QUO VADIS

„QUO VADIS” - Introduction

The spectacle of the burning of Rome, the Roman amphiteatre where gladiators fought to the death and Christians were sloughtered by wild beasts - the pomp, ripe for decay - these are the materials from witch Sienkiewicz fasioned his panoramic historial novel lesing as his back drop the later years of Nero’s rule (54-68A.D), Sienkiewicz vivifed events and figures from history and wove in amougst the actual events and characters his own imaginary figures. Such is the art of the historical novelist and Henryk Sienkiewicz succeeded remarkably well. In Poland, where it was first published, the book became a best seller (we reproduce picture by Henry Siemiradzki entitled "Christian Dirce"). It was then translated into English, into all the Europeans lanquages, and into several Oriental languages as well. For thirty years after its publication in 1895, „Quo Vadis” was probably one of the most widely read novels in the world. Much of the book’s success can be attributed to Sienkiewicz’s mastery of characters. Of these, the one who catches and holds the attention of the readers best is Petronius. Despite the fact that Sienkiewicz focuses on Lygia, the Christian, and Marcus Vinicius, her convert the great pagan remains the most fascinating. Petronius, aside from playing the role of the „arbiter of elegance” for the cour entertainments, serves two functions in the story. First he is the catalyst who brings Marcus and Lygia together and later brings Lygia to the attention of the court - wotololy Poppaea ssecond, as Marcus accepts more and more of the Christian point of view, it is Petronius who keeps us in touch with the court of Nero, so that we may see close up the backdrop against which the affairs of Marcus and Lygia are to be played. A saide from this tactical error in bringing Lygia into Nero’s court (ironically as a favor to his nephew), he plays a masterful role as courtier, manipulating the powerful Nero, and often deliberately insulting the Emperor. For it is Petronius who is the great wit, the maste poet, the literary figure, that Nero thinks himself to be. In the catalog of literary rogues there is none quite so interesting as Petronius. Marcus Vinicius, aside from his role as the romantic hero of the book, is a fully developed character in his own right. We watch him develop from his original role as a decadent courtier to a man who aceepts Christ as his Sevior. The change is not a sudden unacceptable conversion from an evil person to a „goodie-goodie”, but a slow one, with several backslidings, during which Marcus is often puzzled and confused as to eventual autcame of his love for the lovely Christian girl. The conversion is developed in depth, thus resolting in a thoroughgoing psychological change. Nero might easily have becu simply a single - dimensioned villein, transferred bodily from the history books on the pagesof this novel.But Sienkiewicz, by playing him off against Petronius Tigellinus Poppaea and Acte, and by a careful development of his venities has made him a character almost as interesting as Petronius. The scenes in shich he stares at others through his emerold on in which, wetching the burning Rome, he fancies himself constructing a second „Iliad” are some of the best in the book. The Christians - Lygia, Crispus, Peter, Paul - are portrayed well, considering the necessery of presenting them, as entirely virtuous persons. Lygia’s virtues are seen against so many contrasting characteristics - the early papanism of Marcus, the wickedness of Poppaea, the sensuousness of Nero, the simplemindegness of Ursus rhe hyprocrisy of Chilon - that she easily develops as a study in depth of a virtuous woman. The puritan fanaticesin.Peter and Paul emerge as the most poorly developed characters - perhaps because it was difficult for Sienkiewicz to see his saints as human. I cannot leave these brief comments aboust the characters in this novel without some comments on the Greek, Chilion. He stouds, of course, for that other part of the aucient world, the wrnysted glories of eucient Greece, and he is Sienkiewicz’s way of felling us that the humanism of Greece will not stand up to the real stresses of mankind as Christianity will. Chilion is no Socrates, of cours, no Plato, no Aristotle; he is more akin to the Sophists or to the Epicureans, people who where probably closer to the center of Greek life than the great intellectuals were. One critic has called him „the comedian” of this work but most of us will find the „subtle wit” of Petronius more amusing than the „obvious humor” of the men who is not only Greek but also a charlaton, a shambling adventurer, a hypocrite and traitor. Perhops he is presented in too broad strokes to be a true character; but in any case his chameleon - like changes. His ability to adept to almost every situation, are worthy of study. Because „Quo Vadis” is not a novel of great ideas, and because the emphasis in the noel is on the story line and character tather then on literary style, the book has never received great acelaim from the intellectual establishment, nar is it often taught in the universities, but it was acclaimed by the public from the beginning - and remains eminenly readable today.

Chapter LXIX

About down of the following day two dark figures were moving alouy the Appian Way toward the Campena. One of them was Nazari us, the other Apostel Peter, who was leaving Rome and his martyred w-religiouists. The sky on the east was assuming a light tinge of green, bordered gradually and more distinctly on the lower edge with saffron color. Silverleafed trees, the white marble of villas, and the arches of aqlleducts stretching through the plain toward the city, were emerging from strade. The greenness of the sky was clearing gradually, and becaming permealed with gold. Then the east began to grow rosy and illuminate the Alban hills, skich seemed marvellously beautiful, lilycolored, as if formed of rays of light alone. {....} The road was empty. the villagers who took vegetables to the city had not succeeded yet, evidently, in harnessing beasts to their vehicles. From the stone blocks with which the road was paved as far as the mountains, there came a low sound from the bark shoes on the feet of the two travellers. Then the sun appeared over the line of hills; but at once a wonderful vision struck the Apostle’s eyes. It seemed to him that the golden circle instead of rising in the sky, moved down from the heights and was advancing on the road. Peter stopped and asked - „Seest thon that lorightness approaching us?” - „I see nothing „ replied Nazarius. But Peter sheded his eyes with his hand , and said after a while - „Some figure is coming in the gleam of the sun.” But not the slightest sound of sleps seached their ears. It was perfrctey still all around. Nazarius saw only that the trees were quiwering in the distance, as if some one were shaking them and the light was spreading more breadly over the plain. He looked with wonder at the Apostle -”Rabbi ! what ails thee?” cried he, with alarm. The pilgrim’s staff fell from Peter’s hend to the eartch; his eyes were looking forward, motiouless; his mouthwas open; on his face were depicted astonishment, delight, capture. Then he threw himself on his knees, his arms stretched forward; and thiss cry left his lips -”O Christ? O Christ!” He fell with his face to the earth, asif kissing some one’s feet. The silence contimied long; then were heard the words of the oped men, broken by sobs -”Quo vadis, Domine?” Nazeriusz didn’t hear the answer; but to Peter’s ears came a sed and sweet voice, which said -”If you desert my people, Iim going to Rome to be crucified a second time” The Apostle lay on the ground, his face in the dust without motion or speech. It seemed to Nazarius that he had feinted or was deed but he rose at last, seized the staff with trembling nouds, and turned without a word toward the seven hills of the city. the boy seeing this repeated es an echo „Quo vadis; Domine?” „To Rome” said the Apostle, in a low voice And he returned.

Museum "Quo vadis" on Capri Island in Italy.

Popularity and good fame incited Jan Styka, a well known Polish painter to make series of pictures for the book and to create a series of large paintings. The painter himself established a museum called "Quo vadis" on Capri Island. It housed some 100 pictures, 20 paintings, of which 10 were bigger than 6 meters long and 4 meters high. Styka's death in 1925 did not mean the end of the museum in 1929 it was to be brought over to Poland, but a was not enough founds to put into practice.