Meditations
| 载入中... |
the day seemed to he going in favour of the foe, when on a
sudden arose a great storm of thunder and rain the lightning
struck the barbarians with terror, and they turned to rout.
In later days this storm was said to have been sent in answer
to the prayers of a legion which contained many Christians,
and the name Thundering Legion should he given to it on this account.
The title of Thundering Legion is known at an earlier date,
so this part of the story at least cannot be true; but the aid
of the storm is acknowledged by one of the scenes carved on
Antonine's Column at Rome, which commemorates these wars.
The settlement made after these troubles might have been
more satisfactory but for an unexpected rising in the east.
Avidius Cassius, an able captain who had won renown in the Parthian
wars, was at this time chief governor of the eastern provinces.
By whatever means induced, he had conceived the project
of proclaiming himself emperor as soon as Marcus, who was then
in feeble health, should die; and a report having been conveyed
to him that Marcus was dead, Cassius did as he had planned.
Marcus, on hearing the news, immediately patched up a peace and
returned Home to meet this new peril. The emperors great grief
was that he must needs engage in the horrors of civil strife.
He praised the qualities of Cassius, and expressed a heartfelt
wish that Cassius might not be driven to do himself a hurt
before he should have the opportunity to grant a free pardon.
But before he could come to the east news had come to Cassius
that the emperor still lived; his followers fell away from him,
and he was assassinated. Marcus now went to the east,
and while there the murderers brought the head of Cassius to him;
but the emperor indignantly refused their gift, nor would
he admit the men to his presence.
On this journey his wife, Faustina, died. At his return
the emperor celebrated a triumph (176). Immediately afterwards
he repaired to Germany, and took up once more the burden of war.
His operations were followed by complete success; but the
troubles of late years had been too much for his constitution,
at no time robust, and on March 17, 180, he died in Pannonia.
The good emperor was not spared domestic troubles. Faustina had
borne him several children, of whom he was passionately fond.
Their innocent faces may still be seen in many a sculpture gallery,
recalling with odd effect the dreamy countenance of their father.
But they died one by one, and when Marcus came to his own end
only one of his sons still lived--the weak and worthless Commodus.
On his father's death Commodus, who succeeded him, undid the work
of many campaigns by a hasty and unwise peace; and his reign of
twelve years proved him to be a ferocious and bloodthirsty tyrant.
Scandal has made free with the name of Faustina herself,
who is accused not only of unfaithfulness, but of intriguing
with Cassius and egging him on to his fatal rebellion,
it must be admitted that these charges rest on no sure evidence;
and the emperor, at all events, loved her dearly, nor ever felt
the slightest qualm of suspicion.
As a soldier we have seen that Marcus was both capable and successful;
as an administrator he was prudent and conscientious.
Although steeped in the teachings of philosophy, he did
not attempt to remodel the world on any preconceived plan.
He trod the path beaten by his predecessors, seeking only to do
his duty as well as he could, and to keep out corruption.
He did some unwise things, it is true. To create a compeer in empire,
as he did with Verus, was a dangerous innovation which could only
succeed if one of the two effaced himself; and under Diocletian
this very precedent caused the Roman Empire to split into halves.
He erred in his civil administration by too much centralising.
But the strong point of his reign was the administration of justice.
Marcus sought by-laws to protect the weak, to make the lot of the
slaves less hard, to stand in place of father to the fatherless.
Charitable foundations were endowed for rearing and educating
poor children. The provinces were protected against oppression,
and public help was given to cities or districts which might
be visited by calamity. The great blot on his name, and one
hard indeed to explain, is his treatment of the Christians.
In his reign Justin at Rome became a martyr to his faith,
and Polycarp at Smyrna, and we know of many outbreaks of fanaticism
in the provinces which caused the death of the faithful.
It is no excuse to plead that he knew nothing about the atrocities
done in his name: it was his duty to know, and if he did not he would
have been the first to confess that he had failed in his duty.
But from his own tone in speaking of the Christians
PrevPage [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] ... NextPage >>
推荐阅读
载入中...
相关阅读
No Correlative 小说