CHAPTER IX.
Scarcely had the Goths turned their backs upon the walls of Rome, whenPope Silverius--the very day after taking the oath--summoned the headsof the priesthood and nobility, the officials and citizens, to acouncil in the _Thermae_ of Caracalla.
Cethegus was also invited, and appeared.
Without the least embarrassment, Silverius moved that, as at last thehour was come in which to cast off the yoke of the heretics, an embassyshould be sent to Belisarius, the commander-in-chief of the orthodoxEmperor--the only rightful master of Italy--to deliver up the keys ofthe Eternal City, and to recommend the Church and the faithful to hisprotection against the vengeance of the barbarians.
The scruples of a very young priest and of an honest smith, on accountof their yesterday's oath, he dismissed with a smile, appealing to hisApostolic power to bind and to loose, and pointing to the evident forceput upon them while taking the oath, by the presence of Gothic arms.
Upon this the motion was carried unanimously, and the Pope himself,Scaevola, Albinus, and Cethegus, appointed as ambassadors.
But Cethegus put in a protest. He had silently listened to the motionand had not joined in the vote. Now he rose and said:
"I am against the motion; not on account of the oath. I need not appealto the Apostolic power, for I did not swear. But on account of thecity. That is, we must not unnecessarily arouse the just anger of theGoths, who may very easily return, and who would not then take theApostolic dispensation as an excuse for such open perjury. LetBelisarius either beg us or compel us. Who throws himself away is evertrampled on."
Silverius and Scaevola exchanged significant glances.
"Such sentiments," said the jurist, "will doubtless be very pleasing tothe Emperor's general, but can alter nothing in our decision. So youwill not go with us to Belisarius?"
"I will go to Belisarius, but not with you," said Cethegus, and leftthe place.
As the others were leaving the Thermae, the Pope said to Scaevola:
"That will finish him! He has declared against the surrender beforewitnesses!"
"And he goes himself into the lion's den!"
"He shall not leave it again. You have drawn up the act of accusation?"
"Long ago. I feared that he would take the mastery of the city into hisown hands, and now he goes himself to Belisarius! That proud man islost."
"Amen," said Silverius. "And so may all fall who in their worldlyendeavours oppose the holy Petrus.--The day after to-morrow, at thefourth hour, we will set forth."
But the Holy Father erred; the proud man was not yet to fall.
Cethegus had hastened immediately to his house, where his Gallicchariot awaited him.
"We start at once," he called to the slave who sat on the foremosthorse; "I will only fetch my sword."
In the vestibule he met the two Licinii, who were watching for himimpatiently.
"To-day is the day," cried Lucius, "with the prospect of which you haveso long comforted us!"
"Where is the proof of your trust in our courage, our skill, and ourfidelity!" asked Marcus.
"Patience!" said Cethegus, lifting his forefinger; and he went into hisstudy.
He shortly reappeared, his sword and many papers under his left arm, asealed roll in his right hand. His eyes flashed.
"Is the outermost gate of the Moles Hadriani ready?" he asked.
"Ready," answered Lucius Licinius.
"Is the grain from Sicily stored in the Capitol?"
"All stored."
"Are the weapons distributed, and the ramparts of the Capitol completedas I ordered?"
"All complete," answered Marcus.
"Good. Take this roll. Break the seal as soon as Silverius has left thecity, and punctually execute every word therein. It concerns not onlymy life and yours--but Rome! The city of Caesar will be witness of youractions. Go. Farewell till we meet again!"
And the fire in his eyes kindled an answering fire in the hearts of theyoung Romans.
"You shall be content!"
"You and Caesar!" they said, and hurried away.
With a smile that seldom illumined his features with such radiance,Cethegus sprang into his carriage.
"Holy Father," he said to himself, "I am still in your debt for thatlast meeting in the Catacombs. I will repay it well!"
"Down the Via Latina!" he cried to the slaves; "and let the horsesgallop as hard as they can!"
The Prefect had more than a day's start of the embassy. And he used hisadvantage well.
He had, with unchecked energy, thought of a plan by which he wouldremain master of Rome in spite of the landing of Belisarius. And he setabout its execution with all his habitual caution.
He had been scarcely able to control his impatience during the journey.At last he reached the outposts of the Byzantines at Capua, whereJohannes, the commander, sent his younger brother Perseus and a fewhorsemen to lead him to the head-quarters.
Arrived in the camp, Cethegus did not ask for the commander-in-chief,but caused himself to be conducted at once to the tent of theprivy-councillor, Procopius of Caesarea.
Procopius had been his fellow-student in the Schools of Law at Berytus;and the two gifted men had attracted each other greatly.
But not the warmth of friendship led the Prefect first of all to thisman. Procopius knew the whole political past of Belisarius, and wasprobably the confidant of his future plans.
The privy-councillor greeted the friend of his youth with greatpleasure. He was a man of sound commonsense, one of the few men ofscience of that time, whose capability of healthy feeling and simpleapprehension had not been suffocated by the artificial ornaments ofByzantine knowledge in the Schools of Rhetoric.
Clear sense was expressed on his open brow, and in his still youthfullybright eyes shone delight in all that was good.
When Cethegus had washed off the dust and heat of travel in acarefully-prepared bath, his host, before inviting him to the eveningmeal in his tent, led him round the camp, and showed him the quartersof the principal divisions, pointing out the most famous generals, and,in a few words, describing their peculiarities, their services, and theoften singular contrasts of their past lives.
There were the sons of rude Thracia, Constantinus and Bessas, who hadworked their way up from the rank of rough hirelings; brave soldiers,but without culture, and filled with the presumption of self-made men.They considered themselves to be the indispensable supports and equallycapable successors of Belisarius.
There was the aristocratic Iberian Peranius, of the royal family of theIberians, the hostile neighbours of Persia, who had given up hisfatherland and hope of the crown out of hatred to the Persianconqueror, and had taken service in the Emperor's army.
Then Valentinus, Magnus, and Innocentius, daring, leaders ofthe horsemen; Paulus, Demetrius, Ursicinus, the leaders of thefoot-soldiers; Ennes, the Isaurian chief and commander of the Isauriansof Belisarius; Aigan and Askan, the leaders of the Massagetae;Alamundarus and King Abocharabus, the Saracens; Ambazuch and Bleda, theHuns; Arsakes, Amazaspes, and Artabanes, the Armenians (the ArsakidePhaza had been left behind in Neapolis with the rest of the Armenians);Azarethas and Barasmanes, the Persians; and Antallas and Cabaon, theMoors.
All these Procopius knew and named, praising sparingly, but expressinghis blame with great enjoyment, in biting but witty phrases.
They had just turned towards the quarters of Martinus, the peacefultown-burner, on the right, when Cethegus, standing still, asked:
"And whose is the silken tent there on the hill, with the golden starsand purple ensign? The guards carry golden shields!"
"There," said Procopius, "dwells his Invincible Daintiness, the UpperPurple-Snail Intendant of the Roman Empire, Prince Areobindos, whom mayGod enlighten!"
"The Emperor's nephew, is he not?"
"Yes; he married the Emperor's niece, Projecta; his highest and onlymerit. He was sent here with the Imperial Guard to vex us, and to takecare that we do not win
too easily. He has been made of equal rank withBelisarius, understands as little of warfare as Belisarius does ofpurple-snails, and is to be Governor of Italy."
"Indeed!" said Cethegus.
"When we encamped he insisted upon having his tent placed to the rightof Belisarius. But we would not consent. Fortunately God, in Hiswisdom, had created that hill centuries ago for the solving of ourdispute as to rank, and now the Prince is indeed placed to the left,but higher than Belisarius."
"And whose are the gay tents yonder, behind the quarters of Belisarius?Who dwells there?"
"There?" answered Procopius, with a sigh. "A very unhappy woman;Antonina, the wife of Belisarius."
"She unhappy? The celebrated Antonina, the second empress? Why?"
"It is not well to speak of that in the open camp. Come with me to mytent, the wine will be sufficiently cooled."