Chap. XV.—Of the Devastation of the World and Change of the Empires.

It is contained in the mysteries of the sacred writings, that a prince of the Hebrews, compelled by want of corn, passed into Egypt with all his family and relatives. And when his posterity, remaining long in Egypt, had increased into a great nation, and were oppressed by the heavy and intolerable yoke of slavery, God smote Egypt with an incurable stroke, and freed His people, leading them through the midst of the sea, when, the waves being cut asunder and parted on either side, the people went over on dry ground. And the king of the Egyptians endeavouring to follow them as they fled, the sea returning to its place, he was cut off, with all his people. And this deed so illustrious and so wonderful, although for the present it displayed to men the power of God, was also a foreshadowing and figure of a greater deed, which the same God was about to perform at the last consummation of the times, for He will free His people from the oppressive bondage of the world. But since at that time the people of God were one, and in one nation only, Egypt only was smitten. But now, because the people of God are collected out of all languages, and dwell among all nations, and are oppressed by those bearing rule over them, it must come to pass that all nations, that is, the whole world, be beaten with heavenly stripes, that the righteous people, who are worshippers of God, may be set free. And as then signs were given by which the coming destruction was shown to the Egyptians, so at the last time wonderful prodigies will take place throughout all the elements of the world, by which the impending destruction may be understood by all nations.  

Therefore, as the end of this world approaches, the condition of human affairs must undergo a change, and through the prevalence of wickedness become worse; so that now these times of ours, in which iniquity and impiety have increased even to the highest degree, may be judged happy and almost golden in comparison of that incurable evil. For righteousness will so decrease, and impiety, avarice, desire, and lust will so greatly increase, that if there shall then happen to be any good men, they will be a prey to the wicked, and will be harassed on all sides by the unrighteous; while the wicked alone will be in opulence, but the good will be afflicted in all calumnies and in want. All justice will be confounded, and the laws will be destroyed. No one will then have anything except that which has been gained or defended by the hand: boldness and violence will possess all things. There will be no faith among men, nor peace, nor kindness, nor shame, nor truth; and thus also there will be neither security, nor government, nor any rest from evils. For all the earth will be in a state of tumult; wars will everywhere rage; all nations will be in arms, and will oppose one another; neighbouring states will carry on conflicts with each other; and first of all, Egypt will pay the penalties of her foolish superstitions, and will be covered with blood as if with a river. Then the sword will traverse the world, mowing down everything, and laying low all things as a crop. And—my mind dreads to relate it, but I will relate it, because it is about to happen—the cause of this desolation and confusion will be this; because the Roman name, by which the world is now ruled, will be taken away from the earth, and the government return to Asia; and the East will again bear rule, and the West be reduced to servitude.1371    [This could not have been ventured before Constantine’s time, and must have been bold even then. 2 Thess. ii. 7. P. 213, infra.]   Nor ought it to appear wonderful to any one, if a kingdom founded with such vastness, and so long increased by so many and such men, and in short strengthened by such great resources, shall nevertheless at some time fall. There is nothing prepared by human strength which cannot equally he destroyed by human strength, since the works of mortals are mortal. Thus also other kingdoms in former times, though they had long flourished, were nevertheless destroyed. For it is related that the Egyptians, and Persians, and Greeks, and Assyrians had the government of the world; and after the destruction of them all, the chief power came to the Romans also. And inasmuch as they excel all other kingdoms in magnitude, with so much greater an overthrow will they fall, because those buildings which are higher than others have more weight for a downfall.1372    [The Colosseum and its traditions may have influenced our author in this passage. See vol. iii. p. 108, supra.]    

Seneca therefore not unskilfully divided the times of the Roman city by ages. For he said that at first was its infancy under King Romulus, by whom Rome was brought into being, and as it were educated; then its boyhood under the other kings, by whom it was increased and fashioned with more numerous systems of instruction and institutions; but at length, in the reign of Tarquinius, when now it had begun as it were to be grown up, it did not endure slavery; and having thrown off the yoke of a haughty tyranny, it preferred to obey laws rather than kings; and when its youth was terminated by the end of the Punic war, then at length with confirmed strength it began to be manly.1373    Juvenescere.   For when Carthage was taken away, which was long its rival in power, it stretched out its hands by land and sea over the whole world, until, having subdued all kings and nations, when the materials1374    Materia.   for war now failed, it abused its strength, by which it destroyed itself. This was its first old age, when, lacerated by civil wars and oppressed by intestine evil, it again fell back to the government of a single ruler, as it were revolving to a second infancy.1375    [See p. 169, notes 1, 2, supra.]   For, having lost the liberty which it had defended under the guidance and authority of Brutus, it so grew old, as though it had no strength to support itself, unless it depended on the aid of its rulers. But if these things are so, what remains, except that death follow old age? And that it will so come to pass, the predictions of the prophets briefly announce under the cover1376    Sub ambage; properly a “circumlocution.”   of other names, so that no one can easily understand them. Nevertheless the Sibyls openly say that Rome is doomed to perish, and that indeed by the judgment of God, because it held His name in hatred; and being the enemy of righteousness, it destroyed the people who kept1377    Alumnum veritatis. [P. 212, note 1, supra.]   the truth. Hystaspes also, who was a very ancient king of the Medes, from whom also the river which is now called Hydaspes received its name, handed down to the memory of posterity a wonderful dream upon the interpretation of a boy who uttered divinations, announcing long before the founding of the Trojan nation, that the Roman empire and name would be taken away from the world.  

CAPUT XV. De Mundi vastatione et mutatione imperiorum.

0784B Est in arcanis sanctarum litterarum, transcendisse in Aegyptum cogente inopia rei frumentariae principem Hebraeorum cum omni domo et cognatione. Cujus posteri cum diutius in Aegypto commorantes in magnam gentem crevissent, et gravi atque intolerando servitutis jugo premerentur, percussit Aegyptum 0784B 0785A Deus insanabili plaga, et populum suum liberavit, traductum medio mari cum discissis fluctibus, et in utramque partem dimotis, ut per siccum populus graderetur. Conatusque rex Aegyptiorum profugos insequi, coeunte in statum suum pelago, cum omnibus copiis interceptus est. Quod facinus tam clarum tamque mirabile, quamvis ad praesens virtutem Dei hominibus ostenderet, tamen praesignificatio et figura majoris rei fuit, quam Deus idem in extrema temporum consummatione facturus est; liberavit enim plebem suam de gravi servitute mundi. Sed quoniam tunc una plebs Dei, et apud unam gentem fuit, Aegyptus sola percussa est. Nunc autem, quia Dei populus ex omnibus linguis congregatus apud omnes gentes commoratur, et ab his dominantibus premitur; necesse est universas nationes, id 0785B est orbem totum, coelestibus plagis verberari, ut justus et cultor Dei populus liberetur. Et sicut tunc signa facta sunt, quibus futura clades Aegyptiis ostenderetur, ita in ultimo fient prodigia miranda per omnia elementa mundi, quibus imminens exitus universis gentibus intelligatur.

0786A Propinquante igitur hujus saeculi termino, humanarum rerum statum commutari necesse est, et in deterius nequitia invalescente prolabi; ut jam nostra haec tempora, quibus iniquitas et malitia usque ad summum gradum crevit, in illius tamen insanabilis mali comparatione, felicia et prope aurea possint judicari. Ita etenim justitia rarescet, ita impietas, et avaritia, et cupiditas, et libido crebrescent, ut si qui tum forte fuerint boni, praedae sint sceleratis, ac divexentur undique ab injustis; soli autem mali opulenti sint: boni vero in omnibus contumeliis atque in egestate jactentur. Confundetur omne jus, et leges interibunt. Nihil quisquam tunc habebit, nisi aut male quaesitum, aut defensum manu: audacia et vis omnia possidebunt. Non fides in hominibus, non pax, non humanitas, non pudor, non veritas erit; 0786B atque ita neque securitas, neque regimen, neque requies a malis ulla. Omnis enim terra tumultuabitur: frement ubique bella: omnes gentes in armis erunt, et se invicem oppugnabunt. Civitates inter se finitimae praeliabuntur; et prima omnium Aegyptus stultarum superstitionum luet poenas, et sanguine 0787A velut flumine operietur. Tunc peragrabit gladius orbem, 0787A metens omnia, et tanquam messem cuncta prosternens. Cujus vastitatis et confusionis haec erit causa, quod Romanum nomen, quo nunc regitur orbis (horret animus dicere: sed dicam, quia futurum est) tolletur de terra, et imperium in Asiam revertetur, ac rursus Oriens dominabitur, atque Occidens serviet. Nec mirum cuiquam debet videri, si regnum tanta mole fundatum, ac tandiu per tot et tales viros auctum, tantis denique opibus confirmatum, aliquando tamen corruet. Nihil est enim humanis viribus laboratum, quod non humanis aeque 0788A viribus destrui possit, quoniam mortalia sunt opera mortalium. Sic et alia prius regna, cum diutius floruissent, nihilominus tamen occiderunt. Nam et Aegyptios, et Persas, et Graecos, et Assyrios proditum est regimen habuisse terrarum; quibus omnibus destructis, ad Romanos quoque rerum summa pervenit. Qui quanto caeteris omnibus regnis magnitudine antestant, tanto majore decident lapsu, quia plus habent ponderis ad ruinam, quae sunt caeteris altiora.

Non inscite Seneca Romanae urbis tempora distribuit in aetates. Primam enim dixit infantiam sub rege 0789A Romulo fuisse, a quo et genita, et quasi educata sit Roma; deinde pueritiam sub caeteris regibus, a quibus et aucta sit, et disciplinis pluribus institutisque formata: at vero Tarquinio regnante, cum jam quasi adulta esse coepisset, servitium non tulisse, et rejecto superbae dominationis jugo, maluisse legibus obtemperare quam regibus; cumque esset adolescentia ejus fine Punici belli terminata, tum denique confirmatis viribus coepisse juvenescere. Sublata enim Carthagine, 0789A quae tamdiu aemula imperii fuit, manus suas in totum orbem terra marique porrexit; donec regibus cunctis et nationibus Imperio subjugatis, cum jam bellorum materia deficeret, viribus suis male uteretur, quibus se ipsa confecit. Haec fuit prima ejus senectus, cum bellis lacerata civilibus, atque intestino malo pressa, rursus ad regimen singularis 0789B imperii recidit, quasi ad alteram infantiam revoluta. Amissa enim libertate, quam Bruto duce et auctore defenderat, ita consenuit, tanquam sustentare se ipsa non valeret, nisi adminiculo regentium niteretur. Quod si haec ita sunt, quid restat, nisi ut sequatur interitus senectutem? Et id futurum brevi conciones prophetarum denuntiant sub ambage aliorum nominum, ne facile quis intelligat. Sibyllae 0790A tamen aperte interituram esse Romam loquuntur, et quidem judicio Dei, quod nomen ejus habuerit invisum, et inimica justitiae, alumnum veritatis populum trucidarit. Hystaspes quoque, qui fuit Medorum rex antiquissimus, a quo amnis quoque nomen accepit qui nunc Hydaspes dicitur, admirabile somnium sub interpretatione vaticinantis pueri ad memoriam posteris tradidit, sublatum iri ex orbe imperium nomenque Romanum multo ante praefatus est, quam illa Trojana gens conderetur.