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Quo Vadis: Petronius

When Vinicius told his uncle Petronius of his passion for Lygia, the latter thought nothing was easier than to provide his nephew with what he regarded as a new plaything; a word to Nero, who as emperor had all hostages in his care--summon the maiden to the palace--hand her over to the young patrician as her guardian--what more could be needed to satisfy every one's desires, especially as the maiden manifestly was pleased with Vinicius? But Petronius and his nephew reckoned without a new force that had entered into this Roman world. They could not understand a girl who fled from Nero's court and all its magnificence, fled even from the lover whom she loved. But "finally he understood this, which he and Petronius had not understood, that the new religion engrafted into the soul something unknown to that world in which he lived, and that Lygia, even if she loved him, would not sacrifice any of her Christian truths for his sake, and that, if pleasure existed for her, it was a pleasure different altogether from that which he and Petronius and Caesar's court and all Rome were pursuing. Every other woman whom he knew might become his mistress, but that Christian would only become his victim. And when he thought of this, he felt anger and burning pain, for he felt that his anger was powerless. To carry off Lygia seemed to him possible; he was even sure that he could do so, but he was equally sure that, in view of her religion, he himself with his bravery was nothing, that his power was nothing, and that through it he could effect nothing. That Roman military tribune, convinced that the power of the sword and the fist which had conquered the world, would command it forever, said for the first time in his life that power there might be something else; hence he asked himself with amazement what it was." It is a very definite and concrete way that the author has chosen to show the power of the new religion over human lives. Struggle as he would, backed by birth, by wealth and all the beauty, charm, and allurements that wealth could bring, by the ingenuity and wit of Petronius, by the strong-arm methods of Croton, champion bruiser of his time, even by the force of the known world in Nero's sway, Vinicius could accomplish nothing if all he could win to himself was a mere unwilling body, while soul and spirit were beyond his grasp. And the maddening part to him was that he owed all his troubles to the teachings of a parcel of Jewish fishermen or their likes, or slaves or humble folk who had never before entered into serious consideration in the thoughts of a patrician like himself. It was a long struggle with him, and as the reader follows the various people of the story through their part of the action, he gets an admirable picture of Rome--Nero, tyrant, actor, and artist, with all his magnificence and all his debaucheries; the poor and humble in their crowded quarters of the great city; the delight of all the senses in the life led by Petronius; the lawless streets of Rome by night; the pursuit of Lygia by Vinicius and his hirelings, resulting in the death of his professional bruiser Croton at the hands of the faithful Ursus, and the disaster to Vinicius which led to his nursing back to health by the Christians; his meeting with Peter and Paul; the gradual opening of his eyes, physical and spiritual; his discovery of Christians everywhere, among the people, among his own slaves, among soldiers and officers, even in the very court of Nero. And the growing worry and astonishment of Petronius: " 'Vinicius, thou art losing sense, judgment, moderation,' exclaimed Petronius. " 'I love only her in the world,' responded Vinicius. " 'What of that?' " 'This, that I wish no other love. I have no wish for your life, your feasts, your shamelessness, your crimes.' " 'What is taking place in thee? Art thou a Christian?'" And then the great fire of Rome, set by Tigellinus, that Nero might not lack the experience of Priam, who had seen Troy burn; the wild ride of Vinicius from Antium to the capital in the hope of rescuing Lygia from the flames; the persecution of the Christians with the thought of throwing on them the rage of the people at the burning of the city; the singling out of Lygia by the hate of Poppaea because Vinicius had spurned the Empress's proffered charms; the final rescue by a miracle of strength on the part of the ever-faithful Ursus, and the words of Vinicius to Peter: "'What thou commandest I will do.' "'Love men as thy own brothers,' answered the Apostle, 'for only with love mayest thou serve Him.'" Printed by permission of, and arrangement with, Little, Brown & Co., authorized publishers.