A Struggle for Rome, v. 3

by Felix Dahn

  CHAPTER XII.

  Cethegus sprang from his seat, tossed the letter down, and hastilypaced his tent.

  "Feeble creature! and weak-minded Cethegus! to vex yourself thatanother soul is lost to you! Had you not lost Julius long before youkilled him? And yet you still live and strive! And this Narses, whomall fear as if he were God and devil in one--is he, then, really sodangerous? Impossible! He has blindly entrusted Rome to me and mine. Itis not his fault that I do not defy him at this moment from theCapitol. Bah! I cannot learn to be afraid in my old days. I trust in mystar! Is it foolhardiness? Is it the calmest wisdom? I do not know; butit seems to me that confidence like this led Caesar from victory tovictory! However, I can scarcely learn more from the secret council ofNarses in his bath-house than I have learned from this letter." And hetore the papyrus roll into small pieces. "I will start this very day,even if Syphax has overheard nothing at this moment, for I think it isthe hour of the bath."

  Just then Johannes was announced, and, at a sign from Cethegus, wasadmitted.

  "Prefect of Rome," said Johannes, "I am come to beg pardon for an oldinjury. The pain I felt at the loss of my brother Perseus made mesuspicious."

  "Let that rest," said Cethegus; "it is forgotten."

  "But I have not forgotten," continued Johannes, "your heroic valour. Inorder at once to honour it and profit by it, I come to you with aproposal. I and my comrades, used to Belisarius's straightforwardattacks, find the caution of the great Narses very tiresome. We havenow been lying for nearly two months before this cursed pass; we losemen and win no renown. The commander-in-chief will starve thebarbarians out. Who knows how long that may last? And there will be afine butchery if, at last driven by despair, the barbarians break outand sell dearly every drop of their blood! It is clear that if we onlyhad the mouth of that confounded pass----"

  "Yes, _if_!" said Cethegus, smiling. "It is not ill-defended by thisTeja."

  "Just on that account he must fall! He, the King, is evidently the onlyone who holds together the whole loose bundle of spears. Therefore Iand more than a dozen of the best blades in the camp have formed aleague. Whenever it is the King's turn to guard the pass--the approachis so narrow and steep, that only one at a time can attempt ahand-to-hand fight--we, one after the other, taking our turns by lot,will attack him; the others will keep as close as possible to theforemost combatant, will save him if wounded, step into his place whenhe falls, or, if he is victor and slays the Goth, press forward intothe ravine. Besides me, there are the Longobardians Alboin, Gisulf, andAutharis, the Herulians Rodulf and Suartua, Ardarich the Gepide,Gunebad the Burgundian, Chlotachar and Bertchramn the Franks, Vadomarand Epurulf the Alamannians, Garizo the tall Bajuvar, Kabades thePersian, Althias the Armenian, and Taulantius the Illyrian. We shouldmuch like to have your terrible sword among us. Will you, Cethegus, beone in our league? I know you hate this black-haired hero."

  "Gladly," said Cethegus, "as long as I am here. But I shall soonexchange this camp for the Capitol."

  A strange and mocking smile passed across the face of Johannes, whichdid not escape Cethegus. But he attributed it to a wrong feeling.

  "You cannot well doubt my courage," he said, "according to your ownwords. But there are more important things for me to do than to stampout the last glimmering sparks of the Gothic war. The orphaned citylongs for her Prefect. The Capitol beckons me."

  "The Capitol!" repeated Johannes. "I think, Cethegus, that a heroicdeath is also worth something."

  "Yes, when the aim of one's life is reached."

  "But no one knows, O Cethegus, how near he has approached his aim. But,another thing: it seems to me as if something is in preparation amongthe barbarians on their cursed mountain. From the hill near my quarterswe can peep a little, through a gap, over the peaks of the lava. Ishould like you to turn your practised eye in that direction. At least,they shall not surprise us by a sally. Follow me thither. But do notspeak of our league to Narses; he does not approve of such things. Ipurposely chose the hour of his bath for my visit to you."

  "I will come," said Cethegus.

  He finished putting on his armour, and, after vainly inquiring forSyphax of the Isaurian sentry, went with Johannes through his own andthe central camp of Narses, and finally turned into that on the rightwing--the camp of Johannes.

  Upon the crown of the little hill mentioned by Johannes stood a greatmany officers, who were eagerly looking through a small gap in the lavainto the portion of the Gothic encampment visible to them.

  When Cethegus had looked for some time, he cried:

  "There is no doubt about it! They are evacuating this easternmost partof their position; they are pushing the wagons, which were drawntogether, apart, and dragging them farther to the right, to the west.That must mean concentration; perhaps a sally."

  "What do you think, Johannes?" quietly asked a young captain, who hadevidently only lately arrived from Byzantium, and who was a stranger toCethegus, "what do you think? Could not the new catapults reach thebarbarians from the point of that rock? I mean the last inventions ofMartinus--such as my brother took to Rome."

  "_To Rome?_" repeated Cethegus, and cast a sharp look at the questionerand at Johannes.

  He felt himself suddenly turn hot and cold--a fright came over him,more terrible still than he had experienced when he had heard of thelanding of Belisarius, of Totila's election, of Totila's march to Romeat _Pons Padi_, of Totila's entrance into the Tiber; or of the arrivalof Narses in Italy. It seemed to him as if an iron hand were clutchinghis heart and brain. He saw that Johannes imposed silence on the youngquestioner with a furious frown.

  "_To Rome?_" again repeated Cethegus in a low voice, and fixing hiseyes, now upon the stranger, now upon Johannes.

  "Well, yes, of course, to Rome!" at last answered Johannes. "Zenon,this man is Cethegus, the Prefect of Rome."

  The young Byzantine bowed with the expression of one who sees for thefirst time some far-famed monster.

  "Cethegus, Zenon here, a captain who till now has been fighting on theEuphrates, arrived only yesterday evening with some Persian bowmen fromByzantium."

  "And his brother," asked Cethegus, "has gone to _Rome_?"

  "My brother Megas," quietly answered the Byzantine--who had nowcollected himself--"had the order to offer to the Prefect of Rome"--andhere he again bowed--"the newly-invented double-catapults for the wallsof Rome. He embarked long before me; so I thought that he had alreadyarrived, and was gone to you in Rome. But his freight is very heavy. Iam rejoiced to become personally acquainted with the most powerful manof the West, the glorious defender of the Tomb of Hadrian."

  But Cethegus cast another sharp look at Johannes, and, abruptly bowingto all present, turned to go.

  When he had gone a few paces he suddenly looked back, and caught sightof Johannes, with both his fists raised in anger, scolding at thetalkative young archon. A cold shudder ran through the Prefect. Heintended to reach his tent by the shortest cut, and, without waitingfor Syphax and his discoveries, to mount his horse and hasten to Romewithout taking leave.

  The shortest way to get to his tent was to leave the camp of Johannes,and walk along the straight line of the semicircle formed by the wholeencampment. In front of him a few Persian bowmen were riding out of thecamp commanded by Johannes. And some peasants who had sold wine to thesoldiers were also permitted to pass unhindered by the sentinels. Thesesentries were all Longobardians, to whom, as everywhere, the exits ofthis camp were entrusted by Narses.

  As Cethegus was about to follow his countrymen, these sentries stoppedhim with their spears. He caught at the shafts and angrily pushed themaside. At this one of the Longobardians blew his horn; the otherspressed more closely round Cethegus.

  "By order of Narses!" said Autharis, the captain.

  "And those?" asked Cethegus, pointing to the peasants and the Persians.

  "Those are not you," said the Longobardian.

  At the sound of the horn a troop of guards had hurr
ied up. They benttheir bows. Cethegus silently turned his back on them and returned tohis tent by the way that he had come.

  Perhaps it was only his suddenly-aroused mistrust which made himimagine that all the Byzantines and Longobardians whom he passedregarded him with half-jeering, half-compassionate looks. When hereached his tent he asked the Isaurian sentry:

  "Is Syphax back?"

  "Yes, sir, long since. He is impatiently waiting for you in the tent.He is wounded."

  Cethegus quickly pushed aside the curtains and entered. Syphax, deadlypale beneath his bronzed skin, rushed to meet him, embraced his knees,and whispered in passionate and desperate excitement:

  "O my master! my lion! You are ensnared--lost--nothing can save you!"

  "Compose yourself, slave!" said Cethegus. "You bleed?""It is nothing! They would not permit me to return to your camp--theybegan to struggle with me as if in joke, but their dagger-stabs werebitter earnest."

  "Who? Whose dagger-stabs?"

  "The Longobardians, master, who have placed double guards at all theentrances of your camp."

  "Narses shall give me a reason for this," said Cethegus angrily.

  "The reason--that is, the pretext--he sent Kabades to inform you ofit--is a menaced sally by the Goths. But oh! my lion, my eagle, mypalm-tree, my wellspring--you are lost!"

  And again the Numidian threw himself at his master's feet, coveringthem with tears and kisses.

  "Tell me coherently," said Cethegus, "what you have heard."

  And he leaned against the central support of his tent, crossing hisarms behind his back, and raising his head. He did not seem to regardthe troubled face of Syphax, but to gaze at vacancy.

  "O sir--I shall not be able to tell it very clearly--but I succeeded inreaching my hiding-place among the sea-weed. It was scarcely necessaryto dive--the weeds hid me sufficiently. The bathing-house is made ofthin wood and has been newly covered with linen since the last storm.Narses came in his little boat with Alboin, Basiliskos, and three othermen, disguised as Longobardians--but I recognised Scaevola, Albinus----"

  "They are not dangerous," interrupted Cethegus.

  "And--Anicius!"

  "Are you not mistaken?" asked Cethegus sharply.

  "Sir, I knew his eyes and his voice! From their conversation--I did notunderstand every word--but the sense was clear----"

  "Would that you could repeat their very words!"

  "They spoke Greek, sir, and I do not understand it as well as yourlanguage--and the waves made a noise, and the wind was unfavourable."

  "Well, what did they say?"

  "The three men only came from Byzantium yesterday evening--they at oncedemanded your head. But Narses said, 'No murder! A just sentence aftera process in all form.' 'When is it to be?' asked Anicius. 'So soon asit is time.' 'And Rome?' asked Basiliskos. 'He will never see Romeagain!' answered Narses."

  "Stop!" cried Cethegus. "Wait a moment. I must be quite clear."

  He wrote a few lines upon a wax tablet.

  "Has Narses returned from his bath?"

  "Long ago."

  "'Tis well." He gave the tablet to the sentinel at the door. "Bringback the answer immediately.--Continue, Syphax."

  But Cethegus could no longer stand still. He began hastily to pace thetent.

  "O sir, something monstrous must have happened at Rome--I could notexactly understand what. Anicius put a question; in it he named yourIsaurians. Narses said, 'I am rid of the chief Sandil,' and he added,laughing, 'and the rest are well cared for in Rome by Aulus and thebrothers Macer, my decoy-birds.'"

  "Did he name those names?" asked Cethegus grimly. "Did he use thatword?"

  "Yes, sir. Then Alboin said, 'It is well that the young tribunes aregone; it would have cost a hard fight.' And Narses replied, 'All thePrefect's Isaurians must go. Shall we fight a bloody battle in our owncamp, and let King Teja burst in upon us?' O sir, I fear that they haveenticed your most faithful followers away from you with evil intent."

  "I believe so too," said Cethegus gravely. "But what did they say aboutRome?"

  "Alboin asked after a leader whose name I had never heard before."

  "Megas?" asked Cethegus.

  "Yes, Megas! That was it. How did you know?"

  "No matter. Continue! What about this Megas?"

  "Alboin asked how long Megas had been in Rome. Narses said, 'In anycase long enough for the Roman tribunes and the Isaurians.'"

  Cethegus groaned aloud.

  "But," continued Syphax, "Scaevola remarked that the citizens of Romeidolised their tyrant and his young knights. 'Yes.' answered Narses,'formerly; but now they hate and fear nothing so much as the man whotried by force once more to make them brave men and Romans.' ThenAlbinus asked, 'But if they were to take his part again? His name hasan all-conquering influence.' Narses answered, 'Twenty-five thousandArmenians in the Capitol and the Mausoleum will bind the Romans----'"

  Cethegus struck his fist fiercely on his forehead.

  "'Will bind them more strictly than Pope Pelagius, their treaty, ortheir oath.' 'Their treaty and their oath?' asked Scaevola. 'Yes,'answered Narses, 'their oath and treaty! They have sworn only to opentheir gates to the Prefect of Rome.' 'Well, and then?' asked Anicius.'Well', they know, and they knew then, that now the Prefect of Rome iscalled--Narses. _To me, not to him_ have, they sworn!'"

  Cethegus threw himself upon his couch and hid his face in hispurple-hemmed mantle. No loud complaint issued from his heaving chest.

  "Oh, my dear master!" cried Syphax, "it will kill you! But I have notyet finished. You must know all. Despair will give you strength, as itdoes to the snared lion."

  Cethegus raised his head.

  "Finish," he said. "What I have still to hear is indifferent; it canonly concern me, not Rome."

  "But it concerns you in a fearful manner! Narses went on to say, aftera few speeches which escaped me in the noise of the waves--thatyesterday, at the same time as the long-expected news from Rome----"

  "What news?" asked Cethegus.

  "He did not mention what. He said, 'At the same time, Zenon brought meword to open the sealed orders which I carry from the Emperor; for thelatter rightly judges that any day may bring about the destruction ofthe Goths. I opened and'--O master, it is dreadful----"

  "Speak!"

  "Narses said, 'All the great Justinian's littleness is exposed in theseorders. I believe he would more easily pardon Cethegus for havingenticed him to blind Belisarius, than for having been in collusion withTheodora, for having been the seducer of the Empress! A frightfulanachron'--I did not understand the word."

  "Anachronism!" said Cethegus, quietly righting Syphax.

  "'For having deceived and outwitted him. The fate which Cethegus almostbrought upon Belisarius, will now fall upon his own head--the loss ofhis sight.'"

  "Really!" said Cethegus with a smile. But he involuntarily felt for hisdagger.

  "Narses said further," continued Syphax, "that you were to suffer thepunishment which, in blasphemous desecration of Christ's death, andcontrary to the law of the Emperor Constantine, you had latelyintroduced into Rome. What can he mean by that?" added Syphaxanxiously.

  "Crucifixion!" said Cethegus as he put up his dagger.

  "O master!"

  "Softly! I do not yet hang in the air. I still firmly tread thehero-nourishing earth. Conclude!"

  "Narses said that he was a general and no executioner, and that theEmperor would have to be contented if he only sent him your head toByzantium. But oh, not that! Only not that--if we _must_ die!"

  "We?" said Cethegus, who had fully gained his usual calmness. "_You_have not deceived the great Emperor. The danger does not threaten you."

  But Syphax continued:

  "Do you not know then? Oh, do not doubt it. All Africa knows that ifthe head of a corpse is wanting, the soul must creep for ages throughdust and mire, in the shape of a vile and filthy headless worm. Oh,they shall not separate your head from your trunk!"

  "It still stands firm upon
these shoulders of mine, like the globe onthe shoulders of Atlas. Peace--some one comes."

  The Isaurian who had been sent to Narses, entered with a sealed letter.

  "To Cethegus Caesarius: Narses, the magister militum. There is nothingto prevent your carrying out your wish to go to Rome."

  "Now I understand," said Cethegus, and read on:

  "The sentinels have orders to let you ride forth. But, if you insistupon going, I will give you a thousand Longobardians under Alboin as anescort, for the roads are very unsafe. As, in all probability, anattempt will be made by the Goths, to-day or tomorrow, to break throughour lines, and repeated foolhardy sallies on the part of my soldiershave led to the loss of leaders and troops, I have ordered that no onebe permitted to leave the camp without my express permission, and haveentrusted the watch, even that of the tents, to my Longobardians."

  Cethegus sprang to the entrance of his tent, and tore the curtainsopen. His four Isaurians were just being led away. TwentyLongobardians, under Autharis, drew up before the tent.

  "I had thought of escaping to-night," he said to Syphax, turning back."It is now impossible. But it is better so, more dignified. Rather aGothic spear in my breast, than a Grecian arrow in my back. But I havenot yet read all that Narses writes."

  He read on:

  "If you will come to my tent, you will learn what measures I have takenagainst the probably great bloodshed which will ensue if the barbariansventure to sally, as they threaten. But I have still a painfulcommunication to make to you. News, which reached me yesterday eveningby sea from Rome, informs me that your tribunes and the greater part ofthe Isaurians have been killed."

  "Ah! Licinius, Piso, Julianus!" cried the Prefect, startled out of hisicy and defiant calmness by deep pain.

  After a pause he controlled his emotion sufficiently to take up theletter and read on:

  "When they had been quietly admitted into the city (shamefullydecoyed!) they refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Emperor.They tried, contrary to their promise, to use force. Lucius Liciniusattempted to take the Capitol by storm; Piso, the Porta Latina; SalvusJulianus, the Mausoleum. They fell, each before the place which heattacked. What remained of the Isaurians were taken prisoners."

  "My second Julius follows the first!" cried Cethegus. "Well, I do notneed an heir, for Rome will never now be mine! It is over! The greatstruggle for Rome is over! And brute force, small cunning, hasconquered the mind of Cethegus as it did the sword of the Goth. ORomans, Romans! _You, too, my sons?_ You are my Brutus. Come, Syphax,you are free. I go to meet death. Go back to your deserts."

  "O master!" cried Syphax, sobbing passionately, as he crouched at thefeet of Cethegus. "Do not send me from you! I am not less faithful thanAspa! Let me die with you!"

  "Be it so," said Cethegus quietly, and laying his hand upon the Moor'shead. "I have loved you, my panther! Then die with me. Give me my helm,shield, sword, and spear."

  "Whither go you?"

  "First to Narses."

  "And then?"

  "To Vesuvius!"