Chapter 3 Chapter 2 Spartacus in the Arena

The audience clapped like crazy.Then began to comment on the gladiatorial fight just now.There was a roar of 100,000 people in the arena. The fish-helmet gladiator went back into the vault, from which came Prudden, Mercurys, and the ring-fighters.They first burned the fishnet gladiator's body twice with a red-hot iron to make sure he was dead, then hooked the body with a long hook and pulled him out from the arena through the death gate .Then, from little sacks, they poured out a shiny powder (ground from marble from the Tivoli quarry near Rome), and sprinkled it over the pool of blood; Under the sun's rays, it began to glisten like silver again.

The audience clapped their hands and shouted: Long live Sulla! Sulla turned to Gnaeus who was beside him.Cornelius.Torabella (consul two years ago) said: I swear to my patron, Apollo of Delphi, what a vile lot these worms are!Did you think they were clapping at me?No, they were applauding my cooks who prepared the delicious food and drink for them yesterday. Why don't you sit on that arch?Gnaeus.asked Torabella. You don't think this can increase my prestige, do you?Sulla replied, and then he changed the subject: I think the batch Gladiator boss Akzien sold me is not bad, huh? Ah, how generous you are, how great you are!Elder Jidus sitting next to Su La.cried Akvicius aloud.

May Jupiter, who fires, kill all the lowly sycophants!exclaimed the retired dictator, grabbing his shoulders in anger, and scratching them violently, trying to relieve the unbearable itch like the gnawing of countless nasty parasites. After a while he said: I have abandoned power and business, but you still regard me as your master!You bastards, you deserve only to be slaves forever! Ah, Sulla, not everyone is born to be a slave, a nobleman in Sulla's entourage who sat not far from him boldly retorted. This fearless man is called Lucius.Sergeus.Catilina.He was twenty-seven at the time.He was naturally tall: a strong chest, broad shoulders, and muscular arms and legs.He had a large head covered with bushy black curls and a resolute, energetic black face with broad temples, a large raised vein running across his broad forehead to just above the bridge of his nose.There was a cruel expression in his dark gray eyes.A careful observer would have discerned in the nervous quivering of his majestic and resolute face the subtlest inner workings of Catiline.

Before the period described in this book, Lucius.Sergeus.The fearful reputation of Catiline had spread, and everyone was frightened by his irascible, dissolute temper.He once killed the nobleman Gladizion while he was taking a leisurely walk by the Tiber River.The reason for the assassination was simply that Gradizion had rejected a large loan from Catirina using his property as collateral.Caterina had intended to use this sum to pay off the huge debts which prevented him from holding any of the positions he was trying to aspire to.It was a period of persecution, and the cruel and tyrannical Sulla drowned all Rome in a pool of blood.Gradizion's name was not included in the blacklist of those who were persecuted, not only that, but he was even a supporter of Sulla; however, he was very rich, and the property of those on the blacklist could be confiscated therefore, when Catilina dragged the body of Gradizion into the senate in session, threw it at the feet of the dictator, and declared publicly that the man he had killed was of Sulla and of the fatherland. The dictator is not so scrupulous when he is an enemy; he deliberately ignores the murder, and his attention is entirely absorbed in the innumerable possessions of the deceased.

Shortly after this, Catiline and his brother clashed again. Both brothers drew their daggers, but Sergeus, who was famous in Rome for his extraordinary strength.Catilina is also a first-rate fencer.He killed his brother, inherited all his brother's property, and thus avoided the ruin that his extravagance, extravagance, and lust had caused.But Sulla also tried her best to pretend not to see this incident.Therefore, those justices did not dare to find fault with the murderer who killed his own brother. Lucius.Cornelius.Sulla turned to him when he heard Catirina's bold words and replied:

But what do you think, Catirina?How many men are there in the city of Rome who are as brave as you, and as broad-minded as you, who can embrace all kinds of virtues and vices? O glorious Sulla, answered Catirina.I cannot judge men and measure things from the vantage point that great men like you stand.I only know that I was born to love liberty, and I will never endure any bondage, and I can tell you honestly that I hate tyranny, even if it wears the mask of benevolence and generosity, and pretends to be hypocritical in the name of doing the good of the country.You must understand that our country, ravaged to pieces by rebellion and civil war, would rather be governed by many than under the tyranny of one!But I'm not trying to find fault with your actions, to be honest with you, I'm still as anti-dictatorial as ever.I believe, I would like to believe, that there are many citizens of Rome who are ready to endure any torture, provided they are no longer under the tyranny of a man, especially if this man is not called Lucius.Cornelius.Sulla, he is not crowned with such victories as you are, especially if his dictatorship is a little less just than your dictatorship, made possible by the crimes of Marius, Carpo, and Cinna.

So what is the reason, Su La asked calmly with a mocking smile that was hard to see.Why on earth do you not bring me before the court of free citizens?I have resigned as dictator.Why on earth are you not suing me?Why not ask the court to liquidate my past actions? That's because I don't want to see any more assassinations and funerals, which have turned Rome into darkness for the past ten years But we don't have to talk about it, and I don't mean to blame you; you may have made a lot of mistakes, but at the same time You have also made many honorable exploits, and the memory of these exploits has constantly stirred my heart, because I, like you, Sulla, long for glory and authority.You would say the same after all, don't you feel that in the veins of the Roman people still flow the blood of our great and free ancestors?Recall that, a few months ago, in the senate, you voluntarily lifted your authority, dismissed the honorary officers and guards in the presence of all the senators.When you went home with your friends, suddenly an unknown young man began to insult and slander you, saying how you seized the freedom of Rome, how you killed and robbed Roman citizens, and how you became their tyrant!O Sulla, you must admit that he who said those words must have had indomitable courage, because you only need to make a gesture, and you will immediately make this warrior pay his life for slandering you!But how lenient you were to him then I say this not in flattery; Catiline does not and will flatter no one, not even the almighty Jupiter!You were indeed very lenient to him then, and you did not punish him.But you will agree with me: I think it a pity if we still have an unknown youth who can act like this, and there is hope if we don't know who he is: our fatherland, the Roman Republic, can still be saved!

Well, of course, it was an act of valor, and I have always admired the spirit of valor, and I have always loved the daring and the strong.I would not take vengeance on such a brave man, so I endured all his slander and slander against me.But Catilina, do you know what the actions and words of this young man have produced? what kind of result?Sergeus.Katirina looked into the eyes of the dictator who had become gloomy at the moment with an inquiring gaze, and asked. Henceforth, replied Sulla, those who could seize the power of the republic were unwilling to hand it over. Catiline hung her head, hesitated for a moment, then, pulling herself together, raised her head and said:

Is there still to be found a man who is able and willing to seize supreme power? Ursula snorted with a mocking smile.Do you see these slaves?He pointed to the rows of citizens packed to the brim in the stands of the Colosseum.There are many slaves, so you must find a master. The above dialogue was carried out amidst the stormy applause of tens of thousands of spectators.The spectators were mesmerized by the bloody fight between the rope gladiators and the pursuit gladiators in the arena, which quickly ended with the deaths of seven pursuit gladiators and five rope gladiators.The rest of the gladiators who survived, wounded and bleeding, left the arena into the room under the arch, but the audience clapped like crazy, laughed, and joked gleefully with each other.

When the whipping slaves pulled the twelve corpses out of the arena and wiped away the blood on the arena, Valeria watched Sura carefully, who was sitting not far from her. After a while she stood up suddenly, and walking up to the dictator from behind, she plucked a silk thread from his Grecian coat.Surprised, Su La immediately turned around, his animal eyes sparkled, and began to size up the beauty who touched him. Don't be angry, dictator!I pulled this thread because I want to share your little bit of happiness.Fan Laeria said with a charming smile. She greeted him respectfully, raised her hand to her lips, as was the fashion at the time, and made her way back to her seat.Su La was completely flattered by her intimate words, he bowed to her very politely, then turned his head, and accompanied the beauty back with a long gaze, revealing in his gaze A very earnest look.

who is thisSura turned to the arena again and asked. This is Valeria, Gnaeus.Cornelius.Torabella replied.Messala's daughter. oh oh!Sulla said, that is Kundus.Holdenius' sister? It was her. So Sura turned to Fan Laeria again, and she just cast her admiring gaze at him. Holdenius stood up from his seat and walked close to Marcus.Crassus sat down.Crassus was a very wealthy nobleman, he was famous for his stinginess and ambition at that time, but these two contradictory qualities were harmoniously unified in his unique character. Marcus.Crassus is seated near a Greek girl of great beauty, and since this girl is to play an important part in the events we are describing, we must stop here and observe her. This girl is called Evegipeda, and she can be recognized as a Greek woman from her attire.The first thing that attracts people's attention is her slender, strong and beautiful body.Her waist is so slender, as if it can be hooped up with two fingers.There was a lovely blush in that wonderful face, astonishingly white as alabaster.On top of the elegant forehead was covered with fiery red extremely soft hair.Two sea-blue, apricot-like big eyes, burning with lustful flames, exude an irresistible charm.A slightly upturned, graceful little nose seemed to accentuate the bold and courageous expression in her features.Between those slightly parted, moist and sensual red lips, there gleamed two rows of white teeth that were real pearls, and seemed to be competing with the charming dimple that emerged on her small round chin.The snow-white neck seemed to be made of marble.The well-proportioned shoulders are comparable to the goddess Juno.The high elastic bosom, so full that it cannot be concealed by a light cloak, makes the Greek girl all the more alluring.Her bare, chiseled arms and soles were as small as a child's. On her short gown made of extremely thin white silk, it was densely woven with small silver stars and folded in elegant folds.The girl's statue-like figure can not only be guessed from these folds, but sometimes can be seen faintly through the chiffon.On top of the short robe was a cape made of light blue satin, also woven with little stars.A small golden crown covered the hair above her forehead.On her pair of small ears, she wore two huge pearls, and under the pearls hung two star-shaped pendants cut from sapphire, shining brightly.Around her neck was a necklace of pearls, from the bottom of which hung a huge sapphire star down to her half-naked breast.Around her wrists were two pairs of silver bracelets carved with flowers and foliage, and around her waist was a girdle with pointed ends and angles, also of precious metal.Her tiny rose-coloured feet wore platform ankle boots, made of light blue suede with soles across the ankle; bracelet. The girl was not yet twenty-four years old.She was born very beautiful and dressed extremely gorgeously, and there was nothing about her that was not of great allure and charm.It seems that the Venus of Baphos is also going to descend from Olympus to admire her peerless beauty with a deadly gaze. Young Evekipeda was such a beauty.Sitting near her was Marquis.Crassus was admiring her with ecstasy. When Holdencius approached Crassus, Crassus's whole soul had already flown to the charming girl.The beauty obviously felt a little bored, and happened to open her small mouth and yawned at this moment, and she kept stroking the sapphire star shining on her chest with her right hand. Crassus happened to be thirty-two years old; he was born with an above-average build and a heavy build, but already had a tendency to put on weight.On his thick neck rested a large head in perfect proportion to his strong frame, but his bronze-and-gold face was rather thin;He had an aquiline nose, and a well-defined lower jaw protruding forward; his gray eyes, with a yellowish tint, shone very brightly at one moment, and then became motionless and dull, as if they had just passed away. The light suddenly went out.Noble family, outstanding eloquence, amazing wealth, attention and respect to others, not only made him famous, but also won him honor and prestige.He had fought bravely on Sulla's side in the Civil War more than once before our story began, and held various offices. Hello Marcus.Crassus.Holdenius jolted him out of his trance.You are presumably concentrating on stargazing, right? I swear to Hercules!You guessed it right, Crassus replied.Who is this this?Who? That's the Greek beauty up there, she's sitting two rows higher than us oh!I saw her too, this is Evkipeda. Eve Kipida?What are you talking about her? there is nothing.I'm just telling you her name. She's Greek. A courtesan Holdencius sat down beside Crassus and said. Courtesan?In appearance she was a real goddess, just Venus!I swear to Hercules, I could not have conceived another more perfect incarnation of that illustrious and beautiful daughter of Jupiter. You are right, Holdenius smiled.However, the wife of God Farkanas, isn't it so difficult to approach?Had she not lavished favors upon gods, demigods, and sometimes even common mortals, if they were blessed enough to please her, and bestowed upon her treasures of beauty? So where does she live? Live on Holy Street next to the Great Janos Temple. Holdencius noticed that Crassus did not listen to him, but was immersed in meditation, watching the beautiful Ephgipeda as if enchanted, and went on to say: Is such a woman worth your madness? You only need to spend one-thousandth of your property and give her the house she lives in! Crassus had a phosphorescent gleam in his eyes, as he had sometimes shown before, but the gleam was immediately extinguished, and he turned to Holdenius and asked: do you need to talk to me Yeah, about the lawsuit with Trablanc Bank. I listen, you speak. When Crassus and Holdenius were talking about the lawsuit that Holdenius had just filed, when the fourth wife Cezilia was buried only a few months ago.Metela and now Sura who has fallen into Amur's look.While his fifty-nine-year-old was playing late love games with the beautiful Valeria, there was a sudden blast of a trumpet.This was the signal for the gladiatorial fight: thirty Thracians and thirty Shamnites were lined up to fight each other. The voices, noise, and laughter stopped immediately, and everyone's eyes were focused on the gladiator team.The first contact between the gladiatorial parties was terrifying: in the extreme silence that enveloped several arenas, only the clang of a sharp dagger on a shield was heard.Broken feathers and fragments of helmets and shields flew across the arena.The excited gladiators were panting heavily, slashing at each other one after another.Less than five minutes after the fight began, the arena was already dripping with blood: three gladiators fell to the ground, struggling in dying pain, and other gladiators trampled on them. Neither description nor imagination can convey the tension that the audience experiences while watching this bloody gladiatorial fight.But the following description may give you a very faint impression: Among the spectators gathered in the arena, about 80,000 people placed bets on this gladiatorial fight.The number of bets ranged from ten to twenty sesterces according to each person's economic situation, and some even reached a huge number of fifty talents.Some bet on Thracians in purple and red, others on Shamnites in sky blue. The ranks of gladiators became thinner and thinner, while the applause and shouts of encouragement grew closer. After an hour passed, the gladiatorial fight was almost over.In the entire gladiator arena, fifty dead or mortally wounded gladiators were lying here and there, and the dying gladiators twitched in the agony of dying, and let out bursts of piercing screams. The spectators who bet on the Shamnites apparently thought they were sure of victory.The seven Shamnites were closing in on the three Thracians who survived; the three Thracians were standing back to back, forming a triangle, and resisting violently in strength. The overwhelmingly dominant Shamnites. Among the three Thracians who are still alive, there is one named Spartacus.His Attilas-like stature, the astonishing strength of his muscular muscles, the superb symmetry of his body, and his indestructible and conquering prowess, would undoubtedly have made him an eminent man, All the more so in an age when physical strength and fortitude of character are the chief requirements of a man for great success in life. Spartacus was already thirty years old, and in him all the distinguishing features just mentioned were, as he more than once brilliantly demonstrated, rare for a man of his social position. Profound knowledge, outstanding thinking, noble virtues and great hearts are intertwined. Long blond hair and a bushy beard set off his handsome, mighty, and well-featured face.A pair of piercing light blue eyes, full of life experience, emotion and fire.When he was very quiet, those eyes gave his face an expression of mournful kindness.But when it came time to fight, Spartacus was completely different; in the arena of the arena, the gladiator would fight with a face contorted with rage; his His eyes were like lightning, and his appearance was very terrible. Spartacus was born in the mountains of Rhodopa Mountain in Thrace.He was taken prisoner in the battle against the Romans who invaded his country, and the Romans included him in their legions because of his extraordinary physical strength and valor.He was very brave in battle.Afterwards he was promoted to the rank of decal (a small captain in command of ten soldiers) for his excellence in the campaign against King Mithridates and his allies, and was honored with the honorable award of a citizen's laurels.However, when Rome re-engaged with the Thracians, Spartacus fled and returned to the ranks of his countrymen to rebel against the Roman army.Wounded in battle, he fell again into the hands of the enemy.According to Roman law, he would have been sentenced to death, but the death penalty was replaced by gladiatorial labor.He was sold by a Roman officer to a gladiator owner, who in turn sold him to Akzien. It was less than two years since the day Spartacus fell into the ranks of the gladiators, and he followed the first gladiator boss to almost all the cities in Italy.He participated in more than 100 gladiatorial fights and was not seriously injured once.Although the other gladiators were brave and strong, Spartacus always overwhelmed them, became the victor, and gained a great reputation in all the arenas throughout Italy. Akzen bought Spartacus with a huge sum of 12,000 sesterces.Spartacus had been his for six months, but he had never let Spartacus go to the arena in Rome once.This may be because he attaches great importance to the teacher who taught fencing, wrestling and gymnastics in his gladiator school, but perhaps it is because he feels that risking Spartacus' life would be too much for him to lose; In the event that Bardacus was killed, the income the gladiator boss received from a single fight would not be enough to make up for the huge losses he suffered. Now Akzen called Spartacus to the arena of the Colosseum for the first time, it was because Sura paid him a whole sum of money for the one hundred gladiators specially selected to participate in the day's fight. A sum of one hundred and twenty thousand cestels.Such a generous remuneration, for the gladiator boss, is enough to compensate Spartacus for the loss caused by the death of the gladiator.But no matter what, although after the end of the gladiatorial fight, the surviving gladiators, except those who were given freedom by the audience, still belonged to the gladiator boss, Akzien, whose face was pale with excitement, still leaned against the door of the vault and nervously Watching the final result of the gladiatorial fight.For a person who is willing to observe him carefully, it is natural that he will never fail to notice the embarrassment of the gladiator owner's anxiety about Spartacus.He watched nervously every movement of the Thracian, watching every blow that others made to Spartacus or Spartacus to others. Be braver, be braver, O Shamnites!The thousands of spectators who bet on them shouted. kill them all!Hack these three barbarians! Kill them, Nebrion!As a result they, Clixus!Down with them, down with them, Porphyrius!shouted the audience with the list of gladiators in their hands. But the Thracians answered them with louder cries; it was true that they had little hope, but they clung to the last hope that was left to them.Spartacus was not wounded, nor did his shield or helmet suffer any damage, when at this very moment he stabbed to death one of the Shamnites who besieged him with his short sword.This sword immediately aroused thunderous applause and the shouts of thousands of spectators: Be brave, Spartacus!Well stabbed!Spartacus!Long live Spartacus! But the other two Thracians.Although they were still fighting side by side with the Shamnites who had served as soldiers in the Roman army, they were already seriously injured. They weakly swung their daggers and slashed at the enemy, barely parrying the enemy's blows. The strength has been exhausted. Protect my back!shouted Spartacus to his two companions, and with lightning-quick swings of his dagger he held off the combined attack of all the Shamnites.Protect my back!One more minute and we'll be victorious! His voice was intermittent, his chest heaved rapidly, and large beads of sweat rolled down his pale face.His eyes sparkled: burning with desire for victory, anger and desperate struggle Soon, another Shamnit man not far from Spartacus fell down bleeding again, his abdomen was seriously injured, his intestines were dragged behind him, he groaned hoarsely in the severe pain, and let out a maddened cry. curse.However, immediately after the death of the Shamnit, a Thracian standing behind Spartacus also fell dead with his head cracked. In the entire arena, applause, shouts and encouragement merged into an earth-shattering roar; all the audience's eyes were fixed on the combatants, watching their most subtle movements and gestures .Lucius.Sergeus.Catilina jumped up and straightened herself beside Sura.He held his breath, unable to see anything but the bloody struggle.He fixed his eyes on Spartacus' dagger, because the object of his bet was the Thracian, and it seemed that his own lifeline was tied to this dagger. The third Shamnit was cut in the carotid artery by Spartacus, and fell to the arena after his companions, but at this moment, another Thracian , that is, the last and only supporter of Spartacus, was suddenly stabbed in the vitals by three daggers and fell to the ground, and died without even a cry. The shouts of thousands of spectators, like the roars of ferocious beasts, resounded in the arena, and then the roars fell silent again, and even the heavy and rapid breathing of the gladiators could be heard.The nervousness of the audience reached the extreme. Even if the outcome of this gladiatorial battle determines the fate of Rome, it may not be more tense than this moment. The gladiatorial fight has lasted for more than an hour.Spartacus, by his elusive agility and prodigious swordsmanship, had suffered only three minor wounds, or rather three bruises, but now he had four to deal with alone. powerful enemy.Although the four enemies were injured to varying degrees and shed a lot of blood, they were still very terrifying enemies, because there were four of them after all. However powerful and brave Spartacus was, when the last of his companions fell, he knew that his own death was at hand. Suddenly, his eyes sparkled, and a life-saving thought flashed through his mind: he decided to use the old Horatius strategy against the Curiazius and he started to run for his life.The Shamnites chased after him. The shouts of the 100,000 spectators sounded like a giant honeycomb. Before he had run fifty paces, Spartacus turned around suddenly and unexpectedly, counterattacked the nearest pursuer, and pierced the chest of the opponent with the curved short sword.The Shamnit staggered, flailed his arms, as if searching for some support, and fell on his back; but by this time Spartacus had sprung upon the second enemy, and with The shield blocked the charge of the opponent's short sword, and killed him to the frantic shouts of the audience, and by this time, almost everyone believed that the Thracian was invincible. As soon as the Samnit fell, his partner, a third Samnit who was wounded all over his body, arrived.Spartacus had already deemed it unnecessary to stab him with his sword, and merely struck him on the head with his shield; apparently Spartacus was unwilling to kill him.The Shamnit was hit, and only turned over once before falling to the arena.At this time, his last partner, who had been exhausted from fighting, rushed to rescue him.Spartacus threw himself on him, but tried not to stab him, and disarmed the enemy with only a few blows. He first knocked down the opponent's short sword, and then embraced it with his powerful big hands. The enemy, pushed him to the ground, whispered in his ear: Don't be afraid, Clixus, I hope to get you out Spartacus put one foot on the chest of Clixus, and with the knee of the other he knelt on the chest of the Shamnites whom he had knocked out with his shield. posture, awaiting the decision of the citizens. The thunderous applause that was united and prolonged shook the entire arena like an earthquake.Almost all the audience raised their fists upwards and flexed their thumbs. The two Shamnites could survive. What a brave man!Catilina told Sulla that drops of sweat the size of hailstones rolled on his brow.Such a strong man, I wish he was born a Roman! At this time, hundreds of voices came: Set brave Spartacus free! The Thracian gladiator's eyes flashed abnormally, and his face was as pale as a log, and he froze. He put his hand on his heart, as if trying to restrain the violent heart aroused by these words of great hope. beat. Free, let him be free!Thousands of voices repeated. free!Spartacus said in a barely audible voice.free!Ah, god of Olympus, don't let this become a dream!His eyelashes were instantly wet with tears. No, no!He fled from our legion once, someone cried.Never let a deserter go free! At this time, many spectators who lost money because of Spartacus' courage also shouted bitterly: No, no, he is a deserter! A spasm passed across the Thracian gladiator's face.He suddenly turned his head to the side that uttered the yell of reproach, and he looked for the person who uttered the yell of reproach with his eyes burning with hatred. But thousands of voices roared: Free, free, set Spartacus free! It is impossible to describe the emotions that the gladiator went through during those fateful minutes of his life; the terror and the anguished waiting, reflected in his pallid, twitching face. His muscles are also reflected in his shining eyes.His stare speaks eloquently: in his heart, despair and hope are wrestling violently.The man who had wrestled with death for an hour and a half without losing control for a second, the man who had never lost hope of surviving four enemies alone, the man who had killed twelve or fourteen unfortunates. The gladiator, who had never revealed his inner excitement in the future, suddenly felt his legs go weak.So, in order not to pass out in the arena, he leaned on the shoulder of a thug who came out to pick up the corpse. free!free!The audience continued to scream. He deserves to be free!Katirina whispered into Sura's ear. Yes, he deserves to be free!That Fan Lailiya who has been greatly admired by Sura also shouted at this time. Would you like him to be free?Sulla said, while looking inquiringly at the eyes of Vaaleria that radiated love, tenderness, and pity. Those eyes were pleading for the gladiator.Great, let's do it! Su La nodded in agreement, and Spartacus was freed amid thunderous applause from the audience. you're free!The thug who collected the body said to Spartacus.Sulla has given you freedom. Spartacus didn't answer, didn't move, and didn't dare to open his eyes.He was afraid that the fantasy would fly away, he was afraid of being deceived, he could not believe his luck. Scoundrel, your bravery has bankrupted me!Suddenly someone whispered in his ear. Spartacus was awakened by this sentence, he opened his eyes, and looked at the gladiator boss Akzien standing in front of him, it turned out that the master of Spartacus had come to congratulate him with the fighters, Hope he still belongs to himself.Now Achthion curses the courage of the Thracian because the foolish kindness of the spectators and the robber generosity of Sulla have robbed him of twelve thousand sesterces. But the words of the gladiator boss made the Thracian understand that this was not a dream.他站了起來，威風凜凜地挺直他那巨人一般的身軀，先向蘇拉鞠了一躬，又向觀眾鞠了幾個躬，接著就穿過拱房的門，在重新爆發的掌聲中離開了鬥技場。 不，不，我們周圍的一切並不是神創造的，剛巧在這時候，季杜斯．Lucretius.卡魯斯重新和那兩位坐在一起看角鬥的好朋友年幼的卡西烏斯和年輕的蓋烏斯．梅米烏斯．赫梅拉談起話來。蓋烏斯．梅米烏斯．赫梅拉非常愛好文學、藝術，對哲學也極感興趣。後來盧克列梯烏斯奉獻給他的長詩《Ｄｅｒｅｒｕｍｎａｔｕｒａｅ》（《論萬物之本質》），這時候，就已經在構思了。 那麼究竟是誰創造世界的呢？卡西烏斯問。 世界是物質的永恆運動和看不見的分子的結合。你看到大地上與天空中發生的種種事物，因為不明白它們產生的原由，就認為一切都是神創造出來的。不論什麼東西永遠也不能從虛無中誕生。 那麼朱庇特、朱諾和薩杜爾納斯又是什麼呢？驚奇的卡西烏斯問，他非常喜歡聽盧克列梯烏斯的見解。 這一切都是人類的無知和恐懼的產物。親愛的孩子，我可以把唯一正確的學說偉大的伊比鳩魯的學說介紹給你。伊比鳩魯既不怕人人畏懼的天雷，也不怕地震，既不怕神的權威，也不怕想像出來的電火。他用他非常的堅毅精神與根深蒂固的偏見搏鬥，敢於深入到大自然最玄妙的奧祕中去，而且從這些奧祕之中揭露萬物的起源和本質。 這時候，卡西烏斯的家庭教師提醒和催促卡西烏斯，說他的父親曾經囑咐他們在天黑之前回家。孩子順從地站了起來，盧克列梯烏斯和梅米烏斯也跟著站起來。他們一起走下石階，向最近一道出場的門走去。但是到那道門前，卡西烏斯和他的朋友必須經過蘇拉的兒子法烏斯特坐的地方。那時候，離開連拱的平頂到這兒來和好些熟識的貴婦人和朋友們打招呼的偉大的人龐培，正站在法烏斯特身邊和他親切地談話。卡西烏斯本來已經想從他們身邊跑過去，但他突然急速地停了下來，轉過身子對法烏斯特說： All right.法烏斯特，當著這位赫赫有名的公民，偉大的人龐培，把你三天前在學校裡說的狂妄的話重複一遍吧。你說，你的爸爸變成我們國家的暴君，剝奪羅馬人自由的行動是很對的。我很想再聽你說一遍。上一次我曾經為了這番話用拳頭打了你的臉，你臉上的青痕到現在還沒有消退，現在我要當著龐培本人再打你一次，而且這一次要比上一次更厲害！ 這個十二歲的孩子所說的那番話、所採取的行動以及堅決的態度與鋼鐵般的意志，是我們這一時代中比比皆是的那些血氣虧耗、意志薄弱的傢伙所絕對不能比擬的。但是卡西烏斯徒然地等待他的對手回答：法烏斯特在這個極其勇敢的孩子前面低下了頭。卡西烏斯為他勇敢的心靈裡燃燒著的酷愛自由的火焰所鼓舞，竟然不怕公開毆打和叱罵羅馬統治者的兒子。接著，卡西烏斯先向龐培恭恭敬敬地鞠了一躬，又向梅米烏斯和盧克列梯烏斯行過禮，跟著自己的家庭教師離開了鬥技場。 剛巧在這時候，在死門上面的座位上出來了一個二十六歲的青年貴族。他穿著一件長得異乎尋常的寬袍，寬袍的下襬一直覆蓋到他那瘦弱的小腿。他的身材很高，他的臉雖然是病態、文弱的，他的相貌卻顯得莊嚴而又動人。他從座位上站起來以後，就跟他身邊一個年輕女人告別，那女人正被一大群追求她的人年輕的世家子弟和衣著華麗的紈褲子弟包圍著。 再會，哈萊麗雅，那位青年貴族吻著美人的手說。 再會，瑪爾庫斯．杜里烏斯．西塞祿，她說。不要忘記，後天在阿波羅戲院上演索福克勒斯的《伊萊克特拉》，我也參加演出。你一定得來。 我一定來。 願你健康，西塞祿！再見，西塞祿！同時傳來好幾個聲音。 再見，西塞祿，一個漂亮、威嚴、但是臉上搽著胭脂，身上灑過香水的五十五歲的老頭子，握著西塞祿的手說。 但願泰麗雅神保佑你，演技精湛的伊索帕斯，西塞祿緊握著這位偉大的演員的手，答道。 接著西塞祿走到一個坐在哈萊麗雅身邊的四十歲的男人那兒，同樣地跟他握著手，說： 我的最親愛的朋友，蓋世無雙的昆杜斯．羅斯齊烏斯，九位繆司女神都在妒忌你呢。 西塞祿顯出高雅的風度慢慢地走了開去。他穿過擠滿了整個過道的人群，向鄰近凱旋門的座位走去，因為他看到了監察官瑪爾庫斯．Polzius.卡圖的兩個侄兒坐在那兒。 瑪爾庫斯．杜里烏斯．西塞祿與之告別的那一群觀眾差不多都是有名的藝人：二十三歲的美女哈萊麗雅．愛姆波拉麗雅是當時最出名的女演員，她多半是扮演悲劇中的角色。伊索帕斯是有名的悲劇演員，儘管自己已經到了五十五歲的高齡，還是要灑香水、擦胭脂、穿漂亮的衣服。伊索帕斯的競爭者昆杜斯．羅斯齊烏斯是一個極偉大的演員，他的演技能使全羅馬的公民跟著他一起笑，一起哭，發生同樣的感情。他坐在哈萊麗雅的另一邊。剛才西塞祿充滿了熱情的臨別的問候話，就是對他說的。 羅斯齊烏斯不久前才滿四十歲。他的天才已經達到了登峰造極的境地。他是一個非常富有的人。整個羅馬都在崇拜他，最有名的顯貴富豪都以與他交友為榮；蘇拉、荷爾頓西烏斯、西塞祿、龐培、盧古魯斯、昆杜斯．梅台爾、采齊里烏斯．庇烏斯、伊薩夫爾城的征服者賽爾維里烏斯．瓦手埃、瑪爾庫斯．克拉蘇、考爾涅里烏斯．斯克里波尼奧、古里奧、亞細亞的征服者普勃里烏斯．考爾涅里烏斯以及斯齊比奧，都爭先恐後地邀請他，跟他結交，而且齊聲稱頌他。他們不僅稱頌他是一個技藝超群的演員，還說他是一個勇敢的才華煥發的人，這種誠摯而又熱烈的頌讚是特別值得重視的，因為這些話是從一批精神與智力都極其超群的偉大人物嘴裡說出來的啊。 在這三位赫赫有名的大演員周圍，簇擁著名望稍遜，但也吸引著大批觀眾的演員群。因為在當時，羅馬人常常成群結隊地到戲院裡去欣賞埃斯庫羅斯、索福克勒斯、歐里庇得斯、巴古維烏斯的悲劇和阿里斯托芬、米南德魯斯、菲列蒙、普勞杜斯的喜劇。 在愛姆波拉麗雅、伊索帕斯和羅斯齊烏斯以及他們的同伴周圍，還簇擁著一大批纏繞不清的戲迷和無聊的閒人。他們都是些被名望狂、最愚蠢的虛榮以及對強烈的印象和感受的渴望所迷惑的人。 當時的羅馬，對演員的崇拜簡直到了瘋狂的程度，這可以很容易從他們巨額進益和大量的財富上看出來。只要提一下羅斯齊烏斯就夠了，他每上演一齣戲就要賺上一千狄那里，在一年之中要賺上十四萬六千狄那里之多。 瑪爾庫斯．杜里烏斯．西塞祿，經過好幾排座位來到了卡圖和采比昂的身邊，跟他們親熱地打了招呼，然後，在他們旁邊坐了下來。他開始跟卡圖談話，因為西塞祿對卡圖一向具有極大的好感。 瑪爾庫斯．杜里烏斯．西塞祿，我們上面已經說過，當時是二十六歲。他很年輕，長得又很英俊，雖然他的身體很弱，而且有病，但他的那副儀表卻非常威嚴。他有長長的脖子，剛毅的、表情豐富而且神采奕奕的端正的臉。他那非常寬廣的前額，顯出了他具有超群的智慧，兩道高聳的濃眉緊壓著一對炯炯有光的大眼睛（雖然西塞祿的那對眼睛是近視的）。在他形狀極美的嘴唇上，幾乎老是浮現著微笑。那微笑常常帶著嘲諷，但即使是最嘲諷的微笑也給人以寬厚的印象。他那天賦的具有遠見的智慧，出色的記憶力和光輝的雄辯，再加上他滿懷著熱愛投身於工作中時所發揮的堅毅而又勤勉的精神，使他在二十六歲已經聞名天下：他是哲學家、演說家同時又是公認的才智橫溢的詩人。 西塞祿在很年輕的時候就跟隨希臘詩人阿爾基亞研究了，後來他還曾以他那有名的雄辯替這位老師辯護過。阿爾基亞由於他的詩才和精神上的品質在當時享有盛名；那時候，他住在打敗米特里達梯斯王和提格拉尼斯王的、偉大的盧古魯斯的家裡，教盧古魯斯的孩子們美術和作詩；同時他又在羅馬開設一個學校，很多年輕的世家子弟都在這個學校裡求學。在我們敘述的故事開始之前，阿爾基亞已經著成和出版了他的長詩《征服森布里人的戰爭》，這首詩歌頌了英勇的蓋烏斯．馬略在羅馬共和國期間唯一的七次被選為執政官的人。 蓋烏斯．馬略的英勇功績，不僅使他獲得了打敗朱古達王的榮譽，而且把羅馬共和國從條頓人和森布里人的毀滅性的襲擊中拯救出來，因此他曾獲得第三位羅馬建國元勳的稱號。 當十五歲的西塞祿還在阿爾基亞的學校裡做學生的時候，他已經寫了一首長詩《海神葛拉甫古斯》，這首詩以流暢的韻律和優美的風格使他出了名；那時，還沒有那批用奇妙的詩篇豐富了拉丁文的盧克列梯烏斯、卡杜魯斯、維吉爾、奧維德和荷拉斯。 西塞祿上阿爾基亞的學校去學習，並沒有妨礙他熱心地傾聽別人的講演。他首先聽伊比鳩魯學派的哲學家菲德魯斯講學，接著又追隨了斯多噶學派的哲學家狄奧陀杜斯和由於雅典被米特里達梯斯王占領而逃出來的學院派哲學家菲朗；他也曾經去傾聽有名的羅多斯城的摩洛關於雄辯術的傑出講演。摩洛在羅馬講學有二年之久，他來到第伯爾河旁，是為了催促元老院補償羅多斯站在羅馬方面反對米特里達梯斯王作戰時所遭到的損失。他的雄辯非常出色，他是第一個獲得元老院的准許，可以不帶翻譯官直接用希臘話演說的外國人。 西塞祿又在兩位斯采伏拉的指導下非常用心地研究法律學。斯采伏拉兄弟都是元老，又是淵博的法學家，哥哥是卜鳥祭司，弟弟是祭司長。他們把法律學最微妙的精髓和祕奧都傳授給了他。 當西塞祿還只十八歲的時候，他在偉大的人龐培的領導下參加了馬爾西戰爭那也可以叫做同盟戰爭他後來親自對人說，蘇拉的勇敢和經常的勝利曾使他感到非常驚奇。 在我們所描述的事情之前二年，西塞祿第一次在法庭上發表演說替昆季烏斯辯護。昆季烏斯的第一個債權人為了要求昆季烏斯贖回自己的財產，聘請了有名的荷爾頓西烏斯出庭辯護。西塞祿因為自己的事業才開始，起先堅決拒絕出庭與威名煊赫的荷爾頓西烏斯交鋒。但是名演員羅斯齊烏斯與西塞祿交情很深，他為自己的親戚昆季烏斯向西塞祿講情。西塞祿終於同意出庭了；他的演說非常有說服力，使法官非常佩服。終於使這場訴訟獲得了勝利。 接著，他用更大的熱情替一個阿萊季烏姆城來的女公民的權利辯護，攻擊了蘇拉所頒布的剝奪阿萊季烏姆全體居民公民權的法令。西塞祿的性情本來是懦怯的，不很堅決的，但這一次卻拿出了極大的勇氣，這正好說明了他那純潔而又正直的精神。這一次演說哄動了整個羅馬。 但是成為年輕的西塞祿榮譽的桂冠而且使他變得赫赫有名的，是他替阿梅利烏斯的謝克思杜斯．羅斯齊烏斯辯護的演說。羅斯齊烏斯被蘇拉的釋放奴隸考爾涅里烏斯．赫里索根控告，說他犯了殺父大罪。但西塞祿的辯護演說卻是非常的熱烈、生動。堅定而且具有說服力。阿梅利烏斯城的羅斯齊烏斯被宣告無罪，西塞祿從此變成了荷爾頓西烏斯的旗鼓相當對手西塞祿這一次攻擊對方的辯護人荷爾頓西烏斯，戰勝了他。 在那一個時期，羅馬各階層的居民手中正流傳著西塞祿的一首長詩的詩稿。這首詩使大家更加讚歎他的天才了。終於，大家公認西塞祿的作品已經達到了拉丁文學無人可及的巔峰。在他的作品中究竟是哪一種因素更使人讚賞是很難說清楚的：也不知是深奧的理論，還是純潔的道德感，是崇高的思想，還是優美的風格和洋溢著雅典式的高雅氣氛的與眾不同的文體。 我們剛才提起的那首詩就叫做《馬略》，這首詩傳到我們的手中只剩下了不多的片斷。但是，儘管這首詩還保持著明顯的貴族觀點，這首詩卻頌揚了蓋烏斯．馬略；馬略和西塞祿一樣都出生於阿爾賓納姆城，他是西塞祿極為尊敬的人。 我必須對我時常離開本題向我們的讀者致歉，但這些插話是由主題本身引起的。我覺得使讀者對羅馬共和國末期的一些傑出人物有一個概念也是有其必要的：他們有的以剛毅的精神和崇高的品德著名，有的以陰狠而又可怕的罪行著稱，有的則以他們驚人的事業出名；真的，讓後世這些喪失了英武氣概而且日趨退化的子孫回憶一下他們祖先的史跡，絕不是一件多餘的事。 現在，就讓我們言歸正傳吧。 啊，偉大的神啊，難道人家說的關於你的事情是真的嗎？西塞祿詫異地詢問年輕的卡圖。 是的，是真的，孩子皺著眉回答。難道我的行為不對嗎？ 你做得很對，我們最勇敢的小夥子，西塞祿鎮定地回答，同時在卡圖的額上吻了一下。但可惜真理並不是永遠可以被你大聲宣揚的，它常常得在暴力之前退避。 於是兩個人都沉默了一會兒。 但這事情究竟是怎麼發生的呢？西塞祿開始問這兩個孩子的家庭教師薩爾比頓。 這是因為奉了蘇拉的命令所進行的每日一次的屠殺，薩爾比頓打斷了西塞祿的問話答道。我必須每月帶這兩個學生到獨裁者家裡去一次。這樣，可以使這位處在瘋狂、嗜殺成性時期的蘇拉對他們發生好感，把他們當作自己的朋友，以免他忽發狂念把他們列入放逐的黑名單裡去。蘇拉呢，總是真正很親切地接待這兩個孩子，常常對他們表示關懷，和顏悅色地對他們說話。可是有一次，當我們離開蘇拉家穿過貿易堂時，忽然聽見從瑪梅金納斯監獄的穹隆下傳來了撕人肺腑的慘叫 因此我就問薩爾比頓，小卡圖打斷了老師的話。這是誰在叫？他回答我說，這是那個蘇拉下令殺死的公民在慘叫。為什麼要殺死他們呢？I asked.老師答道：因為他們愛自由而且忠於自由。 那時瘋孩子，薩爾比頓打斷了小卡圖的話接著說下去道。頓時變換了聲調，用很大的聲音對我說話，而且糟糕得很，周圍的人都聽到了。他說：為什麼你不給我一把短劍，要不，我在幾分鐘前就可以刺死這個摧殘我們祖國的凶惡暴君了！ 薩爾比頓沉默了一會兒又說： 所以這事情就傳到了你的耳中 好多人都聽到了這事情，西塞祿答道。而且大家都在興奮地談論孩子的勇敢行為呢！ 如果這消息不幸傳到蘇拉耳中呢？薩爾比頓絕望地說。 這對我又有什麼關係？小卡圖皺起眉頭輕蔑地說。我所說過的一切，我還可以在那個你們大家都畏懼的傢伙面前重說一遍。雖然我還很年幼，我對奧林帕斯山諸神起誓，他絕不能使我發抖！ 驚惶萬狀的薩爾比頓和西塞祿互相看了一眼，但孩子卻興奮地喊道： 但願我穿上寬袍才好！ 那時候你準備幹什麼，瘋孩子？西塞祿問，但立刻接下去說。你還不趕快閉嘴！ 我要把盧齊烏斯．Cornelius.蘇拉告到法庭上去，當眾控訴他的罪行！ 閉嘴，快閉嘴！西塞祿叫道。你想叫我們全都送命！ ?我曾經荒謬地頌揚了馬略的功績，還替兩位不是蘇拉那一派的委託人出庭辯護過，這一切自然不會使這個獨裁者喜歡我的。難道你要用你的瘋話叫我們去追隨那些數也數不清的被他殘酷地殺害的犧牲者嗎？如果我們被他殺死，我們就能因此使羅馬擺脫這位暴君的黑暗統治嗎？你得明白，恐懼已使羅馬人血管中的祖先的血液全凍結了，何況幸福和成功老是與蘇拉的名字連在一塊兒他是萬能的 與其叫他幸福的人，那還不如索性叫他正義的人！小卡圖低聲反駁，但他顯然已經被西塞祿剛才那番懇切的勸告說服了；他咕噥了幾句，就漸漸地安靜下來了。 那時，一批蒙面角鬥士正在用悲慘的流血的滑稽表演娛樂觀眾。這二十個不幸的角鬥士，將在這滑稽表演中獻出生命。 蘇拉已經看夠了角鬥表演，現在他只全心全意地關切一件事；他站了起來，向范萊麗雅的座位走去。他向她殷勤地鞠了一躬，對她親切地注視了好久，努力在自己的眼光中表示他的溫柔、恭順和殷切，最後他問： 范萊麗雅，你現在自由了嗎？ 幾個月以前我的丈夫跟我離了婚，但並不是由於什麼可恥的理由，反之 我知道，蘇拉回答，那時候，范萊麗雅正用她的黑眼睛親切而又愛慕地注視著他。 可是我，退職的大獨裁者沉默了一會問，你能愛我嗎？ 我真心誠意愛你，范萊麗雅低下了眼睛回答道，接著微微張開肉感的雙唇，浮起魅人的微笑。 我愛你，范萊麗雅。我覺得我從來不曾對別人有過這麼強烈的愛。蘇拉興奮得發出了激動的聲音。 兩人都沉默了。這一退位的羅馬獨裁者攫住了美麗而又高貴的女人的手，熱烈地吻了一下接著說： 一月以後你就是我的妻子。 於是，他被他的朋友們簇擁著離開了鬥技場。