Allan Massie: Tiberius

All my life I have refused that word, but when I looked at him, and knew his misery, I did not refuse it, but put my arm round him and drew him to me.

I have commanded Gaius to appear before me in the morning, and have meanwhile arranged with Macro to have guards on hand to arrest him.

This deposition is made by Stephen, formerly known as Sigis mond, first a free-born German prince, than a captive compelled to serve as a gladiator, who was rescued from shameful death by the Emperor Tiberius and served subsequently as his slave, freedman and friend, to Timotheus, pastor of the Christian Church at Corinth, to whom I entrust this manuscript for safe and perpetual keeping.

I do so in the knowledge that my earthly master, the Emperor Tiberius, is reviled by the followers of my heavenly master, the King of Kings, on account of the fact that Jesus Christ was crucified in Jerusalem during Tiberius' reign, with the connivance of the procurator of Judaea, Pontius Pilate. Nevertheless I take this opportunity to affirm that the emperor bore no responsibility for this crime, and was indeed wholly ignorant in his innocence. I have no memory of the death of the Saviour even being mentioned by Pontius Pilate in his reports, and, since I frequently acted as the emperor's secretary, it is likely that my memory is correct.

Moreover, I take this opportunity to lay a personal calumny which has made my life difficult even among Christians who preach the doctine of the repentance and forgiveness of sins and are comforted by such knowledge. For it is wrong to repent of sins which have not been committed as I have often been urged to do. Therefore I wish to put it on record that I was never the emperor's catamite, though he loved me, for this love was pure and paternal, and I owe much to him.

For this reason I have guarded this manuscript which is his memoirs, since his untimely death, when I confess that I stole it.

But I did so to preserve it, and for the most honourable reasons. And I entreat this same Timotheus before whom I make this deposition to guard it in like manner as I have done, for my sake and for the sake of truth, that also the reputation of my earthly master may some day be redeemed from the calumnies with which it has been assailed.

It is concerning the circumstances of his death that I wish to speak.

The conclusion of his account of his life records how I myself approached him with an accusation levelled against the future emperor, Gaius, a man notorious for the wickedness and depravity of his life.

This accusation that he had enjoyed carnal knowledge of my wife Euphrosyne in despite of her will and her efforts to prevent him was true. Tiberius believed me, and promised to take action.

Perhaps the information disturbed him, for he was as fond of Euphrosyne as he was of me and, being an old man, he fell ill. However, he soon showed signs of recovery and assured me he was determined to see justice done. That was our last conversation, and I insist that Tiberius was at that moment regaining strength.

Two hours later he was dead.

What happened was this.

Gaius had been alarmed by the summons to attend the emperor for he knew his guilt and feared that the emperor would punish him. He therefore rejoiced when he heard the news of Tiberius' illness, which was brought him by Macro, the Praetorian Prefect, a partner, also I regret to say, in sin with Gaius. Macro assured him that on account of Tiberius' illness he need have no fear, and the pair indulged in an evening of heavy drinking. Some time in the night word was brought that Tiberius had died, and Gaius was drunkenly hailed as emperor.

Imagine their terror when they heard that Tiberius had recovered and wished to see Macro. Both men were now overcome by guilt and fear on an additional count. Macro, however, obeyed the summons and dismissed the guards who attended on the emperor. He was closeted with him about an hour. (When I heard this news I made ready to leave the palace, for I feared the worst.) Eventually Macro emerged from the emperor's chamber with a smile on his face, an nounced that the old man was no more and that they could all proceed to enjoy Gaius' reign.

Now Tiberius was alive and recovering when he entered, dead when he emerged. I have always believed that Macro killed him, probably by smothering him with a pillow.

As for myself, having anticipated that my dear master might not have long to live, I had some time previously made plans to escape, for I realised that as a favourite of the old emperor, I would be antipathetic to the new regime; furthermore Macro had long detested me, for reasons that may be clear to anyone who reads the emperor's own memoirs.

My father-in-law, a worthy Greek doctor of medicine, cooperated with me in my escape, and we were passed from one friendly set of hosts to another till we arrived here at Corinth where I have remained ever since. My first years were passed in hiding till the news of Gaius' murder, after a short reign disgraced by vice and all sorts of unspeakable cruelties, released me from my terror.

It was my good fortune a few years subsequently to be granted the grace to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and to be received into his fellowship. Some of my comrades in Christ Jesus, who know of my association with Tiberius, would urge me to repent that life utterly. I cannot bring myself to do so, for I am conscious that there was virtue, albeit a pagan virtue, in it, and I am furthermore persuaded that my master, Tiberius, though ignorant of Christ and his teaching, was nevertheless possessed of as Christian a disposition as any unbaptised pagan may exhibit. And I have preserved this manuscript for the reasons stated above.

Given at Corinth in the Year of Our Lord 60 and in the hope of salvation through the resurrection of the body and the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.