numa pompilius-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


his　four　sons　the　name　of　Mamercus；　which　was　the　name　of　one　of　the
sons　of　Pythagoras；　from　whence；　as　they　say；　sprang　that　ancient
patrician　family　of　the　Aemilli；　for　that　the　king　gave　him　in　sport
the　surname　of　Aemilius；　for　his　engaging　and　graceful　manner　in
speaking。　I　remember；　too；　that　when　I　was　at　Rome；　I　heard　many
say；　that；　when　the　oracle　directed　two　statues　to　be　raised；　one　to
the　wisest　and　another　to　the　most　valiant　man　in　Greece；　they　erected
two　of　brass；　one　representing　Alcibiades；　and　the　other　Pythagoras。
　　But　to　pass　by　these　matters；　which　are　full　of　uncertainty　and
not　so　important　as　to　be　worth　our　time　to　insist　on　them；　the
original　constitution　of　the　priests；　called　Pontifices；　is　ascribed
unto　Numa；　and　he　himself　was；　it　is　said；　the　first　of　them；　and　that
they　have　the　name　of　Pontifices　from　potens；　powerful；　because　they
attend　the　service　of　the　gods；　who　have　power　to　command　over　all。
Others　make　the　word　refer　to　exceptions　of　impossible　cases；　the
priests　were　to　perform　all　the　duties　possible　to　them；　if　anything
lay　beyond　their　power；　the　exception　was　not　to　be　cavilled　at。　The
most　common　opinion　is　the　most　absurd；　which　derives　this　word　from
pons；　and　assigns　the　priests　the　title　of　bridge…makers。　The
sacrifices　performed　on　the　bridge　were　amongst　the　most　sacred　and
ancient；　and　the　keeping　and　repairing　of　the　bridge　attached；　like
any　other　public　sacred　office；　to　the　priesthood。　It　was　accounted
not　simply　unlawful；　but　a　positive　sacrilege；　to　pull　down　the　wooden
bridge；　which　moreover　is　said；　in　obedience　to　an　oracle；　to　have
been　built　entirely　of　timber　and　fastened　with　wooden　pins；　without
nails　or　cramps　of　iron。　The　stone　bridge　was　built　a　very　long　time
after　when　Aemilius　was　quaestor；　and　they　do；　indeed；　say　also　that
the　wooden　bridge　was　not　so　old　as　Numa's　time；　but　was　finished　by
Ancus　Marcius；　when　he　was　king；　who　was　the　grandson　of　Numa　by　his
daughter。
　　The　office　of　Pontifex　Maximus；　or　chief　priest；　was　to　declare
and　interpret　the　divine　law；　or；　rather；　to　preside　over　sacred
rites；　he　not　only　prescribed　rules　for　public　ceremony；　but　regulated
the　sacrifices　of　private　persons；　not　suffering　them　to　vary　from
established　custom；　and　giving　information　to　every　one　of　what　was
requisite　for　purposes　of　worship　or　supplication。　He　was　also
guardian　of　the　vestal　virgins；　the　institution　of　whom；　and　of
their　perpetual　fire；　was　attributed　to　Numa；　who；　perhaps；　fancied
the　charge　of　pure　and　uncorrupted　flames　would　be　fitly　intrusted
to　chaste　and　unpolluted　persons；　or　that　fire；　which　consumes；　but
produces　nothing；　bears　an　analogy　to　the　virgin　estate。　In　Greece；
wherever　a　perpetual　holy　fire　is　kept；　as　at　Delphi　and　Athens　the
charge　of　it　is　committed；　not　to　virgins；　but　widows　past　the　time　of
marriage。　And　in　case　by　any　accident　it　should　happen　that　this
fire　became　extinct；　as　the　holy　lamp　was　at　Athens　under　the
tyranny　of　Aristion；　and　at　Delphi；　when　that　temple　was　burnt　by
the　Medes；　as　also　in　the　time　of　the　Mithridatic　and　Roman　civil　war；
when　not　only　the　fire　was　extinguished；　but　the　altar　demolished；
then；　afterwards；　in　kindling　this　fire　again；　it　was　esteemed　an
impiety　to　light　it　from　common　sparks　or　flame；　or　from　anything
but　the　pure　and　unpolluted　rays　of　the　sun；　which　they　usually　effect
by　concave　mirrors；　of　a　figure　formed　by　the　revolution　of　an
isosceles　rectangular　triangle；　all　the　lines　from　the　circumference
of　which　meeting　in　a　centre；　by　holding　it　in　the　light　of　the　sun
they　can　collect　and　concentrate　all　its　rays　at　this　one　point　of
convergence；　where　the　air　will　now　become　rarefied；　and　any　light；
dry；　combustible　matter　will　kindle　as　soon　as　applied；　under　the
effect　of　the　rays；　which　here　acquired　the　substance　and　active　force
of　fire。　Some　are　of　opinion　that　these　vestals　had　no　other
business　than　the　preservation　of　this　fire；　but　others　conceive
that　they　were　keepers　of　other　divine　secrets　concealed　from　all
but　themselves；　of　which　we　have　told　all　that　may　lawfully　be　asked
or　told；　in　the　life　of　Camillus。　Gegania　and　Verenia；　it　is　recorded；
were　the　names　of　the　first　two　virgins　consecrated　and　ordained　by
Numa；　Canuleia　and　Tarpeia　succeeded：　Servius　afterwards　added　two；
and　the　number　of　four　has　continued　the　present　time。
　　The　statutes　prescribed　by　Numa　for　the　vestals　were　these：　that
they　should　take　a　vow　of　virginity　for　the　space　of　thirty　years；　the
first　ten　of　which　they　were　to　spend　in　learning　their　duties；　the
second　ten　in　performing　them；　and　the　remaining　ten　in　teaching　and
instructing　others。　Thus　the　whole　term　being　completed；　it　was　lawful
for　them　to　marry；　and；　leaving　the　sacred　order；　to　choose　any
condition　of　life　that　pleased　them；　but　this　permission　few；　as
they　say；　made　use　of；　and　in　cases　where　they　did　so；　it　was　observed
that　their　change　was　not　a　happy　one；　but　accompanied　ever　after　with
regret　and　melancholy；　so　that　the　greater　number；　from　religious
fears　and　scruples；　forbore；　and　continued　to　old　age　and　death　in　the
strict　observance　of　a　single　life。
　　For　this　condition　he　compensated　by　great　privileges　and
prerogatives；　as　that　they　had　power　to　make　a　will　in　the　lifetime　of
their　father；　that　they　had　a　free　administration　of　their　own　affairs
without　guardian　or　tutor；　which　was　the　privilege　of　women　who　were
the　mothers　of　three　children；　when　they　go　abroad；　they　have　the
fasces　carried　before　them；　and　if　in　their　walks　they　chance　to
meet　a　criminal　on　his　way　to　execution；　it　saves　his　life；　upon
oath　made　that　the　meeting　was　an　accidental　one；　and　not　concerted　or
of　set　purpose。　Any　one　who　presses　upon　the　chair　on　which　they　are
carried；　is　put　to　death。　If　these　vestals　commit　any　minor　fault；
they　are　punishable　by　the　high　priest　only；　who　scourges　the
offender；　sometimes　with　her　clothes　off；　in　a　dark　place；　with　a
curtain　drawn　between；　but　she　that　has　broken　her　vow　is　buried　alive
near　the　gate　called　Collina；　where　a　little　mound　of　earth　stands
inside　the　city；　reaching　some　little　distance；　called　in　Latin　agger；
under　it　a　narrow　room　is　constructed；　to　which　a　descent　is　made　by
stairs；　here　they　prepare　a　bed；　and　light　a　lamp；　and　leave　a　small
quantity　of　victuals；　such　as　bread；　water；　a　pail　of　milk；　and　some
oil；　that　so　that　body　which　had　been　consecrated　and　devoted　to　the
most　sacred　service　of　religion　might　not　be　said　to　perish　by　such
a　death　as　famine。　The　culprit　herself　is　put　in　a　litter；　which
they　cover　over；　and　tie　her　down　with　cords　on　it；　so　that　nothing
she　utters　may　be　heard。　They　then　take　her　to　the　forum；　all　people
silently　go　out　of　the　way　as　she　passes；　and　such　as　follow　accompany
the　bier　with　solemn　and　speechless　sorrow；　and　indeed；　there　is　not
any　spectacle　more　appalling；　nor　any　day　observed　by　the　city　with
greater　appearance　of　gloom　and　sadness。　When　they　come　to　the　place
of　execution；　the　officers　loose　the　cords；　and　then　the　high
priest；　lifting　his　hands　to　heaven；　pronounces　certain　prayers　to
himself　before　the　act；　then　he　brings　out　the　prisoner；　being　still
covered；　and　placing　her　upon　the　steps　that　lead　down　to　the　cell；
turns　away　his　face　with　the　rest　of　the　priests；　the　stairs　are　drawn
up　after　she　has　gone　down；　and　a　quantity　of　earth　is　heaped　up
over　the　entrance　to　the　cell；　so　as　to　prevent　it　from　being
distinguished　from　the　rest　of　the　mound。　This　is　the　punishment　of
those　who　break　their　vow　of　virginity。
　　It　is　said；　also；　that　Numa　built　the　temple　of　Vesta；　which　was
intended　for　a　repository　of　the　holy　fire；　of　a　circular　form；　not　to
represent　the　figure　of　the　earth；　as　if　that　were　the　same　as
Vesta；　but　that　of　the　general　universe；　in　the　centre　of　which　the
Pythagoreans　place　the　element　of　fire；　and　give　it　the　name　of
Vesta　and　the　unit；　and　do　not　hold　that　the　earth　is　immovable；　or
that　it　is　situated　in　the　centre　of　the　globe；　but　that　it　keeps　a
circular　motion　about　the　seat　of　fire；　and　is　not　in　the　number　of
the　primary　elements；　in　this　agreeing　with　the　opinion　of　Plato；　who；
they　say；　in　his　later　life；　conceived　that　the　earth　held　a　lateral
position；　and　that　the　central　and　sovereign　space　was　reserved　for
some　nobler　body。
　　There　was　yet　a　farther　use　of　the　priests；　and　that　was　to　give
people　directions　in　the　national　usages　at　funeral　rites。　Numa　taught
them　to　regard　these　offices；　not　as　a　pollution；　but　as　a　duty　paid
to　the　gods　below；　into　whose　hands　the　better　part　of　us　is
transmitted；　especially　they　were　to　worship　the　goddess　Libitina；　who
presided　over　all　the　ceremonies　performed　at　burials；　whether　they
meant　hereby　Proserpina；　or；　as　the　most　learned　of　the　Romans
conceive；　Venus；　not　inaptly　attributing　the　beginning　and　end　of
man's　life　to　the　agency　of　one　and　the　same　diety。　Numa　also
prescribed　rules　for　regulating　the　days　of　mourning；　according　to
certain　times　and　ages。　As；　for　example；　a　child　of　three　years　was
not　to　be　mourned　for　at　all；　one　older；　up　to　ten　years；　for　as
many　months　as　it　was　years　old；　and　the　longest　time　of　mourning
for　any　person　whatsoever　was　not　to　exceed　the　term　of　ten　months；
which　was　the　time　appointed　for　women　that　lost　their　husbands　to
continue　in　widowhood。　If　any　married　again　before　that　time；　by　the
laws　of　Numa；　she　was　to　sacrifice　a　cow　big　with　calf。
　　Numa；　also；　was　founder　of　several　other　orders　of　priests；　two　of
which　I　shall　mention；　the　Salii　and　the　Fecials；　which　are　among
the　clearest　proofs　of　the　devoutness　and　sanctity　of　his　character。
These　Fecials；　or　guardians　of　peace；　seem　to　have　had　their　name　from
their　office；　which　was　to　put　a　stop　to　disputes　by　conference　and
speech；　for　it　was　not　allowable　to　take　up　arms　until　they　had
declared　all　hopes　of　accommodation　to　be　at　an　end；　for　in　Greek；
too；　we　call　it　peace　when　disputes　are　settled　by　words；　and　not　by
force。　The　Romans　commonly　despatched　the　Fecials；　or　heralds；　to
those　who　had　offered　them　injury；　requesting　satisfaction；　and；　in
case　they　refused；　they　then　called　the　gods　to　witness；　and；　with
imprecations　upon　themselves　and　their　country　should　they　be　acting
unjustly；　so　declared　war；　against　their　will；　or　without　their
consent；　it　was　lawful　neither　for　soldier　nor　king　to　take　up　arms；
the　war　was　begun　with　them；　and　when　they　had　first　handed　it　over　to
the　commander　as　a　just　quarrel；　then　his　business　was　to　deliberate
of　the　manner　and　ways　to　carry　it　on。　It　is　believed　that　the
slaughter　and　destruction　which　the　Gauls　made　of　the　Romans　was　a
judgment　on　the　city　for　neglect　of　this　religious　proceeding；　for
that　when　these　barbarians　besieged　the　Clusinians；　Fabius　Ambustus
was　despatched　to　their　camp　to　negotiate　peace　for　the　besieged；　and；
on　their　returning　a　rude　refusal；　Fabius　imagined　that　his　office
of　ambassador　was　at　an　end；　and；　rashly　engaging　on　the　side　of　the
Clusinians；　challenged　the　bravest　of　the　enemy　to　a　single　combat。　It
was　the　fortune　of　Fabius　to　kill　his　adversary；　and　to　take　his
spoils；　but　when　the　Gauls　discove