Herodias | Page 8

litter, decorated with plumes and mirrors. The
proconsul wore a toga ornamented with the laticlave, a broad purple
band extending down the front of the garment, indicating his rank; and
his feet were encased in the kind of buskins worn by consuls. A guard
of lictors surrounded him. Against the wall they placed their twelve
fasces--a bundle of sticks with an axe in the centre. And the populace
trembled before the insignia of Roman majesty.
The gorgeous litter, borne by eight men, came to a halt. From it
descended a youth. He wore many pearls upon his fingers, but he had a
protruding abdomen and his face was covered with pimples. A cup of
aromatic wine was offered to him. He drank it, and asked for a second
draught.
The tetrarch had fallen upon his knees before the proconsul, saying that
he was grieved beyond words not to have known sooner of the favour
of his presence within those domains; had he been aware of the
approach of his distinguished guest, he would have issued a command
that every person along the route should place himself at the
proconsul's orders. Of a surety, the proconsul's family was descended
direct from the goddess Vitellia. A highway, leading from the
Janiculum to the sea, still bore their name. Questors and consuls were
innumerable in that great family; and as for the noble Lucius, now his
honoured guest, it was the duty of the whole people to thank him, as the
conqueror of the Cliti and the father of the young Aulus, now returning
to his own domain, since the East was the country of the gods. These
hyperboles were expressed in Latin, and Vitellius accepted them
impassively.

He replied that the great Herod was the honour and glory of the nation;
that the Athenians had chosen him to direct the Olympian games; that
he had built temples in the honour of Augustus; had been patient,
ingenious, terrible; and was faithful to all the Caesars.
Between the two marble columns, with bronze capitals, Herodias could
now be seen advancing with the air of an empress, in the midst of a
group of women and eunuchs carrying perfumed torches set in sockets
of silver-gilt.
The proconsul advanced three steps to meet her. She saluted him with
an inclination of her head.
"How fortunate," she exclaimed, "that henceforth Agrippa, the enemy
of Tiberius, can work harm no longer!"
Vitellius did not understand her allusion, but he thought her a
dangerous woman. Antipas immediately declared that he was ready to
do anything for the emperor.
"Even to the injury of others?" Vitellius asked, significantly.
He had taken hostages from the king of the Parthians, but the emperor
had given no further thought to the matter, because Antipas, who had
been present at the conference, had, in order to gain favour, sent off
despatches bearing the news. From that time he had borne a profound
hatred towards the emperor and had delayed in sending assistance to
him.
The tetrarch stammered in attempting to reply to the query of the
proconsul. But Aulus laughed and said: "Do not be disturbed. I will
protect thee!"
The proconsul feigned not to hear this remark. The fortune of the father
depended, in a way, on the corrupt influence of the son; and through
him it was possible that Antipas might be able to procure for the
proconsul very substantial benefits, although the glances that he cast
about him were defiant, and even venomous.

But now a new tumult arose just within the gates. A file of white mules
entered the courtyard, mounted by men in priestly garb. These were the
Sadducees and the Pharisees, who were drawn to Machaerus by the
same ambition: the one party hoping to be appointed public sacrificers,
the other determined to retain those offices. Their faces were dark,
particularly those of the Pharisees, who were enemies of Rome and of
the tetrarch. The flowing skirts of their tunics embarrassed their
movements as they attempted to pass through the throng; and their
tiaras sat unsteadily upon their brows, around which were bound small
bands of parchment, showing lines of writing.
Almost at the same moment, the soldiers of the advance guard arrived.
Cloth coverings had been drawn over their glittering shields to protect
them from the dust. Behind them came Marcellus, the proconsul's
lieutenant, followed by the publicans, carrying their tablets of wood
under their arms.
Antipas named to Vitellius the principle personages surrounding them:
Tolmai, Kanthera, Schon, Ammonius of Alexandria, who brought
asphalt for Antipas; Naaman, captain of his troops of skirmishers, and
Jacim, the Babylonian.
Vitellius had noticed Mannaeus.
"Who is that man?" he inquired.
The tetrarch by a significant gesture indicated that Mannaeus was the
executioner. He then presented the Sadducees to the proconsul's notice.
Jonathas,