“Why public?” asked Nero. “The Christians are criminals and slave runaways without citizenship. There’s no need for a hundred-man college to sit in judgment on such people. A decree by the Prefect will do.”
Tigellinus explained that a surprising number of the arrested people were citizens and no charge could be brought against them except that they had admitted to being Christians, and that it was difficult for him because he could not keep five thousand people on the Praetorium parade ground for several days.
The arrested citizens also seemed to have sufficient funds to be able to prolong the trial by appealing to the Emperor, even if they were sentenced in the ordinary court. So the Emperor must decide beforehand whether confessing to being a Christian was sufficient grounds to be sentenced by the court.
“Did you say five thousand?” said Nero. “No one has ever yet used so many people at once in a show or even in the greatest triumphs. I think it would be enough with just one show. We can’t have a people’s feast lasting several days. That would just delay the building work even more. Would you be able to have them marched immediately through the city to the other side and lodge them in my circus? Then the people will have a preview of the show and can give expression to their anger over these terrible crimes. As far as I am concerned, they can tear a few of them to pieces on the way, as long as you see to it that there is not too much disorder.”
I saw that Nero still had no real conception of the whole matter or its proportions.
“Don’t you understand?” I said. “Most of them are respectable and honorable people, girls and boys among them, whom no one could suspect of any evil. Several of them wear togas. You’re not seriously thinking of letting the people insult the Roman toga?”
Nero’s face clouded and he peered at me for a moment, while his thick neck and fat chin stiffened.
“You obviously doubt my powers of understanding, Manilianus,” he said, showing his displeasure by using my surname. But then he burst out laughing as he immediately had another idea. “Tigellinus can have them marched through Rome naked,” he suggested, “and then the people will have even more fun and no one will know who is respectable and who isn’t.”
Then he shook his head.
“Their apparent innocence,” he went on, “is only on the surface. My own experience has taught me to doubt those who mask their evil with external piety and virtuous habits. I know so much about the Christian superstition that the severest punishment is too mild for their ill deeds. Do you want to hear?”
He looked around inquiringly. I knew it was best to keep silent when he wished to speak, so we all asked him to continue.
“The Christian superstition,” said Nero, “is so shameful and horrifying that such a thing could only have originated in the East. They practice horrible magic and threaten to burn up the whole world one day. They recognize each other by secret signs and they assemble in the evenings behind locked doors to eat human flesh and to drink blood. For that purpose they collect children which people have left in their care and sacrifice them at their secret meetings. When they’ve eaten and drunk, they fornicate together in every natural and unnatural form. They even have intercourse with animals, at least with sheep, according to what I have heard.”
He looked triumphantly around. I think it annoyed Tigellinus that Nero in this way had forestalled him before he himself had had time to present his summary of the results of his interrogations. Perhaps he also felt the need to speak on his own behalf, for anyhow he spoke now with contempt.
“You can’t try them simply for fornication,” he said. “I know people quite near here who also assemble behind locked doors to fornicate together.”
Nero burst out laughing.
“It’s quite another matter,” he said, “if people assemble in full agreement for their own pleasure and to study such pastimes. But don’t tell Poppaea everything, for she isn’t quite so tolerant as one might wish. But the Christians do such things as a kind of conspiracy in honor of their god, hoping for all kinds of advantages over other people. They think anything is permissible to them, and the day they come to power, they’ll judge everyone else. That’s an idea which could be politically dangerous if it weren’t so ridiculous.”
We did not join in his somewhat strained laughter.
“The cellars under the Vatican circus are much too small for five thousand people,” Tigellinus put in then. “I still think that it’s unnecessary to drag citizens into the matter. I suggest that I am allowed to release all those who honesdy give an assurance that they will disclaim the Christian superstition and who are otherwise honorable citizens.”
“But then there won’t be many left to punish,” protested Nero. “Obviously they’ll all do that if they’re given the chance. They are all part of the conspiracy in the same way, even if they didn’t take a direct part in the burning. If I think there are far too many, which seems very unlikely when one thinks of the fearful crime they’ve committed, then I’ll let them draw lots among themselves. That’s what they do in war when a legion has suffered an ignominious defeat. Corbulo was given permission to have every tenth man executed in Armenia, with the help of lots. They turned out to be heroes and cowards alternately. I suggest that you draw lots for every tenth person to be set free. They’ll presumably be sufficiently frightened by the others’ punishment for the Christian superstition to vanish from Rome forever.”
Tigellinus remarked that no one had yet accused him of exaggerated mildness in his office.
“My views are purely practical,” he said. “To execute five thousand people in an artistic way, as you wish to, is not possible in a single day in that cramped circus of yours, even if we filled all the gardens with crucifixes. I wash my hands of the whole affair. If you do not wish for an artistic show, then of course a mass execution can be arranged although I suspect it won’t be much of a pleasure to the people. They’ll get bored. There’s nothing so monotonous as continuous executions all day long.”
We were all so appalled by his comments that no one said a word. We had all imagined something like twenty or so of the Christians being executed in some cruel way and the rest performing in some kind of show.
Petronius shook his head and said hastily, “No, my lord, that would not be in good taste.”
“I don’t want you, and perhaps myself too, accused of ignoring the rights of citizenship,” went on Tigellinus. “We must strike while the iron is hot. This is a matter of some urgency. I have ten or so genuine confessions but they’ll not suffice for a public trial, and all those who have confessed won’t be of any use any longer to show in public.”
He was troubled by our looks, and added irritably, “Some of them died trying to escape. That often happens.”
Again I had the feeling of a heavy cloak falling over me, but I had to speak out.
“Imperator,” I said, “I know the Christians and their customs and habits. They are peaceful people who keep to themselves without interfering in matters of State, and they avoid all evil things. I know nothing but good of them. They are foolish perhaps in their belief that a certain Jesus of Nazareth, whom they call Christ and who was crucified during Pontius Pilate’s procuratorship in Judaea, will come and free them of all sin and give them eternal life. But foolishness in itself is not an offense.”
“That’s it, that they believe they’ll be forgiven their worst crimes because everything is permissible for them,” said Nero impatiendy. “If that isn’t dangerous teaching, then I should like to know what is a danger to the State.”
Some said hesitantly that the danger from the Christians was perhaps exaggerated by rumors. If some of them were punished, then the others would be frightened and disclaim their superstition.
“In fact they hate all mankind,” protested Tigellinus triumphantly, “and believe that their Christ will appear and condemn you, my lord, and also me and my immorality, to be burned alive as punishment for our evil deeds.”
Nero laughed and shrugged his shoulders. To his credit, it must be said that he did not mind abuse directed at his own personal weaknesses but used to treat those who composed malicious verses about him with good humor.
But he looked up quickly when Tigellinus turned to me reproachfully and said, “Wasn’t it you, Minutus, who said that the Christians don’t even like theatrical performances?”
“Do they hate the theater?” said Nero, rising slowly to his feet, for abuse of his singing he would not tolerate. “In that case, they are truly enemies of mankind and deserve all punishment. We’ll charge them with arson and with being enemies of mankind. I don’t think anyone will come to their defense.”
I rose, my knees trembling violently.
“My lord,” I protested stubbornly, “I have myself occasionally partaken in the Christians’ sacred meals. I can swear on oath that nothing improper happened at them. They took wine, bread and other ordinary food. They say
