Zenon, the Martyr (Volume 3); A Record of the Piety, Patience, and Persecution of the Early Christian Nobles

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1847. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XXV. THE TRIBUNAL. Domitian had scarcely an hour's rest the night before the trial of Apollonius. His discussions with JSlian and others were sometimes passionate in the extreme, and sometimes more reasonable. He lamented that he had summoned the Senate to observe the forms of a public tribunal. He repented that he had suffered himself to put on any such appearance of mercy, and most heartily wished that the case might prove inevitably fatal to the astrologer. "What is the use of all these forms1" he exclaimed. "lean dispense with them: they seem only to be meant to dispute my authority. Is there any other real authority in Rome? Am not I the head, the fountain of law, and justice, and equity, throughout mine empire 1 Why didst thou move me,-4!lian, to give this culprit even the chance of a trial? Bring me the depositions." They were placed before him, and, whilst engaged in reading them, the countenance of the tyrant assumed all that fierceness of expression for which he was so celebrated. The public trial of Apollonius had been announced, and could not now be retracted. The Emperor must, therefore, as he well knew, put the best face he could upon it. Angry as he was with himself, and hating, as he most heartily did, all the astrologers in the world, he hoped that public condemnation would fall upon this victim. He remembered with bitter feelings the taste of independence which he had met with in the trial of Zenon; and he looked fiery red at the very thought of such a show of spirit before all Rome. He could not alter his own edict, so he wisely submitted to the circumstances consequent upon it. From the earliest dawn of day, the court was beset with people of the highest rank, anxious to obtain seats to hear and see the astrologer. If Domitian ...