a history of science-1-第52章

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s　with　the　scalpel　of　science。　It　was　sport　to　see　the　blade　of　the　gladiator　enter　the　quivering；　living　flesh　of　his　fellow…gladiator；　it　was　joy　to　see　the　warm　blood　spurt　forth　from　the　writhing　victim　while　he　still　lived；　but　it　were　sacrilegious　to　approach　that　body　with　the　knife　of　the　anatomist；　once　it　had　ceased　to　pulsate　with　life。　Life　itself　was　held　utterly　in　contempt；　but　about　the　realm　of　death　hovered　the　threatening　ghosts　of　superstition。　And　such；　be　it　understood；　was　the　attitude　of　the　Roman　populace　in　the　early　and　the　most　brilliant　epoch　of　the　empire；　before　the　Western　world　came　under　the　influence　of　that　Oriental　philosophy　which　was　presently　to　encompass　it。　In　this　regard　the　Alexandrian　world　was；　as　just　intimated；　far　more　advanced　than　the　Roman；　yet　even　there　we　must　suppose　that　the　leaders　of　thought　were　widely　at　variance　with　the　popular　conceptions。　A　few　illustrations；　drawn　from　Greek　literature　at　various　ages；　will　suggest　the　popular　attitude。　In　the　first　instance；　consider　the　poems　of　Homer　and　of　Hesiod。　For　these　writers；　and　doubtless　for　the　vast　majority　of　their　readers；　not　merely　of　their　own　but　of　many　subsequent　generations；　the　world　is　peopled　with　a　multitude　of　invisible　apparitions；　which；　under　title　of　gods；　are　held　to　dominate　the　affairs　of　man。　It　is　sometimes　difficult　to　discriminate　as　to　where　the　Greek　imagination　drew　the　line　between　fact　and　allegory；　nor　need　we　attempt　to　analyse　the　early　poetic　narratives　to　this　end。　It　will　better　serve　our　present　purpose　to　cite　three　or　four　instances　which　illustrate　the　tangibility　of　beliefs　based　upon　pseudo…scientific　inductions。　Let　us　cite；　for　example；　the　account　which　Herodotus　gives　us　of　the　actions　of　the　Greeks　at　Plataea；　when　their　army　confronted　the　remnant　of　the　army　of　Xerxes；　in　the　year　479　B。C。　Here　we　see　each　side　hesitating　to　attack　the　other；　merely　because　the　oracle　had　declared　that　whichever　side　struck　the　first　blow　would　lose　the　conflict。　Even　after　the　Persian　soldiers；　who　seemingly　were　a　jot　less　superstitious　or　a　shade　more　impatient　than　their　opponents；　had　begun　the　attack；　we　are　told　that　the　Greeks　dared　not　respond　at　first；　though　they　were　falling　before　the　javelins　of　the　enemy；　because；　forsooth；　the　entrails　of　a　fowl　did　not　present　an　auspicious　appearance。　And　these　were　Greeks　of　the　same　generation　with　Empedocles　and　Anaxagoras　and　aeschylus；　of　the　same　epoch　with　Pericles　and　Sophocles　and　Euripides　and　Phidias。　Such　was　the　scientific　status　of　the　average　mindnay；　of　the　best　mindswith　here　and　there　a　rare　exception；　in　the　golden　age　of　Grecian　culture。　Were　we　to　follow　down　the　pages　of　Greek　history；　we　should　but　repeat　the　same　story　over　and　over。　We　should；　for　example；　see　Alexander　the　Great　balked　at　the　banks　of　the　Hyphasis；　and　forced　to　turn　back　because　of　inauspicious　auguries　based　as　before　upon　the　dissection　of　a　fowl。　Alexander　himself；　to　be　sure；　would　have　scorned　the　augury；　had　he　been　the　prey　of　such　petty　superstitions　he　would　never　have　conquered　Asia。　We　know　how　he　compelled　the　oracle　at　Delphi　to　yield　to　his　wishes；　how　he　cut　the　Gordian　knot；　how　he　made　his　dominating　personality　felt　at　the　temple　of　Ammon　in　Egypt。　We　know；　in　a　word；　that　he　yielded　to　superstitions　only　in　so　far　as　they　served　his　purpose。　Left　to　his　own　devices；　he　would　not　have　consulted　an　oracle　at　the　banks　of　the　Hyphasis；　or；　consulting；　would　have　forced　from　the　oracle　a　favorable　answer。　But　his　subordinates　were　mutinous　and　he　had　no　choice。　Suffice　it　for　our　present　purpose　that　the　oracle　was　consulted；　and　that　its　answer　turned　the　conqueror　back。　One　or　two　instances　from　Roman　history　may　complete　the　picture。　Passing　over　all　those　mythical　narratives　which　virtually　constitute　the　early　history　of　Rome；　as　preserved　to　us　by　such　historians　as　Livy　and　Dionysius；　we　find　so　logical　an　historian　as　Tacitus　recording　a　miraculous　achievement　of　Vespasian　without　adverse　comment。　〃During　the　months　when　Vespasian　was　waiting　at　Alexandria　for　the　periodical　season　of　the　summer　winds；　and　a　safe　navigation；　many　miracles　occurred　by　which　the　favor　of　Heaven　and　a　sort　of　bias　in　the　powers　above　towards　Vespasian　were　manifested。〃　Tacitus　then　describes　in　detail　the　cure　of　various　maladies　by　the　emperor；　and　relates　that　the　emperor　on　visiting　a　temple　was　met　there；　in　the　spirit；　by　a　prominent　Egyptian　who　was　proved　to　be　at　the　same　time　some　eighty　miles　distant　from　Alexandria。　It　must　be　admitted　that　Tacitus；　in　relating　that　Vespasian　caused　the　blind　to　see　and　the　lame　to　walk；　qualifies　his　narrative　by　asserting　that　〃persons　who　are　present　attest　the　truth　of　the　transaction　when　there　is　nothing　to　be　gained　by　falsehood。〃　Nor　must　we　overlook　the　fact　that　a　similar　belief　in　the　power　of　royalty　has　persisted　almost　to　our　own　day。　But　no　such　savor　of　scepticism　attaches　to　a　narrative　which　Dion　Cassius　gives　us　of　an　incident　in　the　life　of　Marcus　Aureliusan　incident　that　has　become　famous　as　the　episode　of　The　Thundering　Legion。　Xiphilinus　has　preserved　the　account　of　Dion；　adding　certain　picturesque　interpretations　of　his　own。　The　original　narrative；　as　cited；　asserts　that　during　one　of　the　northern　campaigns　of　Marcus　Aurelius；　the　emperor　and　his　army　were　surrounded　by　the　hostile　Quadi；　who　had　every　advantage　of　position　and　who　presently　ceased　hostilities　in　the　hope　that　heat　and　thirst　would　deliver　their　adversaries　into　their　hands　without　the　trouble　of　further　fighting。　〃Now；〃　says　Dion；　〃while　the　Romans；　unable　either　to　combat　or　to　retreat；　and　reduced　to　the　last　extremity　by　wounds；　fatigue；　heat；　and　thirst；　were　standing　helplessly　at　their　posts；　clouds　suddenly　gathered　in　great　number　and　rain　descended　in　floodscertainly　not　without　divine　intervention；　since　the　Egyptian　Maege　Arnulphis；　who　was　with　Marcus　Antoninus；　is　said　to　have　invoked　several　genii　by　the　aerial　mercury　by　enchantment；　and　thus　through　them　had　brought　down　rain。〃　Here；　it　will　be　observed；　a　supernatural　explanation　is　given　of　a　natural　phenomenon。　But　the　narrator　does　not　stop　with　this。　If　we　are　to　accept　the　account　of　Xiphilinus；　Dion　brings　forward　some　striking　proofs　of　divine　interference。　Xiphilinus　gives　these　proofs　in　the　following　remarkable　paragraph：　〃Dion　adds　that　when　the　rain　began　to　fall　every　soldier　lifted　his　head　towards　heaven　to　receive　the　water　in　his　mouth；　but　afterwards　others　hold　out　their　shields　or　their　helmets　to　catch　the　water　for　themselves　and　for　their　horses。　Being　set　upon　by　the　barbarians　。　。　。　while　occupied　in　drinking；　they　would　have　been　seriously　incommoded　had　not　heavy　hail　and　numerous　thunderbolts　thrown　consternation　into　the　ranks　of　the　enemy。　Fire　and　water　were　seen　to　mingle　as　they　left　the　heavens。　The　fire；　however；　did　not　reach　the　Romans；　but　if　it　did　by　chance　touch　one　of　them　it　was　immediately　extinguished；　while　at　the　same　time　the　rain；　instead　of　comforting　the　barbarians；　seemed　merely　to　excite　like　oil　the　fire　with　which　they　were　being　consumed。　Some　barbarians　inflicted　wounds　upon　themselves　as　though　their　blood　had　power　to　extinguish　flames；　while　many　rushed　over　to　the　side　of　the　Romans；　hoping　that　there　water　might　save　them。〃　We　cannot　better　complete　these　illustrations　of　pagan　credulity　than　by　adding　the　comment　of　Xiphilinus　himself。　That　writer　was　a　Christian；　living　some　generations　later　than　Dion。　He　never　thought　of　questioning　the　facts；　but　he　felt　that　Dion's　interpretation　of　these　facts　must　not　go　unchallenged。　As　he　interprets　the　matter；　it　was　no　pagan　magician　that　wrought　the　miracle。　He　even　inclines　to　the　belief　that　Dion　himself　was　aware　that　Christian　interference；　and　not　that　of　an　Egyptian；　saved　the　day。　〃Dion　knew；〃　he　declares；　〃that　there　existed　a　legion　called　The　Thundering　Legion；　which　name　was　given　it　for　no　other　reason　than　for　what　came　to　pass　in　this　war；〃　and　that　this　legion　was　composed　of　soldiers　from　Militene　who　were　all　professed　Christians。　〃During　the　battle；〃　continues　Xiphilinus；　〃the　chief　of　the　Pretonians　；　had　set　at　Marcus　Antoninus；　who　was　in　great　perplexity　at　the　turn　events　were　taking；　representing　to　him　that　there　was　nothing　the　people　called　Christians　could　not　obtain　by　their　prayers；　and　that　among　his　forces　was　a　troop　composed　wholly　of　followers　of　that　religion。　Rejoiced　at　this　news；　Marcus　Antoninus　demanded　of　these　soldiers　that　they　should　pray　to　their　god；　who　granted　their　petition　on　the　instant；　sent　lightning　among　the　enemy　and　consoled　the　Romans　with　rain。　Struck　by　this　wonderful　success；　the　emperor　honored　the　Christians　in　an　edict　and　named　their　legion　The　Thundering。　It　is　even　asserted　that　a　letter　existed　by　Marcus　Antoninus　on　this　subject。　The　pagans　well　knew　that　the　company　was　called　The　Thunderers；　having　attested　the　fact　themselves；　but　they　revealed　nothing　of　the　occasion　on　which　the　leader　received　the　name。〃＇1＇　Peculiar　interest　attaches　to　this　narrative　as　illustrating　both　credulousness　as　to　matters　of　fact　and　pseudo…scientific　explanation　of　alleged　facts。　The　m