

  With all Valeria's self-command, her feelings had nearly got the better ofher before Esca left the house. Had it been so, she would never haveforgiven herself. But she managed to restrain them, and preserved anoutward composure even while Myrrhina prepared her for repose. That damselwas much puzzled by the upshot of her manoeuvres. From a method of her own,which long practice rendered familiar, she had made herself acquaintedwith all that occurred between her mistress and the handsome slave. Whytheir interview should have had no more definite result, she was at a lossto conceive. Altogether, Myrrhina was inclined to think that Esca had beenso captivated by her own charms, as to be insensible to those of Valeria.This flattering supposition opened up a perspective of hazard, intrigue,and cross-purposes, that it was delicious to contemplate. The maid retiredto her couch exulting. The mistress writhed in an agony of wounded prideand shame.

  Morning, however, brought its unfailing accession of clear-sightedness andpractical resolve. There are hours of the night in which we can abandonourselves to love, hatred, despair, or sorrow with a helplessness thatpossesses in it some of the elements of repose; but with dawn realityresumes her sway, and the sufferer is indeed to be pitied, who can turnaway from daylight without an impulse to be up and doing, who wishes only,in the lethargy of utter desolation, that it was evening once more.

  Valeria was not a woman to pass over the slight she had sustained. Few ofthem but will forgive an injury more readily than an insult. Long beforeshe rose she had made up her mind where, and when, and how to strike;nothing remained but to select the weapon, and put a keener edge upon thesteel. Now Valeria had long been aware, that, as far as was compatiblewith his disposition, Julius Placidus was devoted to her service. Indeed,he had told her so many a time, with an assumption of off-hand gallantrywhich, perhaps, she estimated at less than its proper value. Nevertheless,the compliments she received from the tribune were scarcely so well turnedas might be expected from a man of his outward polish, refined manners,and general bad character. The woman's ear could detect the ring of truth,amidst all the jingle that accompanied it; and Valeria felt that thetribune loved her as much as it was possible for him to love anything buthimself. To do her justice, she liked him none the better on that account.He was a man whom she must have hated under any circumstances, but perhapsshe despised him a little less for this one redeeming quality of goodtaste. Here was a weapon, however, keen, and strong, and pliant, placedmoreover, so to speak, within reach of her hand. She rose and dressed,languid, haughty, and composed as usual; but Myrrhina, who knew her,remarked a red spot burning on either cheek, and once a shudder, as ofintense cold, passed over her, though it was a sunny morning in Rome.

  Julius Placidus received a letter ere noon that seemed to afford himinfinite satisfaction. The gilded chariot flashed brighter than ever inthe sun, the white horses whirled it like lightning through the streets.Automedon's curls floated on the breeze, and the boy was even moreinsolent than usual without rebuke. Lolling on his velvet cushions thetribune's smile seemed to have lost something of its malice; and thoughthe tiger-look was on him still, it was that of the sleek and satisfiedtiger who has been fed. That look never left him all day, while hetransacted business in the Forum, while he showed his grace and agility atball in the Fives' Court, while he reposed after his exertions at thebath; but it was more apparent still when the hour of supper arrived, andhe took his place in the banqueting-hall of Caesar, with some of thebravest soldiers, the noblest senators, the greatest statesmen, wits,gluttons, and profligates in the empire.

  A banquet with Vitellius was no light and simple repast. Leagues of seaand miles of forest had been swept to furnish the mere groundwork of theentertainment. Hardy fishermen had spent their nights on the heaving wave,that the giant turbot might flap its snowy flakes on the Emperor's tablebroader than its broad dish of gold. Many a swelling hill, clad in thedark oak coppice, had echoed to ringing shout of hunter, and deep-mouthedbay of hound, ere the wild boar yielded his grim life by the morass, andthe dark grisly carcass was drawn off to provide a standing-dish that wasonly meant to gratify the eye. Even the peacock roasted in its featherswas too gross a dainty for epicures who studied the art of gastronomyunder Caesar; and that taste would have been considered rustic in theextreme, which could partake of more than the mere fumes and savour of sosubstantial a dish. A thousand nightingales had been trapped and killed,indeed, for this one supper, but brains and tongues were all theycontributed to the banquet, while even the wing of a roasted hare wouldhave been considered far too coarse and common food for the imperialboard.

  There were a dozen of guests reaching round the ivory table, and sodisposed that the head of each was turned towards the giver of the feast.Caesar was, indeed, in his glory. A garland of white roses crowned his paleand bloated face, enhancing the unhealthiness of its aspect. His featureshad originally been well-formed and delicate, expressive of wit, energy,and great versatility of character. Now the eyes were sunken, and thevessels beneath them so puffed and swollen as to discolour the skin; thejowl, too, had become large and heavy, imparting an air of sensualstupidity to the whole countenance, which brightened up, however, at theappearance of a favourite dish, or the smack of some rich luscious wine.He was busy at present with the eager, guzzling avidity of a pig; and hepropped his unwieldy body, clad in its loose white gown, on one flabbyarm, while with the other he fed himself on sharp-biting salads, saltedherrings, pickled anchovies, and such stimulants as were served in thefirst course of a Roman entertainment, to provoke the hunger that the restof the meal should satisfy. Now and then his eye wandered for an instantthrough the long shining vistas of the hall, amongst its marble pillars,its crimson hangings, its vases crowned with blushing fruit and flowers,its sideboards blazing with chalices, and flagons, and plates of burnishedgold, as though he expected and winced from a blow; but the restlessglance was sure to return to the table, and quench itself once more in thesatisfaction of his favourite employment.

  Next to the Emperor was placed Paris, the graceful pantomimist, whosegirlish face was already flushed with wine, and who turned his darklaughing eyes from one to another of the guests with the good-humouredinsolence of incipient intoxication. The young actor's dress wasextravagant in the extreme, and he wore a collar of pearls, the gift of anempress, that would have purchased a province. He was talking volubly to afat, coarse-featured man, his neighbour, who answered him at intervalswith a grunt of acquiescence, but in whose twinkling eye lurked a world ofwit and sarcasm, and from whose thick sensual lips, engrossed as they werewith the business of the moment, would drop ever and anon some pungentjest, that was sure to be repeated to-morrow at every supper-table inRome. Montanus was a crafty statesman and a practised diplomatist, whosesociety was sought for at the Court, whose opinions carried weight in theSenate; but the old voluptuary had long discovered that there was nosafety under the Empire for those who took a leading part in the council,but that certain distinction awaited proficiency at the banquet--so hedevoted his powerful intellect to the study of gastronomy and thefabrication of witty sayings; nor did he ever permit the outwardexpression of his countenance to betray a consciousness of the good thingsthat went into and came out of his mouth.

  Beyond him again reclined Licinius; his manly face and noble bearingpresenting a vivid contrast to those who surrounded him, and who treatedhim, one and all, including Caesar himself, with marked deference andrespect. The old soldier, however, appeared somewhat weary, and out of hiselement. He loathed these long entert
ainments, so opposed to his ownsimple habits; and regarded the company in his secret heart with a good-humoured, yet very decided, contempt. So he sat through the banquet as hewould have kept watch on an outpost. It was tedious, it was disagreeable.There was nothing to be gained by it; but it was duty, and it must bedone.

  Far different, in the frank joyous expression he knew so well how to puton, was the mien of Julius Placidus, as he replied to a brief, indistinctquestion from the Emperor (murmured with his mouth full), by a sally thatset everyone near him laughing, and even raised a smile on the pale faceof Vitellius himself. It was the tribune's cue to make his societyuniversally popular--to be all things to all men, especially to win theconfidence of his imperial host. There is an art in social success, noless than in any other triumph of natural ability. The rein must never becompletely loosed, the bow never stretched to its full compass. Latentpower ready to be called forth, is the secret of all grace; and while theobserved does well, it must be apparent to the observer that he could dobetter if he chose. Also, to be really popular, a man, though a good dealliked, should be a little feared. Julius Placidus excelled in the retortcourteous, which he could deliver without the slightest hesitation orchange of countenance; and a nickname or a sarcasm once inflicted by theready-witted tribune clung afterwards to its object like a burr. Then hepossessed besides the invaluable qualification of a discriminating tastein seasonings, the result of a healthy palate, refined, but not destroyedby the culture bestowed on it; and could drink every man of them, exceptMontanus, under the table, without his stomach or his brain being affectedby the debauch.

  Our acquaintance Spado was also of the party. Generally a buffoon of nomean calibre, and one whose special talent lay in such coarse andpractical jests as served to amuse Vitellius when his intellects hadbecome too torpid to appreciate the nicer delicacies of wit, the eunuchwas to-night peculiarly dull and silent. He reclined, with his headresting on his hand, and seemed to conceal as much as he could of hisface, one side of which was swollen and discoloured as from a blow. Hisfat unwieldy form looked more disgusting than usual in its sumptuousdress, fastened and looped up at every fold with clasps of emeralds andpearls; and though he ate slowly and with difficulty, he seemed determinedto lose none of the gratifications of the meal.

  There were a few more guests--one or two senators--who, with the caution,but not the genius of Montanus, were conspicuous for nothing but theirfulsome adulation of the Emperor. A tall sullen-looking man, commander ofthe Praetorian Guard, who never laid aside the golden breastplate in whichhe was encased, and who seemed only anxious for the conclusion of theentertainment. Three or four unknown and undistinguished persons, calledin Roman society by the expressive term "Shades," whose social position,and, indeed, whose very existence, depended on the patrons they followed.Amongst these were two freedmen of the Emperor, pale anxious-lookingbeings, with haggard eyes and careworn faces. It was their especial dutyto guard against poison, by tasting of every dish served to theiremployer. It might be supposed that, as in previous reigns, one suchfunctionary would have been enough; but the great variety of dainties inwhich the enormous appetite of Vitellius enabled him to indulge, renderedit impossible for any one stomach to keep pace with him throughout thewhole of a meal, and these devoted champions took it by turns to guardtheir master with their lives. Keen appetites and jovial looks were not tobe expected from men engaged on such a duty.

  The first course, though long protracted, came to an end at last. Itsgreatest delicacy, consisting of dormice sprinkled with poppy-seed andhoney, had completely disappeared. The tables were cleared by a band ofAsiatic youths, richly habited, who entered to the sounds of wild Easternmusic, and bore off the fragments that remained. As they emerged at onedoor, a troop of handsome fair-haired maidens--barbarian captives--simplyclad in white muslin, and garlanded with flowers, entered at another,carrying the golden dishes and vessels that contained the second course.In the meantime, hanging curtains parted slowly from before a recess inthe middle of the hall, and disclosed three Syrian dancing-girls, groupedlike a picture, in different attitudes of voluptuous grace. Shaded lampswere so disposed as to throw a rosy light upon their limbs and faces;while soft thin vapours curled about them, rising from braziers burningperfumed incense at their feet. Simultaneously they clashed their cymbals,and bounded wildly out upon the floor. Then began a measure of alternatelanguor and activity, now swelling into frantic bacchanalian gestures, nowsinking into tender lassitude or picturesque repose. The warm blood glowedin the dark faces of these daughters of the sun, the black eyes flashedunder their long eyelashes, and their white teeth showed like pearlsbetween the rich red lips; while the beautifully turned limbs, and theflexible, undulating forms, writhed themselves into attitudes suggestiveof imperious conquest, coy reluctance, or yielding love.

  The dance was soon over; wilder and faster flitted the glancing feet, andtossed the shapely hands, encircled with bracelets and anklets of tinysilver bells. When the measure was whirling at its speediest, the threestopped short, and at once, as if struck into stone, formed a group ofrare fantastic beauty at the very feet of Caesar's guests; who one and allbroke into a murmur of unfeigned applause. As, touching their mouths andforeheads with their hands in Eastern obeisance, they retired, Placidusflung after them a collar of pearls, to be picked up by her who wasapparently the leader of the three. One of the Emperor's freedmen seemedabout to follow his example, for he buried his hand in his bosom, buteither changed his mind or else found nothing there, since he drew itforth again empty; while Vitellius himself, plucking a bracelet from hisarm, threw it after the retreating dancers, remarking that it was intendedas a bribe to go away, for they only distracted attention from matters ofreal importance, now that the second course had come in; to which Montanusgave his cordial approval, fixing his eyes at the same time on the breastof a flamingo in which the skilful carver had just inserted the point ofhis long knife.

  It would be endless to go into the details of such a banquet as that whichwas placed before the guests of Caesar. Wild boar, pasties, goats, everykind of shellfish, thrushes, beccaficoes, vegetables of all descriptions,and poultry, were removed to make way for the pheasant, the guinea-hen,the turkey, the capon, venison, ducks, woodcocks, and turtledoves.Everything that could creep, or fly, or swim, and could boast a delicateflavour when cooked, was pressed into the service of the Emperor; and whenappetite was appeased and could do no more, the strongest condiments andother remedies were used to stimulate fresh hunger and consume a freshsupply of superfluous dainties. But the great business of the evening wasnot yet half finished. Excess of eating was indeed the object; but it wasto excess of drinking that the gluttons of that period looked as theespecial relief of every entertainment, since the hope of each seemed tobe, that when thoroughly flooded, and, so to speak, washed out with wine,he might begin eating again. The Roman was no drunkard like the barbarian,for the sake of that wild excitement of the brain which is purchased byintoxication. No, he ate to repletion that he might drink withgratification. He drank to excess that he might eat again.

  Another train of slaves now cleared the table. These were Nubian eunuchs,clad in white turbans and scarlet tunics, embroidered with seed pearls andgold. They brought in the dessert--choice fruits heaped upon vases of therarest porcelain, sweetmeats in baskets of silver filigree, Syrian datesborne by miniature golden camels of exquisite workmanship--masses offlowers in the centre, and perfumes burning at the corners of the table.Behind each couch containing its three guests stood a sable cup-bearer,deaf and dumb, whose only business it was to fill for his especial charge.These mutes were procured at vast expense from every corner of the empire;but Caesar especially prided himself on their similarity in face andfigure. To-day he would be served by Germans, to-morrow by Gauls, the nextby Ethiopians, and so on; nor, though deprived of the organs of speech andhearing, were these ministers of Bacchus unobservant of what took placeamongst the votaries on whom they waited; and it was said that the mutesin the palace heard more confi
dences, and told more secrets, than all theold women in Rome put together.

  And now, taking his cue from the Emperor, each man loosened the belt ofhis tunic, shifted the garland of flowers off his brows, disposed himselfin an easier attitude on his couch, and proffered his cup to be filled bythe attendant. The great business of eating was for the present concluded,and deep drinking about to commence. When marvelling, however, at thequantity of wine consumed by the Romans in their entertainments, we mustremember that it was the pure and unadulterated juice of the grape, thatit was in general freely mixed with water, and that they thus imbibed buta very small portion of alcohol, which is in reality the destructivequality of all stimulants, to the welfare of the stomach and the brain.