Download Quo vadis? Italian Edition eBook Henryk Sienkiewicz
Download As PDF : Quo vadis? Italian Edition eBook Henryk Sienkiewicz
Sullo sfondo della Roma imperiale, soffocata dalla tirannide di Nerone, viene narrata la storia d'amore contrastata e impossibile fra Licia, una cristiana proveniente dai Lici, e Marco Vinicio, patrizio romano. Il loro è un amore solcato dalle differenze ideologiche che dividono i loro mondi quello pagano, nel suo massimo splendore di gloria e nella sua massima decadenza morale, e quello dei cristianidelle catacombe, impregnato di preghiera e amore fraterno. La loro storia affonda dunque in quella serie di avvenimenti storici che condurranno al Grande incendio di Roma del 64 e, di conseguenza, alla successiva persecuzione anti-cristiana.
Download Quo vadis? Italian Edition eBook Henryk Sienkiewicz
"Quo Vadis is an old classic, recounting the time of Nero, and the persecution of the Christian. It is a historical fiction, written in the late 19th century and is translated into English from the original Polish. Both apostles Peter and Paul are depicted in the novel. It shows the violence of the Romans and the love of blood of the spectators, as well as the love that the Christians had for not their friends and persecutors alike. The apostles, Peter and Paul, are depicted It is written in the 19th century vein, meaning it is overly sentimental at times. However, it is suspenseful and great reading."
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Quo vadis? Italian Edition eBook Henryk Sienkiewicz Reviews :
Quo vadis? Italian Edition eBook Henryk Sienkiewicz Reviews
- Human freedom, and the power of humans to form binding attachments both open and secret, are at the center of this novel of Neronian Rome. There’s a lot of pagan exhibitionism in Quo Vadis -- imperial processions, feasts, and gladatorial combat, and even a public human burning. The Christians keep themselves obscure by the use of secret symbols, lowly employments, and tumbledown houses in obscure parts of Rome. But their affinities and bonds are evident, though not immediately visible since they have not the freedom to form them openly. In the end the power of hidden bonds emerges triumphant; exhibitionism is replaced by candor. The leap of faith (free will, the power to form attachments at will) is followed by resoluteness of faith (the gladatorial contests, the power to avoid temptation and endure pain).
The young and illustrious tribune Vinitius has returned to Rome from a war with the Parthians and is convalescing from a battle wound while staying at in the house of the old general Aulus Plautius. Young Lygia, a hostage taken by the Romans from northern forests but abandoned by her people who have fled somewhere into Asia, is staying at Aulus’s home with Aulus’s virtuous wife Pomponia. There Lygia is treated as their own daughter and raised chaste and free, not to be bought or sold as a slave as a captive would be. But Vinitius, passionate for her, does see her as a possession. Without her consent, she is conducted to a royal feast, presided over by Nero, and plied with wine until, nearly overwhelmed, she is presumably ripe for abduction and carried toward Vinitius’s house.But the scheme is known by Acte, a Christian freedwoman in Nero’s household. The carriage transporting her is apprehended by Christians, who carry her off to a secret place known among them in the poor quarters of Rome and thus difficult for Vinitius and his associates to find. He does not know she is Christian, but remembers vividly his first inarticulate meeting with her, when she drew a fish in the sand, looked at him tentatively, then ran away. He engages his Epicurean friend Petronius and a ragged pseudo-philosopher named Chilo (a sort of lower-class Petronius) to track her down.
After a lengthy inquiry, Chilo discovers that the fish is a Christian symbol. “Fish†in Greek is an acronym for “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviorâ€. Now Vinitius and Petronius are already acquainted with one person who is Christian even if they do not know of her faith -- quiet, calm, and resigned Pomponia, wife to Aulus. They know of her belief in “God, who is one, just, and all-powerful.†This is entirely different from the popular attitude of Christians as diabolical.
Chilo sets out again, this time accompanied by Vinitius, with the additional purpose of learning more about these puzzling individuals who do not conform to popular stereotypes. The Christians generally live hidden in a slum area called the Trans-Tiber and hold mass night-time meetings. Chilo and his client have learned that Lygia is guarded by Ursus, a man of enormous strength who happens to be from her native country, so they are accompanied by Croton, another physical bruiser from gladatorial victories. In disguise, the three pagans are led to a night-time meeting presided over by the apostle Peter. The hymns they sing make it clear that they love their God; in Rome and in Greece those who still render honor to the gods did so to gain aid for themselves but do not love those divinities. The sermon by the apostle Peter nearly overwhelms Vinitius. They notice Lygia and follow her home. The upshot is a fight between the four men over Lygia. Croton, the triumphant gladiator, is strong, but Christian Ursus in physically (as well as spiritually) stronger. Croton is killed.
Vinitius is injured and unable to get home. Chilo has skulked his way home somehow, so Vinitius is left for the Christians to nurse back to health. The unfailing attentiveness of his treatment, the experience of dependency on people he would normally despise has an effect on him that will take some time to come to complete fruition marriage to Lygia and conversion to Christianity. It would be impossible to have the first without the second. But this is not until the end.
Vinitius recovers and returns to Rome. His friend Petronius is enjoying a period of prestige at Nero’s court, so that he is able to obtain a marriage certificate for Vinutius and Lygia. But he cannot experience the benefit because it is immediately followed by the news that Rome is on fire. At this time Lygia is still in the neighboring Trans-Tiber district and he sets out in full persuit to rescue her from the flames. The effort takes him all over Rome; he sees men throwing torches into houses, so that it’s clear to him that the fire was set deliberately because of certain statements of Nero in the past. In truth emperor Nero wanted a fire to inspire his creativity in writing a poem about Troy burning. A court favorite (Tigellinus) was responsible for the arsonists.
Amidst the ruins left by the fire, Nero recites his poem to the Roman masses. The assumption that they will be compensated by allotments of corn, wine, and oil is apparently enough (along with Nero’s poem) to induce them to forget the fire. The mob does cheer, but there is enough of a hostile undertow to convince Nero and his followers at courtthat something more needs to be done. The courtiers, Petronius and Tigellinus, go to work to charm the mob. Tigellinus promises more corn, wine, oil than ever, plus admission to parks, a lavish rebuilding of the city, etc. Petronius rides among the mob on a white horse with such elegance that the mob seems to be tamed. But in fact it is not. Poppaea, a former empress and a hater of Lygia, says â€The people want vengeance and victims -- not one but hundreds, thousands.†Jewish priests visit Nero and claim the Christians were responsible, but this is only because of a persecution against them by the previous emperor which they attributed to Christians.
In the meantime, Vinitius and Chilo have located Peter, who takes them to Linus, Ursus, and Lygia. Vinitius holds Lygia in his arms and kisses her and promises to protect her but he will go no further since he is not baptized. He has already stated to Peter his desire to become a true confessor of Christ. Peter has Vinitius take responsibility for Linus, Lygia, and Ursus. In response Peter baptizes Vinitius. In fact Vinutius wouldn’t seem to be quite ready for baptism yet since he is not fully instructed in the faith. But this incident (in Chapter 47) is the reverse of the post-conflagration Roman situation. There is no room to convey here the finger-pointing, denial of obvious facts, and blame placed on people who are not responsible. Vinutius’s deliberate assumption of faith entails complete responsibility for his tiny “flock†of Linus, Lygia, and Ursus. Nor is there room to convey the later parts of the story, involving (among other things) a gladatorial combat against the Christians and a mass human burning, not to mention a secret plan, with many twists and turns, to keep Lygia safe from it all. Nero will commit suicide (with help from soldiers since he lacks the will to complete the act). Hero and heroine are safely reunited, but Christian effort never ends. The title of the book comes from an anecdote in the Apocrypha in which Peter, fleeing from possible crucifixion in Rome, meets Jesus on the way bearing a cross. “Quo vadis, domine? [Where are you going?]†Peter asks. Christ replies “to Rome, to be crucified again.†The question and answer, introduced at the very end, is the final illustration of freedom and responsibility,
This particular text is a collation by Joe Wheeler of various translations. The narrative is not as elegant as in the old-fashioned Jeremiah Curtin translation, but the dialog is much more fluent. - Quo Vadis is a truly great novel. Profoundly Christian, and Catholic (although the Catholicism is more assumed than explicit and Protestants would enjoy it as much as Catholics). Inspiring and humbling, it encourages us today to be willing to endure persecution for Christ. It is also a cautionary tale about unchecked ego and power in a dissolute and morally bankrupt society that ultimately believes in nothing. Every Christian should read this to ground his/her faith in the roots of the apostolic era. But it's also a story of grace, of the work of the Holy Spirit that sometimes works quietly to change human hearts as well as dramatically on occasion through miracles that change the course of history. The characterizations are insightful, and relevant to personalities and moral choices today.
The problem with the version is that it was badly scanned in OCR that produced many typos. Also, this is an older translation with a lot of "thees" and "thous" and period references that don't translate well. There are better translations out there. Still, even the version is well worth reading. - Quo Vadis is an old classic, recounting the time of Nero, and the persecution of the Christian. It is a historical fiction, written in the late 19th century and is translated into English from the original Polish. Both apostles Peter and Paul are depicted in the novel. It shows the violence of the Romans and the love of blood of the spectators, as well as the love that the Christians had for not their friends and persecutors alike. The apostles, Peter and Paul, are depicted It is written in the 19th century vein, meaning it is overly sentimental at times. However, it is suspenseful and great reading.
- My grandfather gave me a copy of this book when I was 12, I have read it many times since then. It's beautifully written and very visual. The author did his research very well, and he has a terrific understanding of the complexities of a slave-based social order. He really brings the period alive. It has always been my favorite book, and kept me good company on my journey through life. My favorite character is Petronius, the aristocratic uncle of the protagonist. His method of dealing with an unrestrained tyrant to mitigate some of his excesses is noteworthy and sometimes amusing.. He comes alive as a hedonist being challenged by his nephew's plunge into the status of a persecuted minority for the sake of a beautiful young woman and her devotion to Christianity. His conversations with Paul on the subject of the Christian requirement to love all people is also noteworthy, in showing the clash of cultures at the beginning of the Christian era. I wish everyone would read this book, if only to understand the horrendous persecution endured, quite frankly described by Tacitus, the Roman historian and which the author clearly drew on in his descriptions of the events. It isn't for the faint hearted, but we need to remember the price that was paid at that time for the faith. The Tacitus reference is broadly considered authentic and is very early, so it gives us another clue as to the perception of Christianity early on. Tacitus isn't sympathetic to the religion, but he gives very graphic information about what was endured by the people.
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