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"If there be anything more powerful than Fate,
It is the courage which bears it undismayed."
Geibel.
These pictures of the sixth century originated in my studiesfor thefollowing works:
"The Kings of the Goths," vol. ii., iii., iv. Munich andWürzburg,1862-66.
"Procopius of Cæsarea:" a contribution to the historiographyof themigration of nations and the decay of the Roman Empire. Berlin, 1865.
By referring to these works, the reader may distinguish thedetails andchanges which the romance has added to the reality.
In history the events here described filled a period of almostthirtyyears' duration. From reasons easily understood, it was necessary toshorten, or at least to disguise, this long interval.
The character of the Roman hero of the story, CethegusCæsarius, is apure invention. That such a person existed is, however, known.
The work was begun at Munich in 1859, continued at Ravenna,Italy, andconcluded at Königsberg in 1876.
FELIX DAHN.
Königsberg: January, 1876.
"Dietericus de Berne, de quo cantant rustici usque hodie."
It was a sultry summer night of the year five hundred andtwenty-six,A.D.
Thick clouds lay low over the dark surface of the Adrea, whoseshoresand waters were melted together in undistinguishable gloom; only nowand then a flash of distant lightning lit up the silent city ofRavenna. At unequal intervals the wind swept through the ilexes andpines on the range of hills which rise at some distance to the west ofthe town, and which were once crowned by a temple of Neptune. At thattime already half ruined, it has now almost completely disappeared,leaving only the most scanty traces.
It was quiet on the bosky heights; only sometimes a piece ofrock,loosened by storms, clattered down the stony declivity, and at lastsplashed into the marshy waters of the canals and ditches which beltedthe entire circle of the sea-fortress; or a weather-beaten slab slippedfrom the tabled roof of the old temple and fell breaking on to themarble steps--forebodings of the threatened fall of the whole building.
But these dismal sounds seemed to be unnoticed by a man whosatimmovable on the second step of the flight which led into the temple,leaning his back against the topmost step and looking silently andfixedly across the declivity in the direction of the city below.
He sat thus motionless, but waiting eagerly, for a long time.He heedednot that the wind drove the heavy drops which began to fell into hisface, and rudely worried the full long beard