The Miracles of Antichrist

stus was emperor in Rome and

the whole earth had passed under a vault. It was impossible to distinguish water from land, or to find the way on the most familiar paths. And it c

. Any one walking by the sea would have found that the waves no longer broke on the shore, and the sand of the desert did not crunch under the wanderer's foot. Everything was as i

2

what was even more wonderful, none of the inanimate things would have disturbed the holiness of the nig

he emperor if they might not raise a temple to him on Rome's holy mountain. But Augustus had not immediately given his consent. He did not know if it would be pleasing to the gods for him to possess a temple next

er priests, nor soldiers, nor councillors accompanied him; only his nearest friends. Torch-bearers walked in front of him, as if to force a way through the

and calm of the night. It was only on reaching the open place on the top of the Capitol, which had be

thought at first that it was an old twisted olive trunk; then they thought that an ancient statue from t

ey whispered to each other, "who counts as many years as there are grains of sand on her native shores. Why has she come out of her cave to-night? What does she foretel

e sat as still as if she had been without life. Crouched on the very edge of the cliff, and shading her eyes with her hand, she stared out into the n

ont of him. And what a calm, what silence! They could not[4] even hear the rippling murmur of the Tiber. The air seemed to choke them; a

verybody told the emperor that it was a good omen;

d that the old sibyl had probably com

r distant land, where she thought she was wandering over a great plain. In the darkness she kept striking her foot against something, which she thought to

had long, pointed staves, with which they defended their flocks from wild beasts. But the little animals with shining eyes and bushy tails, which crept forward to the fire, were t

lighting charcoal, strewing incense, and that the emperor was taking one of the doves out of the cage to make a sacrifice to her. But his hands wer

iciously at the old sibyl. They thought that

dead silence of the night? She had heard it for a long time before she noticed that it came from the sky, and not from the earth. At last she raised her head, and sa

his hands, purified the altar, and grasped the other dove. But although he now made a special effort

y altar and prayed to his genius. He called on him for strengt

themselves on their elbows, and saw shining hosts of silvery angels moving in the darkness in long, fluttering lines, like birds of passage. Some had lutes and violins in their hands; others had zithers and harp

ries of jubilation, and the shepherds hurried on so fast that they almost ran. When they had reached the town they found that the angels had gathered over a low stable near the gate. It was a wretched building, with roof of straw, and the bare rock for one wall. Abo

it. They felt fresh, but caressing breezes; sweet perfumes streamed up about them; the trees rustled; the Tiber murmured, the stars shone, and the

his slaves fell on their knees. "Hail, C?sar!" they cried. "Your genius has answ

the edge of the cliff, and came forward toward the people. It seemed as if a dark cloud had risen up from the abyss and sunk down over the mountain. She was terrifyin

e emperor. With one hand she seized his wrist, wi

ay to the far east. And he saw a miserable stable by a steep cliff, and in the open door some kneeling shepherds. W

ony fingers pointed to

nful laugh. "There is the god who shall be

8

back from her as

stretched towards heaven, her voice did not seem to be her own, but rang with such strength that it coul

pitol the redeemer of the

christ, but no

etween the terrified men, went slowl

temple on the Capitol. In its place he built a sanctuary to the new-b