IX

DELPHI’S ORACLES

The soft pitter-patter of the falling rain sprinkling through the swaying trees, streaming down the bushes, creating the sounds that gives the terrifying aspects of a frightening specter, and it happened that the Cumaean Sibyl is now walking through “Via Appia,” smoothly gliding, effortlessly finding her way to Rome.

And at the same time, two horse riders that night, had suddenly burgeoned in that cold dampened night, it was midnight and they are rushing fiercely in that bleak dark hours, their horses are galloping in a stretch land, treading Juno’s wide road, heading to Palatine Hills. The pretty leopard skin wrapped around their horses body and the flying cloak they are wearing are soaking wet, mud splattered on them as they gushed forth the cold rain through their whole journey.

One of the horse riders is a handsome young man, possibly 24 years of age, in medium built, but having an appearance of a man from a noble birth. This man exhibits his equestrian skills in riding the horse; his face is pale in color with an outward aspect of being firm and tough that gives a lonely appearance. Under the cloudy sky in a wistful night is the hazy vision that this young man has a snake, with a size of a two-inch round in circumference, coiled around his neck. From time to time, this young man would rather play the snake’s flat head by his hand or sometimes would rub it by the endpoint of his finely shaven chin.

This young man’s name is Tiberius; he is Augustus’s corresponding nephew. Tiberius is indeed destined to be in great luck to be the future Emperor of the Roman Empire.

The other person next to him is not far for a sportsperson, an “athlete.” His name is Macron, the preferred slave of this “forthcoming wicked King,” cursed by humankind, who put a mother to death for weeping over her child’s death, beheaded by Tiberius. The mother who pulled out her hair, screaming like insanely mad, for Cartucio’s had committed suicide in jail sooner than expected before his death sentence came to fruition from Tiberius’s judgment, the barbaric King.

After days of traveling, the two keen horse riders finally reached their destination; they arrived at the gate of Augustus’s palace. They immediately disembark from their horses, wet and tired from their long journey. The soldiers were distracted from the arrival of these two bold and unexpected guests, that causes commotions at that time of the night among the guards, and instantly the two horse riders were besiege and surrounded immediately by Caesar’s guards.

—“What! You don’t know me anymore, old wolves?” Tiberius’s hostile display of authority. —“It’s so quick for you guys to forget the face of you Lord’s nephew. For this, I am advising everyone to offer dove’s heart to god Aesculapius to freshen your memories and open your eyes.” After saying these words, he threw his horse bridle to Macron, his slave.

—“Long live Tiberius! Our General!” Hollered by the guards while bowing their heads at the same time.

—“In Jupiter’s name, the immortal one, thank you!” Tiberius response.

After removing the snake coiled around his neck, he handed it to his slave, then spoke after petting the snake’s flat head.

—“Macron, take my beloved snake and hide it. My noble forefather Augustus is rightfully disgusted with these animals that crawl. All of these noble people have their own weaknesses; Julius Caesar, our glorious relative, hides in his basement during severe thunderstorms across the sky in Rome, and Augustus, my stepfather, would turn pale immediately upon seeing a snake.”

Macron, who neither responded nor said a word, amazingly thrust the snake inside his shirt, without fear, while Tiberius is climbing the palace’s wide stairs. Then Macron, went straight to leading the horse’s to it’s designated stables for the night rest.

Tiberius reached the second-floor hall and went straight to the Emperor’s office. At the door is one of the Lictors who greeted him, and Tiberius responded like this:

—“Tell Caesar that Tiberius is here.”

In a few seconds, the door opened wide, and Augustus emerged at the doorway and gave his nephew a warm hug.

—“My dear uncle.” Tiberius’s pleasant greetings. —“You deemed me to leave my highlands of the mountainous region where I dwell to live with you in your palace here in Rome; your wish is Tiberius’s command, and I am here now.”

—“My beloved nephew,” Augustus replied. —“My moment is gradually declining now, and my body is slowly winding down to the ground. I am in need of a young man with strong arms to govern the Imperial Rome after my death. I want to pass my crown to your forehead and my royal robe to your shoulder.”

Tiberius bowed down his head not for respect for his uncle nor thanking him, but to hide his overflowing joy from his heart.

—“I am your first slave my Lord.” Tiberius said. —“Command art thou, but I am more pleased being alone in the privacy of my peaceful mountainous hills of Rhodes, than to be in this clamorous, deafening Rome.”

—“I called you,” the mild-mannered Augustus said and ignored Tiberius’s statement. —“Because I want to teach you the responsibilities, the worthy obligations of a merciful and a just King. “Peace for the Kingdom” is the first to initiate with certain quality, and throughout history, hope and inner tranquility are the two strong desires of every Kings.”

And once again, Tiberius bowed down his head, and in that position did they talk for hours more. At the end of their conversation, Augustus directed his nephew to stay with him for good and live with him in his palace next door to him.

Finally, Augustus dismissal of his nephew to retire for the night is definitive and he also notified his nephew the continuation of their broken in interrupted discussion the next day. For a moment, Tiberius was reluctant to leave, he wants to talk more for something he thought is important, but he was afraid to brace the subject. Then after a moment of hesitation, he finally found the audacity to spoke to his uncle like this:

—“My Lord, before we part ways, I want to intercede with you, a request for the pitiful person weeping in prison beside the Pontus Euxinus (Periplus of the Euxine sea). I am concerned about his loneliness despite the beauty of Rome, and the absolute lasting happiness and pleasure for satisfaction at “Via Appia.”

Augustus’s face turned dark from the delightful pleasing joy to an angry expression, as if thou wert, troubled with grimace had suddenly drove like a lightning rod and splashed his mild kind eyes. Then, with his wrinkled hand, he abruptly grabbed his nephew’s muscular forearms so tight, an unimaginable stronghold, with his body trembling, he looked at Tiberius eyes infused with death glare, then he spoke in a hoarse voice”

—“Publius Ovidius Naso, the traitor poet, instructive of immorality to young men in Rome, even if Apollo had granted him rich mind and creativity, he will still die confined in prison of Samartia; and don’t intercede ever again for him. Rome and its’ happiness had ended up with him.”

Augustus then, laid his hand down and forced to calm himself, he gave a head gesture to his nephew, permitting him to leave. Tiberius left the room without saying a word. The Emperor was left alone in the room, bewildered and in silence. His arms are folded to his chest, staring at a plank of timber, like Ovidio’s name was carved into this piece of wood, for this intelligent poet had awakened Augustus’s memories, recalling disappointing, horrible past.

Augustus is in this position when all of a sudden, a loud knock at his door, one after another. A lictor in haste barged at the entrance, coming in a hurry. The Emperor while in deep thoughts, had abruptly roused from his chair, surprised from this sudden interruption. The lictor had informed him of a woman from another land dredged with dusts, saying that she is from Delphi, struggling to get in the palace in this time of the night to speak directly to Augustus. The Emperor composed himself from hearing what the lictor had said.

—“What does she want from me?” The Caesar said.

—“She said, she came here to dialogue with you concerning Delphi’s oracles.” The lictor replied.

Hearing about Delphi’s oracles frightened Augustus, and his face turned pale as if in horror in an instant.

—“Did she tell you her name?” Augustus asked.

—“Yes! But we all laughed.” The lictor said. —“I think she is crazy. She says she is called “The Cumaean Sibyl.”

—“Open the door, open the door for her,” Augustus’s response in complete disarray, for this unexpected occurrence is happening quickly, his body was shaking in fear for this sudden experience that he would not soon forget.

—“The messenger of Delphi’s oracle? Let her in, let her in right away!”

The “Cumaean Sibyl” dressed in black, standing at the door, looking straight at the Emperor, she began to move, guided by her cane, limping as she walked towards the Emperor’s chamber, thumping across the floor, approaching Augustus. Eight “lictores’s” had entered the room along with the woman, they are holding Sarmiento branches or petrified woods, and they all stood beside the broad door, ready for their Lord’s command. The Sibyl came advancing, with her small steps, she eerily move forward and yet mysteriously gliding over at this time, until she reached two meters far from Augustus. The Caesar is terribly terrified, shaking uncontrollably this time while observing this cryptic, mysterious woman in front of him, watching her in intense fear.

—“You Augustus!” The Sibyl said, like her voice was coming from the grave. —“You are no longer the mighty King and a noble King here on earth, for your God is born in Juda in Bethlehem. This is Apollo’s final statement before he loses his power forever, and before he descends to the eternal flame of fire in hell!”

The Sibyl smashed the small metal rod she’s holding, then in an instant, the five vipers heads began to move in motion, as if it came back to life. A small parchment of paper was pulled from that metal rod by this mystifying woman, then she handed it to Augustus’s hand. Caesar is like being tormented, afflicted by his agonizing anguish as he reaches out for the paper from this dark delphic woman. Then he unrolled the small piece of paper, and in there was written three verses of poems, the final statement of Delphi’s oracle. Here’s what it says:

Me puer Hebrews,

Divus ipse gubernans

Cedere sede jubet.

Tritemque redire sub orcum,

Aris ergo lime

Tacitis obscedito nostris.

And if we are going to translate this into English, here’s what it means:

The Hebrew child

Gods of the gods and goddesses

He threw me out and expelled me from my temple;

He sent me to hell and back,

And so are you, men of dirt and dusts.

Please don’t come again, here at my altar,

Where most are aghast and dumbstruck!

(This Apollo talking)

Augustus was barely finishing his reading, when all of a sudden the “Cumaean Sibyl” raised her hand, pointing eastward and spoke, narrating these words:

—“From Israel is the daybreak of a bright divine light that will eliminate the darkness of this world. Oh! Those people, the gods and goddesses of Olympus! Oh! Those gods and goddesses of the heathens! Jesus forbade them to speak, and so they all fell from their proud pedestals, and they are all gone to hell!”

Augustus is trembling, the piece of paper restricted through his hand is crumpling up, he is shaking from the echoing sounds of the Sibyl’s voice. Large grains of sweat are rubbing Augustus’s forehead, and the Cumaean Sibyl continued to speak:

—“I have accomplished the Delphi’s oracles’ final instructions, and the god Atropos had cut-off my life’s thread!”

Then the mysterious woman shouts aloud, she grieve in a long lasting lamentation, then she let go off her cane, closes her eyes and collapses on the floor. Augustus was terrorized; he left the room immediately, and the intimidating fearsome poem is still cramped in his shaking hand. The lictore’s ran to assist the enigmatic woman, but there was nothing left except the skeleton in black clothing as soon as they reached her.

Caesar’s guards were taken aback, all were thrown into an uproar, screaming horribly, running away in disbelief, leaving the room.

While this is happening, Augustus is on his way to Herod’s room; without knocking, he barraged at the door, entered the room and not letting Herod to greet him. The Idumean saw the coming Emperor seemingly anxious, and he was surprised by the abrupt appearance of the Caesar. Augustus went straight and sat down to those large pillows ostensibly worried and afraid.

—“Tell me,” the Emperor said, not giving Herod a chance to welcome him. —“Did you hear about that mighty King, the new God of the gods and goddesses where the oracles are saying that He was born in Bethlehem in Juda?”

Herod was astounded by the Caesar’s question, but after regaining his ease from the shocking question, he relates all the events that happened to Augustus, all the phenomenon that had occurred; the Chaldeans visitations in Jerusalem, all the rumors and news that swirls around the Hebrew town concerning the Messiah’s birth! And the Rabbis and teachers dispute regarding Daniel’s prophecies for envy.

The Emperor was fascinated from hearing all the Idumean’s enchanting stories with respect to this newborn King that created a big commotions in all the Hebrew people, but after a few seconds, he spoke like this:

—“You’re leaving tomorrow; can you make it happen to please find that child for me? That Jesus prophesied by the Prophets and sent him to me, here in Rome with escorts, heavily guarded like a powerful King; I want him to enter the “Triumphal Way,” riding my golden chariot. I want to offer him the pride of victory!”

Herod did promise to find the child and was eager to keep Caesar’s orders.

After a few more moments, Augustus was leaving the Idumean’s room and into his room. As he lay on his bed, he was apprehensive and feverish from the extreme tension he experienced; the crumpled small parchment of paper was still confined to his hand, with the written commandments of Delphi’s oracles. Outside the hallway was the lictor coming into sight rushing towards the Emperor’s room, he blasted the door, pale and frightened. He entered the room and inform Augustus the “Cumaean Sibyl’s death.

—“So therefore,” Augustus responded. —“Bury the corpse to the hollowed pit next to the rampart’s wall and don’t disturb me anymore; I want to be left alone.”

—“My Lord,” the once again lictor’s explanation, with his voice shaking, panicky and nervous over the Caesar’s strict command. —“She is no longer a corpse but a skeleton.”

—“Therefore, bury the skeleton!” The irritated response of the Caesar.

Augustus’s adherents were even troubled to carry out his orders, but they still went and left the room. But returning to the chamber’s room is more surprising for the guards to find the skeleton disappeared, and nowhere to be found. She was never seen to where they left her.