The Death of the Gods

by Dmitry Sergeyevich Merezhkovsky

  VI

  Julian remembered the interminable conflicts between Orthodox andArians under Constantius at the council of Milan, and designing toprofit by that animosity, he decided to follow the example of hisChristian predecessors and convoke an oecumenical council.

  On one occasion, in a private conversation, he had declared that,instead of persecuting the Galileans, he wished to give them fullfreedom of faith, and to call back from exile Donatists, Caecilians,Marcionists, Montanists, and other heretics banished by the councilsof Constantine and Constantius. He thought that there was no bettermeans of abolishing Christianity.

  "You will see, my friends, when all the sectaries shall have returned,such strife will be kindled between these brethren, that they willbegin to torture each other like birds of prey loosed from their cageinto the arena of the circus. They will bring shame upon theirMaster's name more quickly and effectually than I could by anypersecutions and martyrdoms!"

  And so Julian sent into all parts of the Empire edicts authorising thebanished to return. The wisest Galilean teachers were at the same timeinvited to come to the palace at Constantinople for a religiousdiscussion; but the majority of those invited were unaware of thesubject to be discussed, the wording of the letters being skilfullyvague. Guessing some trick, many, pleading sickness, failed to presentthemselves.

  The blue morning sky seemed dark against the dazzling whiteness of thedouble colonnade surrounding the court known as the Atrium ofConstantine. White pigeons were fluttering here and there in the sky,with gleeful beating of wings. In the centre of the court stood thestatue of Venus Callipyge, in warm and beautiful marble. The monks,passing by her, turned away, hiding their eyes, but the tendertemptress remained, for all that, in their midst. Not without purposehad Julian chosen this situation for the Galilean council. The darkrobes of the religious appeared blacker still, their starvation-dulledfaces more meagre. Each strove to wear an air of indifference andpresumption, feigning not to see his enemy at his elbow, yet castingstealthy glances of curiosity and contempt.

  "Holy Mother of God, what is this? Whither are we fallen?" said theold bishop Eustace, with profound emotion. "Let me pass out,soldiers!"

  "Gently, gently, my friend," answered the centurion of thelance-bearers, the barbarian Dagalaif, politely keeping him from thedoor.

  "I'm choking in this pit of heresy! let me pass!"

  "By the will of Augustus, everybody here has come to the council,"responded Dagalaif, inflexibly keeping him back.

  "But this is not a council, it is a den of thieves!"

  Among the Galileans some more cheerful persons began to laugh at theprovincial manners and the strong Armenian accent of Eustace, who,losing courage, quieted down, and slipped into a corner, muttering--

  "Lord, Lord, how have I offended Thee?"

  Evander of Nicomedia also quickly repented of having come and ofhaving led thither brother Juventinus, a disciple of Didimus, who hadbut newly arrived at Constantinople.

  Evander was one of the greatest dogmatists of his time; a man ofprofound and lucid intellect. He had lost his health, and grownprematurely old, over his books; he was almost blind, and hisshort-sighted eyes worn out with fatigue. Innumerable heresiesbesieged his brain, leaving him no sleep, or tormenting him in dreams,ever tempting him by their dread subtleties. Evander used to collectheresies, as one might collect jewels or scientific rarities, in animmense manuscript entitled _Against Heresy_. He hunted for themgreedily, imagined those that might be in existence, and the better herefuted the more he was attracted towards them.

  Sometimes he would entreat God to grant him simple faith, and Godwould refuse him simplicity.

  In ordinary life he was timid, simple, and offenceless as a child. Forrascals to deceive Evander was as easy as breathing, and on this scorethe mockers told a hundred stories against him. Plunged in doctrinaldreams, the bishop continually found himself in awkward situations. Inone of these fits of abstraction he had come to this singular council,without thinking why he went thither, but attracted by the hope oflighting on a new heresy. Now his face was twitching with annoyance,and he shaded his weak eyes against the too bright rays of the sun,longing to be back amongst his books in his little twilight chamber.

  Evander kept Juventinus at his side, and warned him against temptationby criticising various heresies. In the centre of the hall a vigorousold man was striding up and down. He had high cheek-bones and thickgrey hair. It was the septuagenarian bishop Purpuris, recalled fromexile by Julian. Neither Constantine nor Constantius had succeeded instifling the Donatist heresy. For fifty years past streams of bloodhad flowed in Africa, by reason of the unjust deposition of a Donatistin favour of a Caecilian, or of a Caecilian in favour of a Donatist. Norcould any augury be made as to the final issue of this fratricidalstrife.

  Juventinus noticed that the Caecilian bishop who was passing in frontof Purpuris brushed the vestments of the Donatist with the corner ofhis chasuble. The latter turned fiercely round, with a growl ofdisgust, and, taking the stuff between two fingers, shook it severaltimes before the eyes of everybody.

  Evander informed Juventinus in a low voice that when a Caecilianhappened to enter a Donatist congregation he was hunted out and theflags touched by his feet were washed with salt water.

  Behind Purpuris, dogging him step by step, walked his faithfulbodyguard, an enormous half-savage African, brown-skinned, terrible,flat-nosed, and thick-lipped, the deacon Leona. He was armed with acudgel, gripped tightly in his nervous hands. He was an Ethiopianpeasant, belonging to the self-mutilating sect called Circumcellions.Weapon in hand, these sectaries would run along the high-roadsoffering money to passers-by, in return for destruction, adding, "Killus, or we will kill you!" In the name of Christ the Circumcellionsmutilated themselves, burned themselves, drowned themselves, but neverwould hang themselves, because Judas was hanged. They declared thatsuicide for God's glory washed all sin from the soul, and the peoplelooked on them as martyrs. Before death, they abandoned themselves toall pleasures; ate, drank, and offered violence to women. A greatnumber refrained from using swords, Christ having forbidden it, but onthe other hand they felled heretics and pagans with huge bludgeons,"according to the Scriptures," and with consciences at ease. Whilespilling blood they would cry "Glory be to God!"

  And the peaceful inhabitants lived more in terror of this religiouscry than of war-trumpets or the roarings of a lion. The Donatistsconsidered the Circumcellions as their guardians, and these Ethiopianpeasants finding theological controversies hard to understand, theDonatists would point out beforehand those whom they were to strikeaccording to the Scriptures.

  Evander directed the attention of Juventinus on a handsome youth,whose tender and ingenuous expression seemed almost that of a younggirl. He was a Cainite.

  "Blessed be our tameless brothers, Cain, Shem, the inhabitants ofSodom and Gomorrah!" preached the Cainites. "They are seeds of highwisdom, of reason divine!... Come to us, all ye hunted, reprobate,revolted! Blessed be Judas! he alone among the apostles was initiatedin the higher knowledge!... He betrayed Christ that He might die andrise again, because he knew the death of Christ would save the world!He who is initiated in our wisdom can transgress all limits, daringall, despising matter, trampling all fear under foot; and givinghimself up to all sins and delight of the sense, attain that disgustfor matter which is the final purity of the soul!"

  "Look, Juventinus, there is a man who believes himself abovearchangels and seraphim," said Evander, waving his hand towards ayoung and sprightly Egyptian, who held himself aloof from everyone, anironic smile on his lips, which were painted, like those of acourtesan. He was dressed in the latest Byzantine vogue, his whitehands loaded with rings. His name was Cassiodorus, and he was aValentinian. "In the Christians," affirmed the arrogant Valentinians,"there is a soul, as in animals; but there is no mind, as in us. Wealone are initiated into the mysteries of the Gnosis and of the divinePlenum. It follows, therefore, that we alone are worthy to callourselves human. All others are,
as it were, pigs and dogs."

  Cassiodorus would say to his disciples: "You should know everyone, butno one should understand you. Before the profane, deny the Gnosis, bedumb, and despise evidences of the gospel. Despise professions offaith and martyrdoms; love silence and mystery. Be for your enemy asinvisible, elusive, inviolable, as the immaterial forces. OrdinaryChristians need good actions for their salvation; but those whopossess the highest knowledge of God, the Gnosis, need not performthese actions. We are the sons of light, they the sons of darkness. Wefear not sin, because we know that sin is needful to the materialbody, and even to the immaterial soul. We are placed so high that, letour faults be what they will, we cannot err. Our heart remains chastein the delights of matter, as pure gold keeps its brightness in themud."

  Elsewhere Juventinus saw an old man, with a hang-dog expression and asquint, the Adamite Prodick, explaining his teaching in a loud voice.He believed in restoring the innocence of the first Adam. The Adamitesperformed their mysteries in a church warmed like a bath and calledthe "Eden." Like our first ancestors, they evinced no shame in theabsence of clothes, and assevered that among themselves all men andwomen were noted for lofty modesty, although the innocence of theseparadisiac assemblies had sometimes been questioned.

  At the elbow of the Adamite Prodick a woman--pale-faced, grey-haired,and proud, her eyes half-shut with fatigue--was sitting on the ground.She wore episcopal garb. She was the prophetess of the Montanists.Yellow-skinned Copts were tending her devotedly, gazing on her withsolicitude, and calling her "Heavenly Dove." Consuming themselves foryears in ecstasies of impossible love, they preached the duty ofbringing humanity to an end, through the practice of continence.Scattered in numerous bands on the burning hills of Phrygia, near theruins of Papusa, these pallid dreamers would remain sittingmotionless, day after day, their eyes fixed on the horizon, on whichthe Saviour was to appear. On foggy evenings, above the grey plain, inthe clouds, in rays of melting gold they would catch visions of theglory of God--the new Zion descending upon earth. Year after year theywould wait, dying at last in the hope that the celestial kingdom wasjust about to descend upon the ruins of Papusa. Sometimes lifting herwearied eyelids, and with troubled gaze fixed in the distance, theprophetess was murmuring in Syriac--

  "_Maran Atha_"--"The Lord is coming!"

  And her Coptic servants bowed towards her, the better to hear.

  Juventinus listened to the explanations of Evander. All this resembledsome wild and torturing dream. His heart shivered, under a bitterflood of pity.

  Silence was at last restored; all looks turned towards the same spot,at the opposite extremity of the court, where Julian was standing. Hisface was clear and firm, and he wore an air of assumed indifferenceHis garb was the simple white chlamys of the philosophers.

  "Old men and masters," said Augustus, addressing the assembly, "wehave thought it well to give evidence of our indulgence and compassionto all our subjects who profess the Galilean teaching. For those whoare gone astray it is better to feel compassion than hatred; better tolead the obstinate to the truth by exhortation, and in no wise byharryings, blows, or corporeal tortures. Wishing to restore peace tothe world, so long troubled by religious discord, I have called you, Olearned Galileans, together. We shall hope that under our protectionyou will give an example of those lofty virtues which befit yourwisdom and your spiritual divinity."

  So, with the easy gestures of a practised speaker, he began a speechprepared beforehand. But the benevolent words were not lacking inironic allusion.

  He made it clear he had not forgotten the stupid and coarsealtercations that had taken place under Constantius, at the council ofMilan. He mentioned, with an evil smile, those audacious persons who,regretting that they were no longer allowed to persecute or martyrisetheir brethren, had urged the ignorant populace into rebellion, pouredoil on fire, and attempted to fill the world with fratricidal madness.These were the real enemies of humanity, and guilty of the greatestevil of all, namely, anarchy.

  And he finished his harangue by the following unexpected words--

  "We have called back from banishment your brothers, who had beenhunted forth from the councils of Constantine and Constantius, becausewe desired to give liberty to all citizens of the Roman Empire. Andfor the complete suppression of discord, we confide to you, wiseteachers, the duty of settling for Galileans a single and uniqueprofession of faith. It is to this end that we have convoked you inour palace. Judge now, and authoritatively decide. In order to affordyou full freedom of speech we will withdraw, and await your wisedecision."

  Before anyone had time to grasp the situation, or to answer thisstrange discourse, Julian, surrounded by his philosophic friends, leftthe court and disappeared.

  Everybody was dumb. Someone uttered a long sigh, and in the generalsilence the beating of pigeons' wings and the rippling of the fountainalone were audible. Suddenly, on the raised marble dais, which hadserved as tribune for Julian, appeared the kindly old man at whoseprovincial bearing and Armenian accent everybody had laughed.

  His face was red, his eyes burning with vehemence. The Emperor'sspeech had offended the old bishop. Filled with fearless religiouszeal, Eustace advanced towards the members of the council--

  "Fathers and brothers," he exclaimed, and his voice was so stern andunshaken that no one thought of laughing at it--"Fathers and brothers,let us part in peace! He who has called us here, to seduce and toinsult us, knows neither the canons of the Church nor the rules of thecouncils. He hates even the name of Jesus! Let us not be a sport toour enemies, let us restrain all angry words! I entreat you, in thename of the eternal God, let us separate in silence!"

  He pronounced these words in a loud and ringing voice, his eyes fixedon a raised gallery, curtained by purple hangings. The Emperor,surrounded by his Hellenist friends, had just appeared there. Amurmur of fright and astonishment ran through the assembly. Juliangazed at Eustace, but the old man sustained his gaze. The Emperor'sface grew dark.

  At that moment the Donatist Purpuris brutally thrust off the bishopand took his place on the tribune.

  "Do not listen to him," cried Purpuris; "do not let us separate, inscorn of the will of Augustus! The Caecilians bear a grudge againsthim, because he has delivered us."

  "No, in all truth, no, my brothers!" protested Eustace.

  "Leave us, ye accursed! We are not your brothers! We are thewheat-ears of God--you the straw destined for the burning!..." Andwaving his hand towards the apostate Emperor Purpuris continued in asolemn tone, as if chanting a nuptial song--

  "Behold our saviour! Look on him!... Glory, glory, to the mostcompassionate and learned Augustus!... Thou shalt trample on the snakeand the reptile! Thou shalt conquer the lion, for the angels watchover thee in all thy doings.... Hail!"

  The congregation became unsettled. Some declared that the advice ofEustace must be followed. Others asked to be heard, not wishing tolose the opportunity of expounding their doctrines before a generalreligious council. Faces kindled and voices rose.

  "Let a Caecilian enter one of our churches now" exulted Purpuris, "andwe'll place our hands on his head, not to choose him as our shepherd,but to crack his skull!"

  Many forgot the purpose of the meeting and engaged in subtlediscussions, seeking converts. The Basilidian, Triphon, who hailedfrom Egypt, surrounded by curious hearers, exhibited a transparentchrysolith amulet, bearing the mysterious word "Abraxa."

  "He who shall understand the meaning of the word _Abraxa_," Triphonwas saying to the group around him, "shall receive all freedom, shallbecome an immortal, and, tasting all sins, be sullied by none._Abraxa_ represents by letters the number of the mountains in heaven,three hundred and sixty-five. Above the three hundred and sixty-fivecelestial spheres, above the hierarchies of angels and archangels,there is a certain Nothingness, nameless, and more beautiful than anylight, a motionless and sterile Nothingness...."

  "The motionless and sterile nothingness is in your own stupid head!"growled an Arian bishop, striding straight
up to Triphon.

  The Gnostic, according to his custom, became silent, locking his lipsin a contemptuous smile, and raising a forefinger--

  "Wisdom! Wisdom!" he ejaculated, and vanished in the crowd.

  The prophetess of Papusa, among her anxious Copts, stood up, terrible,pale, half-swooning, and groaned, as if her troubled eyes saw nothing,as if her ears heard nothing--

  "_Maran Atha_"--"The Lord is coming!"

  The disciples of the youth Epiphanes, a Pagan demi-god or Christianmartyr, worshipped in the oratories of Cephalonia, were declaimingbrotherhood and equality--

  "There are no laws but these: Destroy all; let all be incommon--women, lands, riches, like earth, air, and sun!"

  The Ophites, serpent-worshippers, raised above their heads a cross,round which a tame adder was coiling--

  "The wisdom of the Serpent," they said, "gives man a knowledge ofgood and evil; behold the saviour, Ophiomorphos, the serpentiform!Fear nothing! Hearken to him! Taste the forbidden fruit, and ye shallbe even as gods!"

  A perfumed and curled Marcosianist, lifting on high a crystal cup fullof water with the skilful gestures of a juggler, invited curiosity--

  "Look at this miracle! the water's going to boil and be turned intoblood!"

  Colabasians were there, counting their fingers with inconceivablecelerity, and demonstrating that all the numbers of Pythagoras, everymystery of heaven and earth, were comprised in the letters of theGreek alphabet--

  "Alpha, Omega--the beginning and the end, and between them theTrinity; Beta, Gamma, Delta--the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!You see how simple it is!"

  Fabionites, gluttonous Carpocratians, debauched Barbelonites stood up,preaching such follies that hearers possessing a vestige of moralityput their fingers in their ears. Many strove to move their audiencesby the attractive force over the imagination possessed by madness andmonstrosity. Every man was certain of his own gospel. Yet all wereenemies. Even the minute sect, hidden in remote provinces of Africa,the Rogationists, were certain that Christ returning upon earth wouldfind the true comprehension of the Gospel only amongst themselves, ina few Mauritanian villages, and nowhere else.

  Evander of Nicomedia, forgetting Juventinus, could scarcely scribbledown the new heresies on his tablets fast enough, happy as a collectorwho has lit upon a new set of trinkets.

  And meantime, in the upper gallery, the young Emperor, surrounded byhis white-robed philosophic friends, was gazing down upon themaddened tumult with malign satisfaction. The Pythagorean Proclus,Nymphidian, Priscus, AEdesius, old Iamblicus, the pious bishopHekobolis, were at his side. They neither laughed nor jested. Theirfaces remained almost impassive and their attitude a becoming one;only from time to time across their closed lips flitted a furtive andpitying smile. From the shadow of the purple hangings they looked downon the spectacle, as gods must regard the hostilities of men, orcircus-lovers the beasts of the arena. It was indeed a banquet forHellenic sages.

  In the midst of the general confusion the effeminate young Cainiteleapt on the tribune and shouted, with such conviction in his voicethat everybody turned round, overwhelmed at the impiety--

  "Blessed be rebels against God! Blessed be Cain, Shem, Judas, theinhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah! Blessed be their brother, the Angelof Infinite Darkness!"

  The bishop Purpuris, who for an hour past had not been able to get ahearing, to relieve his feelings rushed at the Cainite and raised hissinewy hand to close the lips of the blasphemer.

  A crowd dragged him back.

  "Father, it is unbecoming!"

  "Let me be, let me be! I will not endure such abomination," roaredPurpuris; "take this, seed of Cain!"

  And the bishop spat in his face.

  A general fray followed, which would have enlarged into a battle ifRoman soldiers had not intervened. These parted the Galileans, withthe words--

  "You must not act so in this place! Have you not got enough churchesto fight each other in?"

  Purpuris was dragged off, and ordered to quit the atrium.

  He called out--

  "Leona, deacon Leona!"

  The deacon thrust the soldiers aside, felled two of them to the earth,freed Purpuris, and set the terrible mace of the Circumcellionswhirling above the heads of the heresiarchs.

  "Glory to God!" shouted the African, seeking a victim.

  Suddenly the club sank out of his loosened hands. All stood petrified.Then a sharp cry, uttered by one of the Coptic servants of theprophetess of Papusa, rent the general hush. Kneeling, his facetransfigured by fear, he pointed to the tribune--

  "The Devil! The Devil! Look at the Prince of Evil!"

  It was Julian the Emperor, on the marble dais above the crowd, in hiswhite chlamys, his arms crossed on his breast. Terrible glee burned inhis eyes; and to many indeed, at that moment, the recreant princeappeared dreadful as Satan, his brother.

  "Is this how you fulfil the law of love, Galileans?" he said to thedumbfounded assembly. "How much your mercy and forgiveness areworth!... Verily the wild animals have more compassion than brethrenlike you! In the words of your Master: "Woe upon you, law-makers,because you have taken the key of the house, and, hindering othersfrom entering, have not entered in yourselves! Woe to you,Pharisees!..."

  And enjoying their silence he added after a pause--

  "If you cannot rule yourselves, Galileans, I say to you, in order toprevent greater misfortunes, you shall now obey, and submit yourselvesto me!"