Perpetua. A Tale of Nimes in A.D. 213 Page 4

  CHAPTER IV

  THE UTRICULARES

  The singular transformation that had taken place in the presiding deity ofthe fountain, from being a nymph into a male god, had not beensufficiently complete to alter the worship of the deity. As in the days ofDruidism, the sacred source was under the charge of priestesses, andalthough, with the change of sex of the deity, priests had been appointedto the temple, yet they were few, and occupied a position of subordinationto the chief priestess. She was a woman of sagacity and knowledge of humannature. She perceived immediately how critical was the situation. IfAEmilius Lentulus were allowed to proceed with his speech he would draw tohim the excitable Southern minds, and it was quite possible might provokea tumult in which the temple would be wrecked. At the least, his wordswould serve to chill popular devotion.

  The period when Christianity began to radiate through the Roman world wasone when the traditional paganism with its associated rights, that hadcontented a simpler age, had lost its hold on the thoughtful and cultured.Those who were esteemed the leaders of society mocked at religion, andalthough they conformed to its ceremonial, did so with ill-disguisedcontempt. At their tables, before their slaves, they laughed at the sacredmyths related of the gods, as absurd and indecent, and the slaves thoughtit became them to affect the same incredulity as their masters. Soberthinkers endeavored to save some form of religion by explaining away themonstrous legends, and attributing them to the wayward imagination ofpoets. The existence of the gods they admitted, but argued that the godswere the unintelligent and blind forces of nature; or that, if rational,they stood apart in cold exclusiveness and cared naught for mankind. Manythrew themselves into a position of agnosticism. They professed to believein nothing but what their senses assured them did exist, and asserted thatas there was no evidence to warrant them in declaring that there weregods, they could not believe in them; that moreover, as there was norevelation of a moral law, there existed no distinction between right andwrong. Therefore, the only workable maxim on which to rule life was: "Letus eat and drink, for to-morrow we may die."

  Over all men hung the threatening cloud of death. All must undergo thewaning of the vital powers, the failure of health, the withering ofbeauty, the loss of appetite for the pleasure of life, or if not the lossof appetite, at least the faculty for enjoyment.

  There was no shaking off the oppressive burden, no escape from thegathering shadow. Yet, just as those on the edge of a precipice throwthemselves over, through giddiness, so did men rush on self-destruction instartling numbers and with levity, because weary of life, and these wereprecisely such as had enjoyed wealth to the full and had run through thewhole gamut of pleasures.

  What happened after death? Was there any continuance of existence?

  Men craved to know. They felt that life was too brief altogether for thesatisfaction of the aspirations of their souls. They ran from one pleasureto another without filling the void within.

  Consequently, having lost faith in the traditional religion--it was not acreed--itself a composite out of some Latin, some Etruscan, and some Greekmyth and cult, they looked elsewhere for what they required. Consciences,agonized by remorse, sought expiation in secret mysteries, only to findthat they afforded no relief at all. Minds craving after faith plungedinto philosophic speculations that led to nothing but unsolved eternalquery. Souls hungering, thirsting after God the Ideal of all that is Holyand pure and lovable, adopted the strange religions imported from the Eastand South; some became votaries of the Egyptian Isis and Serapis, othersof the Persian Mithras--all to find that they had pursued bubbles.

  In the midst of this general disturbance of old ideas, in the midst of awidespread despair, Christianity flashed forth and offered what wasdesired by the earnest, the thoughtful, the down-trodden and theconscience-stricken--a revelation made by the Father of Spirits as to whatis the destiny of man, what is the law of right and wrong, what is instore for those who obey the law; how also pardon might be obtained fortransgression, and grace to restore fallen humanity.

  Christianity meeting a wide-felt want spread rapidly, not only among thepoor and oppressed, but extensively among the cultured and the noble. Allconnected by interest, or prejudiced by association with the dominant andestablished paganism, were uneasy and alarmed. The traditional religionwas honeycombed and tottering to its fall, and how it was to be revivedthey knew not. That it would be supplanted by the new faith in Christ waswhat they feared.

  The chief priestess of Nemausus knew that in the then condition of mindsan act of overt defiance might lead to a very general apostasy. It was toher of sovereign importance to arrest the movement at once, to silenceAEmilius, to have him punished for his act of sacrilege, and to recoverpossession of Perpetua.

  She snatched the golden apple from the hand of the image, and, giving itto an attendant, said: "Run everywhere; touch and summon the CultoresNemausi."

  The girl did as commanded. She sped among the crowd, and, with the pippin,touched one, then another, calling: "Worshippers of Nemausus, to the aidof the god!"

  The result was manifest at once. It was as though an electrical shock hadpassed through the multitude. Those touched and those who had heard thesummons at once disengaged themselves from the crush, drew together, andceased to express their individual opinions. Indeed, such as hadpreviously applauded the sentiments of AEmilius, now assumed an attitude ofdisapprobation.

  Rapidly men rallied about the white-robed priestesses, who surrounded thesilver image.

  To understand what was taking place it is necessary that a few wordsshould be given in explanation.

  The Roman population of the towns--not in Italy only, but in all theRomanized provinces, banded itself in colleges or societies very much likeour benefit clubs. Those guilds were very generally under the invocationof some god or goddess, and those who belonged to them were entitled"Cultores" or worshippers of such or such a deity. These clubs had theirsecretaries and treasurers, their places of meeting, their common chests,their feasts, and their several constitutions. Each society made provisionfor its members in time of sickness, and furnished a dignified funeral inthe club Columbarium, after which all sat down to a funeral banquet in thesupper room attached to the cemetery. These colleges or guilds enjoyedgreat privileges, and were protected by the law.

  At a time when a political career was closed to all but such as belongedto the governing class, the affairs of these clubs engrossed the attentionof the members and evoked great rivalry and controversies. One admirableeffect of the clubs was the development of a spirit of fellowship amongthe members, and another was that it tended in a measure to break downclass exclusiveness. Men of rank and wealth, aware of the power exercisedby these guilds, eagerly accepted the offices of patron to them, thoughthe clubs might be those of cord-wainers, armorers or sailmakers. Andthose who were ordinary members of a guild regarded their patrons withaffection and loyalty. Now that the signal had been sent round to rallythe Cultores Nemausi, every member forgot his private feeling, sank hisindividual opinion, and fell into rank with his fellows, united in onecommon object--the maintenance by every available man, and at everysacrifice, of the respect due to the god.

  These Cultores Nemausi at once formed into organized bodies under theirseveral officers, in face of a confused crowd that drifted hither andthither without purpose and without cohesion.

  AEmilius found himself no longer hearkened to. To him this was a matter ofno concern. He had sought to engage attention only so as to withdraw itfrom Perpetua and leave opportunity for her friends to remove her.

  Now that this object was attained, he laughingly leaped from thebalustrade and made as though he was about to return home.

  But at once the chief priestess saw his object, and cried: "Seize him! Heblasphemes the god, founder of the city. He would destroy the college. Lethim be conveyed into the temple, that the Holy One may there deal with himas he wills."

  The Prefect of Police, whose du
ty it was to keep order, now advanced withthe few men he had deemed necessary to bring with him, and he said inperemptory tone:

  "We can suffer no violence. If he has transgressed the law, let him beimpeached."

  "Sir," answered the priestess, "we will use no violence. He has insultedthe majesty of the god. He has snatched from him his destined and devotedvictim. Yet we meditate no severe reprisals. All I seek is that he may bebrought into the presence of the god in the adytum, where is a tablespread with cakes. Let him there sprinkle incense on the fire and eat ofthe cakes. Then he shall go free. If the god be wroth, he will manifesthis indignation. But if, as I doubt not, he be placable, then shall thisman depart unmolested."

  "Against this I have naught to advance," said the prefect.

  But one standing by whispered him: "Those cakes are not to be trusted. Ihave heard of one who ate and fell down in convulsions after eating."

  "That is a matter between the god and AEmilius Varo. I have done my duty."

  Then the confraternity of the Cultores Nemausi spread itself so as toencircle the place and include AEmilius, barring every passage. He might,doubtless, have escaped had he taken to his heels at the first summons ofthe club to congregate, but he had desired to occupy the attention of thepeople as long as possible, and it did not comport with his self-respectto run from danger.

  Throwing over him the toga which he had cast aside when he leaped into thepond, he thrust one hand into his bosom and leisurely strode through thecrowd, waving them aside with the other hand, till he stopped by theliving barrier of the worshippers of Nemausus.

  "You cannot pass, sir," said the captain of that party which interceptedhis exit. "The chief priestess hath ordered that thou appear before thegod in his cella and then do worship and submit thyself to his will."

  "And how is that will to be declared?" asked the young man, jestingly.

  "Sir! thou must eat one of the dedicated placenta."

  "I have heard of these same cakes and have no stomach for them."

  "Nevertheless eat thou must."

  "What if I will not?"

  "Then constraint will be used. The prefect has given his consent. Who isto deliver thee?"

  "Who! Here come my deliverers!"

  A tramp of feet was audible.

  Instantly AEmilius ran back to the balustrade, leaped upon it, and, wavinghis arm, shouted:

  "To my aid, Utriculares! But use no violence."

  Instantly with a shout a dense body of men that had rolled into thegardens dashed itself against the ring of Cultores Nemausi. Theybrandished marlin spikes and oars to which were attached inflated goat-skins and bladders. These they whirled around their heads and with themthey smote to the left and to the right. The distended skins clashedagainst such as stood in opposition, and sent them reeling backward;whereat the lusty men wielding the wind-bags thrust their way as a wedgethrough their ranks. The worshippers of Nemausus swore, screamed,remonstrated, but were unable to withstand the onslaught. They were beatenback and dispersed by the whirling bladders.

  The general mob roared with laughter and cheered the boatmen who formedthe attacking party. Cries of "Well done, Utriculares! That is a finedelivery, Wind-bag-men! Ha, ha! A hundred to five on the Utriculares! Youare come in the nick of time, afore your patron was made to nibble thepoisoned cakes."

  The men armed with air-distended skins did harm to none. Their weaponswere calculated to alarm and not to injure. To be banged in the face witha bladder was almost as disconcerting as to be smitten with a cudgel, butit left no bruise, it broke no bone, and the man sent staggering by awind-bag was received in the arms of those in rear with jibe or laugh andelicited no compassion.

  The Utriculares speedily reached AEmilius, gave vent to a cheer; theylifted him on their shoulders, and, swinging the inflated skins andshouting, marched off, out of the gardens, through the Forum, down themain street of the lower town unmolested, under the conduct ofCallipodius.