巴打希臘羅馬史有咩書推介 岩岩睇完波利比烏斯 吉朋同伯羅奔尼撒戰爭史會唔會太hardcore
羅馬既話推薦盐野七生既“羅馬人的故事”,比較入門,一開始讀吉朋會太難理解
巴打希臘羅馬史有咩書推介 岩岩睇完波利比烏斯 吉朋同伯羅奔尼撒戰爭史會唔會太hardcore
The crime went not unpunished. Neither business, nor pleasure, nor flattery, could defend Caracalla from the stings of a guilty conscience; and he confessed, in the anguish of a tortured mind, that his disordered fancy often beheld the angry forms of his father and his brother rising into life, to threaten and upbraid him.The consciousness of his crime should have induced him to convince mankind, by the virtues of his reign, that the bloody deed had been the involuntary effect of fatal necessity. But the repentance of Caracalla only prompted him to remove from the world whatever could remind him of his guilt, or recall the memory of his murdered brother.
卡拉卡拉的罪行未受到任何懲罰。但不論是忙於公務,是尋求歡樂,還是各種諂媚的言詞卻都不能使他逃避良心的譴責;在精神極度痛苦不安的時候,他承認在頭腦昏亂中常看到他父親和他弟弟像活著的時候一樣滿臉怒容前來責駡和威脅他。他的這種犯罪意識原可以使得他盡力讓人類看到他的高尚品德,從而相信他的那些血腥舉動實是身不由己不得已而為之。但卡拉卡拉的悔恨卻只不過使他力圖從世上消滅掉能使他想起他的罪行,或想起他的被謀殺的弟弟的一切。
真係亂到七彩
A faithful picture, however, which preceded his arrival, and was placed by his immediate order over the altar of Victory in the senate-house, conveyed to the Romans the just but unworthy resemblance of his person and manners. He was drawn in his sacerdotal robes of silk and gold, after the loose flowing fashion of the Medes and Phoenicians; his head was covered with a lofty tiara, his numerous collars and bracelets were adorned with gems of an inestimable value. His eyebrows were tinged with black, and his cheeks painted with an artificial red and white. The grave senators confessed with a sigh, that, after having long experienced the stern tyranny of their own countrymen, Rome was at length humbled beneath the effeminate luxury of Oriental despotism.
他下令把他的一副維妙維肖的肖像立即掛在元老院的勝利之神的聖壇上,這畫像
雖然十分逼真,卻使羅馬人清楚地看到了他的形貌的猥瑣。在畫中,他穿著一身金光閃閃的絲綢的牧師服裝,學著梅德人和腓尼基人的打扮,衣襟寬鬆飄灑;他頭上戴著一頂三重冕,多條頸圈和手鐲上都鑲嵌著價值連城的珠寶。額頭染作黑
色,兩頰塗上不自然的紅色和白色。憤怒的元老都不禁發出一聲哀歎說,羅馬人在長期經歷過嚴厲的本國暴君的統治之後,現在又該俯伏在華貴的女性的東方暴政之下了。
在他的統治期間,他所幹的唯一一件嚴肅的事,便是出於迷信的對神的感恩。要讓那位埃米薩之神高於地球上的其它一切宗教的神祗是他熱情追求並引以自豪的一個偉大目標;而且他對艾拉伽巴盧斯這個稱號(因為他自稱為教皇,並極其樂意採用這一神聖的名字)比對帝王的一切宏偉的稱號都更感興趣。在一次走過羅馬街頭的莊嚴的儀式中,地上灑滿了金粉;那鑲嵌著寶石的黑色的石頭放在一輛由六匹一色雪白、裝備豪華的馬匹拉著的車上。這位虔誠的皇帝自己抓著韁繩,兩邊由他的大臣們護衛著倒退著緩緩行進,說是這樣他便可以享受永遠和神同在的幸福。在修建在帕拉丁山的一座無比雄偉的神廟中,奉獻給艾拉伽巴盧斯神的各種祭禮無不極盡其奢華、莊嚴之能事。最醇的酒、最奇特的犧牲、最稀有的香料全都毫不吝惜地堆放在他的聖壇上。在聖壇的四周由敘利亞姑娘組成的合唱隊,和著野蠻人的音樂節奏,跳著最為淫蕩的舞,而一些最為嚴肅的國家和軍隊的重要人物,則穿著腓尼基的長袍,帶著虛假的熱情和掩蓋著的憤怒,煞有介事地幹著那極端無聊的勾當。
The display of superstitious gratitude was the only serious business of his reign. The triumph of the God of Emesa over all the religions of the earth, was the great object of his zeal and vanity: and the appellation of Elagabalus (for he presumed as pontiff and favourite to adopt that sacred name) was dearer to him than all the titles of Imperial greatness. In a solemn procession through the streets of Rome, the way was strewed with gold dust; the black stone, set in precious gems, was placed on a chariot drawn by six milk-white horses richly caparisoned. The pious emperor held the reins, and, supported by his ministers, moved slowly backwards, that he might perpetually enjoy the felicity of the divine presence. In a magnificent temple raised on the Palatine Mount, the sacrifices of the god of Elagabalus were celebrated with every circumstance of cost and solemnity. The richest wines, the most extraordinary victims, and the rarest aromatics, were profusely consumed on his altar. Around the altar a chorus of Syrian damsels performed their lascivious dances to the sound of barbarian music, whilst the gravest personages of the state and army, clothed in long Phoenician tunics, officiated in the meanest functions, with affected zeal and secret indignation.
而當艾拉伽巴盧斯瘋狂無度地大量拋撒人民的財富的時候,他自己和他的一些諂媚者卻都大聲讚揚這種在溫和的前代皇帝時期聞所未聞的精神面貌和宏偉氣勢。顛倒冷暖不同的四季順序、戲弄臣民的熱情和偏見、破壞一切自然和社會禮儀的法則都在使他最為開心的娛樂項目之列。成隊的情婦、一日三換的妻子,其中有一個是從灶神的神廟拉來強加蹂躪的女尼,仍無法滿足他的已無能為力的情欲。這位羅馬世界的主人還極喜歡學女人打扮,喜愛紡紗杆更勝於權杖,他把帝國的最高職位全分配給他的無數的情人;其中有一個甚至公開被賦以皇帝的,或者按他更為經常自稱的說法,皇后的丈夫的頭銜和許可權。
whilst Elagabalus lavished away the treasures of his people in the wildest extravagance, his own voice and that of his flatterers applauded a spirit and magnificence unknown to the tameness of his predecessors. To confound the order of seasons and climates, to sport with the passions and prejudices of his subjects, and to subvert every law of nature and decency, were in the number of his most delicious amusements. A long train of concubines, and a rapid succession of wives, among whom was a vestal virgin, ravished by force from her sacred asylum, were insufficient to satisfy the impotence of his passions. The master of the Roman world affected to copy the dress and manners of the female sex, preferred the distaff to the sceptre, and dishonoured the principal dignities of the empire by distributing them among his numerous lovers; one of whom was publicly invested with the title and authority of the emperor's, or, as he more properly styled himself, of the empress's husband.
也許有人會覺得這裡所講艾拉伽巴盧斯的罪惡和愚蠢恐難免夾有許多想像成份或出於偏見的誇大。然而,我們僅以其公開暴露在羅馬人民面前、並得到當時嚴肅的歷史學家證實的一些情景來看,我們也不能不認為其無法形容的卑劣下流程度實為任何一個時代或國家所罕見。東方帝王的淫蕩行為總限制在後宮的四牆之內,非一般人所能窺視。榮譽和高貴感又使得現代歐洲的宮廷講究較高尚的娛樂、顧全體面、尊重公眾輿論;而那些墮落和極端富有的羅馬貴族卻不惜使自己的一切凡能從由各種民族和各種社會習俗匯成的洶湧的汙流中所能找到的罪惡要求全能得到滿足。他們生活在他們的奴隸和食客之中,既無因犯罪而受到懲罰之虞,也不怕任何人批評。至於皇帝本人,他對他的各級的臣民都同樣不屑一顧,完全可以毫無顧忌地盡情享受皇家荒淫奢侈的特權。
It may seem probable, the vices and follies of Elagabalus have been adorned by fancy, and blackened by prejudice. Yet confining ourselves to the public scenes displayed before the Roman people, and attested by grave and contemporary historians, their inexpressible infamy surpasses that of any other age or country. The licence of an eastern monarch is secluded from the eye of curiosity by the inaccessible walls of his seraglio. The sentiments of honour and gallantry have introduced a refinement of pleasure, a regard for decency, and a respect for the public opinion, into the modern courts of Europe; but the corrupt and opulent nobles of Rome gratified every vice that could be collected from the mighty conflux of nations and manners. Secure of impunity, careless of censure, they lived without restraint in the patient and humble society of their slaves and parasites. The emperor, in his turn, viewing every rank of his subjects with the same contemptuous indifference, asserted without control his sovereign privilege of lust and luxury.
red]The most worthless of mankind are not afraid to condemn in others the same disorders which they allow in themselves; and can readily discover some nice difference of age, character, or station, to justify the partial distinction. The licentious soldiers, who had raised to the throne the dissolute son of Caracalla, blushed at their ignominious choice, and turned with disgust from that monster, to contemplate with pleasure the opening virtues of his cousin Alexander the son of Mamaea. [/red]
人類中最下賤者也敢於痛斥在他自己身上也完全存在的別人的狂亂行為;而且很容易會找到年齡、性格或地位方面的微小差異,以表明其間完全有理由分別看待。無法無天的士兵把放蕩的卡拉卡拉的兒子推上了皇帝的寶座,現在又為自己愚昧的選擇惶愧不安,於是厭惡地拋開這個魔鬼,轉而十分欣喜地思量著馬梅亞的兒子他的表弟亞歷山大一開始所表現的美德。
In a hasty sally of passion, Elagabalus resolved to execute by force what he had been unable to compass by fraud, and by a despotic sentence degraded his cousin from the rank and honours of Caesar. The message was received in the senate with silence, and in the camp with fury. The Praetorian guards swore to protect Alexander, and to revenge the dishonoured majesty of the throne. The tears and promises of the trembling Elagabalus, who only begged them to spare his life, and to leave him in the possession of his beloved Hierocles, diverted their just indignation and they contented themselves with empowering their praefects to watch over the safety of Alexander, and the conduct of the emperor.
在一陣狂熱情緒的推動之下,艾拉伽巴盧斯決心用武力來解決靠詭計無法完成的事,通過一項專制的命令剝奪掉他的愷撒的地位和榮譽。消息傳到元老院沒
有什麼反響,但在軍營中卻引起了軒然大波。禁衛軍的士兵發誓要保衛亞歷山大,並要向那有辱王座的人報仇。艾拉伽巴盧斯渾身發抖流著眼淚請求他們留他一條命,只要讓他能和他心愛的的希爾羅克裡斯在一起就行了,這情景終於使得憤怒的禁衛軍心軟下來;他們同意授權他們的隊長密切注意亞歷山大的安全和皇帝的行徑。
It was impossible that such a reconciliation should last, or that even the mean soul of Elagabalus could hold an empire on such humiliating terms of dependence. He soon attempted, by a dangerous experiment, to try the temper of the soldiers. The report of the death of Alexander, and the natural suspicion that he had been murdered, inflamed their passions into fury, and the tempest of the camp could only be appeased by the presence and authority of the popular youth. Provoked at this new instance of their affection for his cousin, and their contempt for his persons the emperor ventured to punish some of the leaders of the mutiny. His unseasonable severity proved instantly fatal to his minions, his mother, and himself. Elagabalus was (A.D. 222, 10th March) massacred by the indignant Praetorians, his mutilated corpse dragged through the streets of the city, and thrown into the Tiber. His memory was branded with eternal infamy by the senate; the justice of whose decree has been ratified by posterity.
這樣一種妥協是根本不可能長時間存在下去的,即使像艾拉伽巴盧斯這樣一個十分下流的人也絕不甘心在如此屈辱的條件下完全仰人鼻息作他的皇帝。沒有多久,他通過一次危險的嘗試,要想試探一下士兵們的情緒。他放風說,亞曆山大已死,自然馬上就有人懷疑他已被謀殺,於是,軍營中本來尚未完全平靜的情緒立即變成了一種狂怒,兵營中的這場風暴顯然非讓那個受歡迎的青年親自露面,並恢復他的權利便無法平息了。這一新的事件再次證明他們完全喜歡他的表弟,而對他本人十分厭惡,皇帝在一怒之下試圖懲罰幾個領導叛亂的頭目。他這一不識時務的嚴厲態度馬上帶來了他的一些親信、他的母親和他
本人的死亡。艾拉伽巴盧斯當即被憤怒的禁衛軍殺死,他的被支解的軀體被拖過羅馬街頭拋到第伯河中去。元老院評定他勢必將遺臭萬年,這一公正的評價也完全得到了後代的承認。
In the room of Elagabalus, his cousin Alexander was raised to the throne by the Praetorian guards. His relation to the family of Severus, whose name he assumed, was the same as that of his predecessor; his virtue and his danger had already endeared him to the Romans, and the eager liberality of the senate conferred upon him, in one day, the various titles and powers of tin Imperial dignity.But as Alexander was a modest and dutiful youth, of only seventeen years of age, the reins of government were in the hands of two women, of his mother Mamaea, and of Maesa, his grandmother. After the death of the latter, who survived but a short time the elevation of Alexander, Mamaea remained the sole regent of her son and of the empire.
艾拉伽巴盧斯的表弟亞歷山大被禁衛軍推上皇帝的寶座,取代了他的位置。他和他改用其名姓的塞維魯家族的關係和他前一代的皇帝完全一樣;他的美德和危險處境使他獲得了羅馬人的歡心,急於表示慷慨的元老院又在一天之內給他加上了各種代表皇帝威嚴的稱號和權力。但因為亞曆山大才不過是個靦腆的守本分的15歲的孩子,政府的管理大權實際是掌握在兩個女人——他媽媽馬梅亞和他祖母梅莎——手中。梅莎在亞曆山大登上寶座之後不久便死去了,她死後,馬梅亞更成了她兒子和羅馬帝國的唯一攝政王。