and the temple of Jupiter, and of Minerva, and of
Bacchus?
Tacitus
There are at this time many, so far friends as
to receive and empty your treasures, and to whom your empire is dearer
than their own souls; but when the time comes that good counsel and real
services are wanted, they have no concern upon them but to take care of
themselves; and if any one comes to them, and inquires what this means,
they excuse themselves as free from all fault. They disown what they
have done, or pretend 'that they have obeyed the Emperor's order; and if
there is any blame, he must see to it. ' Such things they say, when it is
they who are found guilty, who can give no account of their actions.
For what account can be given of such mischiefs? These men before others
deny this to be their own work. But when they address you alone, without
witnesses, they say, 'they have been in this war serving your family. '
They would deliver your house from those who by land and sea endeavour
to defend your person; than which there is nothing greater you can
receive from them. For these men, under the name of friends and
protectors,
* He refers to the monks near Antioch,
{94}
telling stories of those by whom they say they have been injured,
improve your credulity into an occasion of doing more mischief.
"But I return to them, to demonstrate their injustice by what they have
said: Say then, for what reason you destroyed that great temple? Not
because the Emperor approved the doing it. They who pull down a temple
have done no wrong if the Emperor has ordered it to be done. Therefore
they who pulled it down did not do wrong by doing what the Emperor
approved of. But he who does that which is not approved by the Emperor,
does Wrong; does he not? You, then, are the men who have nothing of this
to say for what you have done. Tell me why this temple of Fortune is
safe?
and the temple of Jupiter, and of Minerva, and of Bacchus? Is it
because you would have them remain? No, but because no one has given
you power over them; which, nevertheless, you have assumed against those
which you have destroyed. How, then, are you not liable to punishment?
or how can you pretend that what you have done is right, when the
sufferers have done no wrong? Of which charge there would have been some
appearance, if you, O Emperor, had published an edict to their purpose:
'Let no man within my empire believe in the gods, nor worship them, nor
ask any
{95}
good thing of them, neither for himself, nor for his children, unless it
be done in silence and privately: but let all present themselves at the
places where I worship, and join in the rites there performed. And let
them offer the same prayers which they do, and bow the head at the hand
of him who directs the multitude. Whoever transgresses this law, shall
be put to death. ' It was easy for you to publish such a law as this; but
you have not done it; nor have you in this matter laid a yoke upon the
souls of men. But though you think one way better than the other, yet
you do not judge that other to be an impiety, for which a man may be
justly punished. Nor have you excluded those of that sentiment from
honours, but have conferred upon them the highest offices, and have
given them access to your table, to eat and drink with you. This you
have done formerly, and at this time; beside others, you have associated
to yourself (thinking it advantageous to your government) a man, who
swears by the gods, both before others, and before yourself: and you are
not offended at it; nor do you think yourself injured by those oaths:
nor do you account him a wicked man who placeth his best hopes in the
gods. When, therefore, you do not reject us, as neither did he who
subdued the Persians by arms reject those of his subjects who differed
from him in this matter, what pretence have these to reject us?
{96}
How can these men reject their fellow-subjects, differing from them in
this matter? By what right do they make these incursions? How do they
seize other men's goods with the indignation of the countries?
to receive and empty your treasures, and to whom your empire is dearer
than their own souls; but when the time comes that good counsel and real
services are wanted, they have no concern upon them but to take care of
themselves; and if any one comes to them, and inquires what this means,
they excuse themselves as free from all fault. They disown what they
have done, or pretend 'that they have obeyed the Emperor's order; and if
there is any blame, he must see to it. ' Such things they say, when it is
they who are found guilty, who can give no account of their actions.
For what account can be given of such mischiefs? These men before others
deny this to be their own work. But when they address you alone, without
witnesses, they say, 'they have been in this war serving your family. '
They would deliver your house from those who by land and sea endeavour
to defend your person; than which there is nothing greater you can
receive from them. For these men, under the name of friends and
protectors,
* He refers to the monks near Antioch,
{94}
telling stories of those by whom they say they have been injured,
improve your credulity into an occasion of doing more mischief.
"But I return to them, to demonstrate their injustice by what they have
said: Say then, for what reason you destroyed that great temple? Not
because the Emperor approved the doing it. They who pull down a temple
have done no wrong if the Emperor has ordered it to be done. Therefore
they who pulled it down did not do wrong by doing what the Emperor
approved of. But he who does that which is not approved by the Emperor,
does Wrong; does he not? You, then, are the men who have nothing of this
to say for what you have done. Tell me why this temple of Fortune is
safe?
and the temple of Jupiter, and of Minerva, and of Bacchus? Is it
because you would have them remain? No, but because no one has given
you power over them; which, nevertheless, you have assumed against those
which you have destroyed. How, then, are you not liable to punishment?
or how can you pretend that what you have done is right, when the
sufferers have done no wrong? Of which charge there would have been some
appearance, if you, O Emperor, had published an edict to their purpose:
'Let no man within my empire believe in the gods, nor worship them, nor
ask any
{95}
good thing of them, neither for himself, nor for his children, unless it
be done in silence and privately: but let all present themselves at the
places where I worship, and join in the rites there performed. And let
them offer the same prayers which they do, and bow the head at the hand
of him who directs the multitude. Whoever transgresses this law, shall
be put to death. ' It was easy for you to publish such a law as this; but
you have not done it; nor have you in this matter laid a yoke upon the
souls of men. But though you think one way better than the other, yet
you do not judge that other to be an impiety, for which a man may be
justly punished. Nor have you excluded those of that sentiment from
honours, but have conferred upon them the highest offices, and have
given them access to your table, to eat and drink with you. This you
have done formerly, and at this time; beside others, you have associated
to yourself (thinking it advantageous to your government) a man, who
swears by the gods, both before others, and before yourself: and you are
not offended at it; nor do you think yourself injured by those oaths:
nor do you account him a wicked man who placeth his best hopes in the
gods. When, therefore, you do not reject us, as neither did he who
subdued the Persians by arms reject those of his subjects who differed
from him in this matter, what pretence have these to reject us?
{96}
How can these men reject their fellow-subjects, differing from them in
this matter? By what right do they make these incursions? How do they
seize other men's goods with the indignation of the countries?
