The Ides of March by Thornton Wilder

Julius Caesar is perhaps one of the most famous people, of whom so many authors have written about. And after that many (Shakespeare included), what else left for Thornton Wilder to cover in his The Ides of March? To me, that was the most interesting aspect which persuaded me to read this book at the first place. Partly because I thought it was a play (Wilder is famous for his plays), and partly because Ancient Rome always fascinates me, particularly the era of Caesar and Cicero. I am Cicero's admirer too, if you haven't known it. :)

Anyway, with that in mind, I plunged into the book, only to find, not without surprise, that The Ides of March is actually an epistolary novel! It contains communication through letters of Caesar and people around him, his journal-letters to a fictional character of Lucius Mamilius Turrinus, as well as Commonplace Books of some historians such as Cornelius Nepos. Commonplace Book is an account of events of the writer's time that he kept by himself. These materials are, of course, fictional, but Wilder kept most of the events and the characters as real as possible; but not the times.

In the Preface, the author has stated that 'historical reconstruction is not among the primary aims of this work.' What, then, is this work's about? I had to finish it before realizing the answer. The Ides of March covers events in year 45 BC, from the profanation of the Mysteries of the Bona Dea by Clodia Pulcher and her brother Clodius, to Caesar's murder. I have assumed from the novel title, that Brutus, Cassius, Casca, and the gang would be the center characters. But no--another surprise!--Clodia Pulcher played almost as much important role as Caesar in the plot. Then, Cleopatra also made her appearance, as well as Catullus the poets who fell in love with Clodia. At first I asked myself: 'Why must I read about Clodia Pulcher and Catullus? They had nothing to with Caesar's murder!'

Julius Caesar's assassination

After finishing the novel, I realized that The Ides of March is more a philosophical novel than historical; that Wilder might have brought us to enter Caesar's mind; saw him as a statesman--as well as a man--and enter one of the genius minds that ever lived on earth. This side of Caesar appeared in his journal-letters to Lucius Mamilius Turrinus. Most of them reflect his searching for human existence, and his thoughts on many subjects. These insights changed my mind on Caesar. Now I can see that Caesar is an extremely proud person. He is not snobbish, but he just believes that he is different from others. He knows how to make Rome a solid state, and has capability and commitment to do the works, when others had none of the qualities (and he was probably right). He cares about others, especially common people--although perhaps selfishly--that they also loves him in return. He seems to dislike vulgar luxury and indulgence, and hates the deity that others imposed on him. His bigger flaw, perhaps, is women. But even in his affair with Cleopatra, I can see that being a genius man, Caesar longs to acquaint others who equal him. Cleopatra is one! They understand each other. Although Caesar also realizes that Cleopatra's only concern is her Egypt. What a lonely man, Caesar is!

I was most intrigued by Caesar's decision to let Clodius sneaking into the Bona Dea ritual disguised as a woman to meet Pompeia, albeit a warning from Cleopatra before the event (both Caesar and Cleopatra have secret polices). Is it his way to 'punish' Pompeia because she was aware of Clodius' plan but did nothing to prevent it (and thus dishonored herself)?

About the conspirators, Caesar was aware of their presence (from the secret police), but he must have never thought them to be so solid, and certainly never suspected Brutus, whom he loved. I think Brutus is the most hypocrite man I've ever known. How he scolded his mother for suggesting the idea of tyrannicide (I have never known this word ever existed!); he really appeared to be disgusted; but then… :(. Even Dante made him dwell on the lowest circle, didn't he? And what was that for? The freedom, they said? It’s more for their persona; freedom, I think, not so much for Rome!

All in all, it is an interesting take on Julius Caesar. 3,5/5 was my final score.

The Confessions of St. Augustine by St. Augustine Hyppo

Actually I have meant to work this book out for my WEM project; I have even started with the summary (book 1 – 9). However, after finishing it, I just realized that The Confessions is more philosophical and theological than autobiographical. The last four books (book 10 to 13) were so engaging, I have even forgotten what I’ve been through in the earlier nine books. It seems like the four last books are the real core of The Confessions. Thus I decided to not continuing the usual three levels inquiries, and to write a (hopefully) decent review for this inspiring book, instead. Oh, I don’t even know how to begin the review, but I’m trying….

In the autobiography part, Augustine analyzed his former life; from infant to adolescence; how he has sinned; and how he struggled to find the ‘Truth’—you can read the chronology in my summary post. One of the most interesting things from this part is that Augustine believed that man has sinned even from his infant, when he is only one day old. Infant is demanding; it strives to get what it wants by crying. Augustine thought that baby’s weakness is in its body, not (yet) in mind. That is an extreme thinking, but it’s not fully nonsense either. Children are egoist; they only think of their own needs. Isn’t that the early stint of human selfishness? Isn’t human an individual creature? And aren’t we still inheriting Adam’s sins before we are baptized?

About baptism, Augustine also blamed his parents for not baptizing him as early as possible; for he believed baptism would at least help him fighting his ‘wickedness’ as teenager. I agree with this; although baptism doesn’t always keep someone from falling to sin as it depends also on his education and the society where he grows up. But early baptism, when followed by strict guidance in moral and faith, increases the chance to fight against the evil influence.

Augustine’s biggest weakness, besides his thirst of knowledge, was in sexual desire. For twelve or fourteen years (I forgot the exact number) he lived with a mistress whom he loved very much. In Italy, it occurred to him that a marriage would save him from this carnal lust. His mother, Monica, also rejoiced in his decision, as she has been continually praying for his repentance. But for the marriage, the woman he loved must be torn from his embrace. And this caused him a severe broken heart; although in the end Augustine never married any other woman, as he gave his soul wholly to God and His Church. I have actually just browsed a novel by Jostein Gaarder, Vita Brevis: A Letter to St. Augustine right after finishing The Confessions. Gaarder claimed that he had found an old manuscript which was believed to be originally written by Augustine’s mistress, a woman called Floria Aemilia. This would be an interesting reading, as she questioned Augustine’s theology and philosophy, and her views could be taken as an early feminism. But I would review it separately later….

Back to The Confessions, starting from book 10 Augustine slightly switched his writing from autobiography to philosophy and theology, although they were still read as his confession. Book 10 contains his motives of writing The Confessions and the path he has taken to finally admit that only through the mediator of Jesus Christ can men find and have unison with God, as men are so weak they could not do it by their own power. In book 11 Augustine was philosophizes a lot about mode and time of creation as is in the book of Genesis 1:1. He ponders a lot (and quite tediously) on time: past, present, and future. Book 12 is the best part of all, as here he interprets God’s creation of ‘heaven and earth’. He uses many allegories which enable the readers to follow his thoughts. He admits that men have interpreted God’s creation of the universe in many opinions, and no one can know the truth except God grant him it, but this is his idea (if I understood him correctly):

When a singer sings a song,

• His body produces sound, while his soul forms it into tune.

• So sound is formed in order to become tune.

• But sound and tune exists at the same time.

That is an allegory of Creation ala Augustine. In order to understand it, let us replace sound with spiritual heaven and earth; tune with corporeal heaven and earth; and body with God.

St. Augustine at the moment of his religious conversion

by Jose Garcia Hidalgo

According to Augustine, heaven and earth in Gen 1:1—“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”—speaks about two different existences. One is spiritual—the heaven of the angels etc., the other corporeal—that is our earth (heaven here could perhaps be taken as sky). So, the creation according to Augustine could be perceived like this: God created the spiritual heaven and earth at the same time as, and in order that, He created the corporeal sky and earth. If only God’s creation could be explained as simple as that…. Still in book 12, Augustine also discussed about the meaning of other creations: water vs dry land, fish, fowls, the dark abyss and the light. He has completely changed my view towards those verses; I was grateful to have read this book as I was preparing that verses for my lector task on Easter vigil mass.

One post would not be enough to share all my thoughts, but I must stop here at last. One thing is sure: this is a very important and intense reading; tough but beautiful. One can read this many times, and would perhaps form different opinions on each reading. This book would also provide many materials for interesting debates.

The Confessions was written in 397 – 400 AD, and St. Augustine’s thoughts have provided great influence over the medieval era, when Roman Catholic Church was the center of institution. In all aspects in which he analyzed his former life, Augustine always viewed his actions and thoughts from God’s view; whether He approved this or that, and how he has offended God by doing some sins. In one chapter he would lament over his wickedness and ask God’s forgiveness, while in the next chapter he would praise Him and rejoice because God has helped him to repent. The relationship of God and human was still intimate; it was time when intellectual people pondered much over religion and God’s existence.

Five stars for this outstanding piece!

~~~~~~~~~~~

I read the Dover Thrift paperback edition

This book is counted as:

1^st book for Literary Movement Reading Challenge 2015 (Medieval)

1^st book for 2015 TBR Pile Challenge

84^th book for The Classics Club Project

Quo Vadis?

Apakah pengertian anda tentang “kemenangan”? Ketika dua orang samurai bertarung misalnya, pemenangnya pastilah samurai yang masih hidup, dan pecundangnya adalah samurai yang mati karena kalah oleh lawannya. Kisah klasik karya Henryk Sienkiewicz akan menjungkar balikkan pengertian kita tentang kemenangan sekaligus kematian. Quo Vadis adalah sebuah roman yang dibingkai latar belakang sejarah pada tahun 60-an, saat Nero menjadi kaisar kerajaan terbesar yang memimpin dunia : kerajaan Romawi. Adalah seorang bangsawan yang menjadi pejabat militer di kerajaan bernama Marcus Vinicius. Pamannya merupakan salah satu orang terdekat Nero yang sangat mencintai keindahan dan seni bernama Petronius. Segalanya berawal dari keinginan Vinicius untuk mendapatkan seorang gadis yang berasal dari kerajaan kecil bernama Lygia, untuk dijadikan selir di rumahnya. Lygia saat itu tinggal di rumah Aulus, maka Vinicius minta bantuan Petronius untuk merayu Aulus agar mau melepas Lygia.

Lygia adalah seorang gadis saleh yang telah menjadi Kristen. Tahun 60-70 itu memang diperkirakan dalam sejarah sebagai tahun mulai berkembang pesatnya agama Kristen, berkat pengajaran Rasul Petrus dan Paulus, setelah Kristus disalibkan dan bangkit. Roma sendiri pada saat itu sedang dalam kebobrokan moral yang amat parah. Sebagian besar karena kebiasaan Nero yang dipenuhi pesta-pora, kecabulan, dan sadisme menular pada pengikut dan rakyatnya. Petronius seorang pengapresiasi seni, maka sarannya sering didengarkan oleh Nero, terlebih karena gaya bicara Petronius yang “manis” sering melambungkan puji-pujian selangit yang disukai Nero. Karena itu Petronius akhirnya berhasil “memaksa” Lygia keluar dari rumah Aulus. Namun sebelum Vinicius yang berhasrat memiliki Lygia berhasil membawa pulang si gadis, Lygia melarikan diri karena takut kesuciannya ternoda dengan menjadi selir Vinicius. Dalam pengejaran Lygia inilah, kehidupan Vinicius tiba-tiba berbalik 180 derajat.

Ternyata Lygia berlindung pada teman-teman sesama pemeluk Kristen. Di sinilah Vinicius mengalami sendiri hal-hal aneh yang sangat berbeda dengan kebiasaan masyarakat pada saat itu. Salah satunya adalah sikap mengasihi dan mengampuni musuh yang diperlihatkan pelindung Lygia: Ursus dan seorang tabib bernama Glaucus. Alih-alih membunuh atau mencelakainya karena ingin merebut Lygia, mereka justru memperlakukan Vinicius dengan penuh kasih. Namun yang paling mengesan pada Vinicius barangkali adalah kotbah Rasul Petrus pada sebuah pertemuan para orang Kristen. Ini sebuah ajaran baru, dan tiba-tiba hati Vinicius bak dipenuhi oleh gelombang kedamaian. Di hati Vinicius benih baru saja tertabur…

Salah satu bukti nyata perubahan pada diri Vinicius adalah cintanya pada Lygia yang tulus dan murni, menggantikan cinta penuh nafsu yang dulu ia pendam dalam hatinya. Sementara itu kesintingan Nero semakin parah. Nero yang terobsesi menjadi penyair agar disanjung rakyatnya, tiba-tiba muak pada Roma. Keangkuhannya sebagai penguasa dunia mendorongnya untuk membakar habis Roma untuk dibangun kembali sesuai keinginannya. Sejarah memang mencatat kota Roma yang sengaja dibakar atas perintah Nero ini. Dan lihatlah…sang Kaisar naik dan berdiri di atas bukit, bukan untuk menangisi kemalangan rakyatnya, namun justru untuk mengarang sebuah puisi. Sinting!

Rakyat pun mengamuk karena banyak saudara mereka yang meninggal, dan mereka kehilangan rumah serta mata pencarian. Nero yang telah bertindak ceroboh itu pun sadar bahwa kedudukannya akan terancam kalau desas-desus bahwa ia sengaja membakar Roma tersebar luas. Maka ia pun cepat-cepat menimpakan kesalahan kepada orang-orang Kristen, memfitnah bahwa merekalah yang telah membakar kota Roma. Semua orang Kristen lalu ditangkap dan dipenjara, termasuk Lygia, Ursus dan teman-temannya. Berkali-kali Vinicius dibantu oleh Petronius merencanakan pembebasan Lygia dari penjara, namun tanpa hasil. Sementara itu, untuk memuasakan nafsu sadisme dirinya sendiri dan demi menyenangkan hati rakyatnya, Nero merancang pertunjukan penyiksaan orang-orang Kristen di amphitheater. Orang-orang Kristen, laki-laki, perempuan dan bahkan anak-anak digiring ke tengah stadion bak hewan tontonan pada pertunjukan sirkus. Ada yang dibantai oleh para gladiator, ada yang disalibkan, ada yang dibuat obor hidup di taman dengan membakar mereka sementara mereka diikat pada tiang. Ada juga yang dimangsa oleh singa, harimau, serigala dsb yang sengaja dibuat kelaparan selama 2 hari sebelumnya. Herannya, bukannya ngeri dan jijik pada pemusnahan berdarah-darah itu, para penguasa dan rakyat justru bertepuk tangan penuh semangat, seolah pertunjukan itu hanyalah pertunjukan tari-tarian biasa.

Selama hari-hari penyiksaan beradab yang di luar batas kemanusiaan itu, Vinicius tetap berikhtiar untuk dapat membebaskan Lygia. Ia bahkan memohon Rasul Petrus untuk memohonkan keselamatan bagi Lygia dari Tuhan. Anda dapat membayangkan bagaimana perasaan Rasul Petrus pada saat itu. Dengan susah payah ia mengumpulkan satu-persatu jiwa untuk diselamatkan dengan percaya kepada Kristus, namun kini setelah jemaat telah mulai berkembang, saat ia menyangka tugasnya telah usai, mereka semua dimusnahkan dengan cara yang mengenaskan hanya dalam sekejap. Padahal Petrus melakukan semuanya karena amanat dari Kristus sendiri. Bagaimana mungkin kini Ia membiarkan mereka semua musnah? Maka tak heran kalau pada suatu titik tertentu, karena bujukan terus menerus pengikutnya, Rasul Petrus pun setuju untuk melarikan diri dari Roma menuju tempat yang aman. Lalu, dalam perjalanan itu ia tiba-tiba melihat sebuah cahaya menyilaukan menghampirinya di jalan itu. Itu Kristus! Maka bertanyalah Petrus kepadaNya: “Quo Vadis, Domine?” (ke mana Engkau hendak pergi, Tuhan? = where are you going, Lord?). Pertanyaan yang biasa saja mungkin, kalau saja Kristus tidak menjawabnya: “Karena kini kau meninggalkan umatKu, Aku akan pergi ke Roma, untuk disalibkan yang kedua kalinya” (hlm. 513). Sebuah tamparan bagi Petrus yang langsung membalikkan langkahnya kembali ke Roma….

Kita semua seperti Petrus juga. Saat kesulitan datang bertubi-tubi, dan nampaknya tak ada lagi yang dapat kita lakukan, apalagi kalau kengerian tampak mendatangi kita, kita ingin melarikan diri saja. Itu memang kodrat manusia untuk menjauh dari sengsara, mengelakkan diri dari kehancuran. Padahal kematian, apalagi kematian demi Dia, bukanlah kekalahan. Lewat pertanyaan sederhana Quo Vadis?, Petrus mengingatkan kita untuk tetap tegar dalam iman meski semua di sekitar kita telah musnah, kalau itu memang kehendakNya. Bukankah benih itu memang harus jatuh ke tanah dahulu, baru ia akan dapat tumbuh dan berbuah? Kalau memang penderitaan yang menanti kita, kita harus menghadapinya dengan penuh iman, seperti halnya orang-orang Kristen pada saat penyiksaan. Alih-alih menangis ketakutan dan memohon-mohon, pancaran kebahagiaan malah keluar dari sorot mata mereka, karena mereka yakin bahwa kebahagiaan yang sejati, kebahagiaan kekal telah disediakan bagi mereka di RumahNya. Sikap orang-orang Kristen yang pasrah dan berani itulah yang justru membuat rakyat takjub, dan akhirnya semakin banyak yang menjadi Kristen. Kerajaan Romawi akhirnya jatuh (yang kita ketahui juga dalam sejarah), Nero pun akhirnya binasa, namun kerajaan Kristus justru tumbuh makin subur dan bergaung hingga kini. Meski itu harus ditebus dengan kematian banyak orang, termasuk Petrus dan Paulus. Kematian duniawi memang menandakan kekalahan, namun kematian dalam Kristus bukanlah kekalahan, tapi kemenangan. Aku jadi teringat pada cuplikan syair dalam sebuah nyanyian yang setiap tahun dinyanyikan saat Malam Paskah:

“..Ajari pula kami tekun dan tak gentar, bersamaMu berjuang, dan kami pun menang!

Terpuji Kristus Pemenang, lenyaplah maut yang kejam…”

Pada akhirnya, benih yang ditaburkan oleh Petrus, Paulus dan semua orang Kristen yang dibantai maupun yang masih hidup akhirnya berbuah, jauh lebih banyak daripada yang disangka-sangka semua orang, seperti halnya benih di dalam hati Vinicius yang akhirnya berbuah iman. Lalu bagaimana dengan cinta Vinicius dan Lygia? Akankah cinta mereka berbuah juga? Dan apakah Kristus mengabulkan doa Vinicius yang telah memberikan hati padaNya, untuk menyelamatkan Lygia? Rasul Petrus telah menyuruhnya tetap memiliki iman dan terus berdoa. Akankah Vinicius melakukannya, atau malah menyerah di tengah jalan? Jawabnya hanya bisa anda temukan di buku ini. Tak banyak dalam hidup kita ada buku yang mampu menggugah hati sekaligus iman kita, buku ini salah satunya!

Judul: Quo Vadis?

Penulis: Henryk Sienkiewicz

Penerbit: PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Cetakan: November 2009

Tebal: 552 hlm