Ukufunda Kwimbali YamaRoma

“UKUBA, njengabantu, ndiye ndalwa namarhamncwa e-Efese.” Bambi bacinga ukuba loo mazwi abhalwe kweyoku-1 yabaseKorinte 15:32 athetha ukuba umpostile uPawulos wayegwetyelwe ukulwa kwibala lemidlalo laseRoma. Enoba walwa okanye akunjalo, ukulwa de kufe umntu kumabala emidlalo ngaloo maxesha kwakuyinto eqhelekileyo. Imbali isixelela ntoni ngamabala emidlalo neziganeko ezazisenzeka apho?

NjengamaKristu, sinqwenela ukuziqeqesha izazela zethu ukuze zivisisane neengcinga zikaYehova, nto leyo eya kusinceda senze izigqibo, njengokukhetha iindlela zokuzonwabisa kule mihla. Ngokomzekelo, cinga ngendlela uThixo alujonga ngayo ugonyamelo, njengoko kuboniswe kula mazwi: “Musa ukuyimonela indoda enogonyamelo, unganyuli nayiphi na kwiindlela zayo.” (IMizekeliso 3:31) AmaKristu okuqala ayesebenzisa esi siluleko ukuze siwakhokele ngoxa ayephila phakathi kwabantu abaninzi eRoma ababezonwabisa ngokhuphiswano lokulwa ngekrele. Xa sihlolisisa oko kwenzekayo kwiziganeko ezinjalo, cinga ngoko kunokufundwa ngamaKristu namhlanje.

Amadoda amabini alwa ngamakrele kumabala emidlalo aseRoma. Xa enye ibetha ikhaka lenye ngekrele, kweso sihlwele kuvakala amayeyeye sintyontyela lowo simthandayo. Umlo ushushu. Kungekudala, enye ingxwelerhekile yaye ingasenakulwa, ilahla ikrele layo phantsi ize iguqe ngamadolo, ibonisa ukuba yoyisiwe yaye icel’ itarhu. Kuvakala intswahla enkulu. Abanye kweso sihlwele bayicelel’ inceba, abanye bathi, unotshe! Wonke amehlo athe ntsho kumlawuli. Yena, efuna ukwanelisa umnqweno weso sihlwele, unokuyisindisa leyo yoyisiweyo okanye ayalele ukuba mayibulawe.

AmaRoma ayekuthanda gqitha ukubukela umlo wamakrele. Usenokumangaliswa kukuba ekuqaleni lo mdlalo wokulwa wawusenziwa kwimingcwabo yezidwangube. Kukholelwa ukuba olu khuphiswano lwaqala kumadini okunikela ngabantu phakathi kwamaOscan okanye amaSamnite awayehlala kwindawo ngoku engumbindi Itali. La madini ayesenzelwa ukungxengxeza kwabafileyo. Umlo onjalo wawubizwa ngokuba yimunus, okanye “isipho” (isininzi, munera). Ingxelo ithi le midlalo yaqala eRoma ngowama-264 B.C.E., xa amaqela amathathu ayesilwa kwimarike yeenkomo. Ngomngcwabo kaMarcus Aemilius Lepidus, kwalwa amaqela angama-22. Kumngcwabo kaPublius Licinius, kwalwa amaqela angama-60. Ngowama-65 B.C.E., uJulius Caesar wathumela amaqela angama-320 kwibala lemidlalo.

Umbhali-mbali uKeith Hopkins uthi: “Imingcwabo yabantu ababalulekileyo yayisetyenziselwa ukuhambisela phambili ezobupolitika yaye imidlalo yemingcwabo yayibalulekile kwezobupolitika . . . ekubeni yayithandwa ngabantu ababevota. Eneneni, ukwanda kakhulu kwale midlalo kwakuphenjelelwa lukhuphiswano lwezobupolitika olwaluphakathi kwabantu ababalulekileyo abanamabhongo.” Ngolawulo luka-Agasto (ngowama-27 B.C.E. ukusa kowe-14 C.E.) iimunera yayizizipho ezingayiwayo—ukonwabisa izihlwele zabantu—ezazisenziwa ngamagosa karhulumente azizinhanha ukuze ahambisele phambili iinjongo zazo zezobupolitika.

Abadlali Noqeqesho

Usenokubuza, ‘Yayingoobani la madoda ayesilwa ngamakrele?’ Kaloku, isenokuba yayingamakhoboka, izaphuli-mthetho ezazigwetyelwe ukufa, amabanjwa emfazwe, okanye umntu nje owayeqhutywa yimincili okanye ofuna udumo nobutyebi. Bonke babeqeqeshelwa kwizikolo ezazifana nentolongo. Incwadi ethi Giochi e spettacoli (Imidlalo Nababukeli) ithi xa amadoda alwa ngamakrele ayeqeqeshwa “ayesoloko ejongwe ngabalindi yaye ayeqeqeshwa kalukhuni, enikwe eyona migaqo ingqongqo aze ohlwaywe ngokungqwabalala . . . Ngokufuthi le mpatho yayikhokelela ekuzibulaleni, kwimvukelo nakuqhushululu.” Esona sikolo sikhulu sokuqeqeshela oku eRoma sasinezisele ezenzelwe ubuncinane amabanjwa aliwaka. Umntu ngamnye wayebalasele kokuthile. Abanye babesilwa ngesikrweqe, ikhaka nekrele yaye abanye ngomnatha nangomkhonto oneencam ezintathu. Abanye babeqeqeshelwa ukulwa namarhamncwa komnye umboniso odumileyo, ukuzingela. Ngaba kusenokwenzeka ukuba uPawulos wayebhekisela kukhuphiswano olunjalo?

Abaququzeleli bale midlalo babenokuya kubarhwebi, ababekhetha baze baqeqeshe abafana abaneminyaka eli-17 okanye eli-18 ubudala ekulweni. Ukuthengisa ngobomi babantu yayilishishini elihamba phambili. Omnye umboniso obalaseleyo uTrajan awawenzela abo boyise emfazweni wawunamadoda alwa ngekrele angama-10 000 nezilwanyana ezingama-11 000.

Usuku Kwibala Lemidlalo

Ekuseni kwakuzingelwa kula mabala emidlalo. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba kwakufakwa ngenkani zonke iintlobo zamarhamncwa asendle kwibala lemidlalo. Abo babukeleyo babekuthanda kakhulu ukubona inkunzi yenkomo nebhere zisilwa. Ngokufuthi ezi zilwanyana zibini zazibotshelelwa ndawonye ukuze zilwe de esinye sife, sandule ke eso sisindileyo sigqityezelwe ngumzingeli. Enye into eyayithandwa yayingumlo wengonyama nengwe, okanye indlovu nebhere. Abazingeli babebonakalisa ubugcisa babo ekubulaleni izilwanyana ezivela kwamanye amazwe, kungakhathaliseki ukuba zixabiseke kangakanani na—amahlosi, imikhombe, iimvubu, iindlulamthi, iimpungutye, iinkamela, iingcuka, iinkunzi zehagu neenyamakazi.

Indlela ekwakuzingelwa ngayo yayingenakulibaleka. Kwakusetyenziswa amatye amakhulu, amachibi nemithi ukufanekisela amahlathi. Kwamanye amabala emidlalo, amarhancwa ayesithi gqi njengokungathi ngumlingo, engeniswa esuka ngaphantsi komhlaba nangeengcango ezisemacaleni. Izinto ezingalindelekanga ezazisenziwa zezi zilwanyana zazibenza babe nomdla ongakumbi abantu, kodwa eyona nto yayisenza ukuzingela kubonakale kuchulumancisa yayiyinkohlakalo ezazinayo.

Kwakwandula ke kulandele ukubulawa kwabantu. Kwakusenziwa imigudu yokubonisa oku kusenzeka ngokwenene. Kwakusenziwa imidlalo yeentsomi apho abadlali babesifa ngokwenene.

Emva kwemini, kwakusilwa amaqela ahlukahlukeneyo awayexhobe ef’ amacala nawayeqeqeshwe ngeendlela ezahlukahlukeneyo. Abanye ababerhuqa izidumbu babenxityiswe njengoothixo bakwelemimoya.

Indlela Eyayibaphembelela Ngayo Ababukeli

Isihlwele sasinganeliswa koko sasikubona, ngoko ke abo balwayo babetywatyushwa ngezabhokhwe bengcuthwa nangeentsimbi. Izihlwele zazimemeza zisithi: “Yilwa, gwalandini! Kutheni ungahlabi ngamandla nje? Kutheni engad’ afe? Musuk’ ukumbulala msinya! Hlabanani, kanye aph’ esifubeni!” Igosa laseburhulumenteni laseRoma uSeneca ubhala esithi ebudeni bexesha lekhefu kwakusenziwa isaziso esithi: “Ngeli xesha lekhefu kuseza kunqunyulw’ umntu, akuzukuthi cwaka nje!”

Ngokulindelekileyo, uSeneca uyavuma ukuba wayegoduka “ekhohlakele nangakumbi yaye engenalusizi.” Le nto ithethwa ngulo mntu isenza sizikise ukucinga. Ngaba kusenokwenzeka ukuba abanye kwabo babukela imidlalo namhlanje bavakalelwa ngendlela efanayo, ‘bekhohlakala nangakumbi yaye bengenalusizi’?

Abanye babezigqala njengabanethamsanqa xa bebuye bephila. Xa omnye wabantu ababukeleyo waqhula uDomitian, lo mlawuli wayalela ukuba arhuqwe kwisihlalo sakhe aze ajulelwe ezinjeni. Ngenxa yokunqaba kwezaphuli-mthetho eziza kubulawa, uCaligula wayeyalela ukuba inxalenye yesihlwele ibanjwe ize iphoselwe emarhamncweni. Yaye xa iqonga lalingalungiswanga ngendlela ayithandayo, uClaudius wayeyalela ukuba abo balilungisileyo bangene phakathi ebaleni balwe.

Ihlombe lempambano lababukeli lalibangela iintlekele nezixholoxholo. Udonga lwebala lemidlalo emntla Roma lwawa, yaye kuthiwa kwafa abantu abaninzi. Kwabakho izixholoxholo ebudeni bemidlalo yasePompeii ngowama-59 C.E. UTacitus uthi kwaqalisa umlo phakathi kwababukeli baloo ndawo nabo babevela kwenye idolophu, oku kwaqalisa ngezithuko, kwaza kwagityiselwana ngamatye, yaye ekugqibeleni kwaxatyelwana ngamakrele. Abaliqela benzakala, kwaza kwafa abaninzi.

Isifundo Esicacileyo

Kumboniso wakutshanje (Sangue e arena, “Igazi Nentlabathi”) eColosseum eRoma wawubonisa indlela imunera efana ngayo nezinto zale mihla. Okuphawulekayo kukuba, lo mboniso wawubonisa ividiyo yokulwa kweenkunzi zenkomo, iimbethi manqindi ezivunyiweyo, ukutyobozana kweenqwelo-mafutha nezithuthuthu okungamasikizi elugqatsweni, nezixholoxholo ezazisenziwa ngababukeli. Lo mboniso waqukunjelwa ngokuboniswa kweColosseum ijongelwa phezulu. Ucinga ukuba iindwendwe zaziza kugqiba ngelithini? Bangaphi ababeya kufunda isifundo?

Ukulwa kwezinja, iinkuku, iinkunzi zenkomo, nemidlalo enogonyamelo yinto eqhelekileyo kwamanye amazwe namhlanje. Abantu babeka ubomi babo esichengeni kukhuphiswano lweenqwelo-mafutha ukuze bavuyise izihlwele ezikhulu. Yaye khawucinge ngeenkqubo zikamabonwakude zemihla ngemihla. Uphando kwelinye ilizwe lasentshona lwabonisa ukuba umntwana obukela umabonwakude usenokubona abantu ababulawayo abangama-10 000 nezenzo zenkohlakalo ezingama-100 000 ngexesha efikelela kwiminyaka elishumi ubudala.

Umbhali wenkulungwane yesithathu uTertullian wathi ulonwabo lwaloo nto ibukelweyo “aluhambisani nonqulo lokwenyaniso nokumthobela ngokwenene uThixo oyinyaniso.” Abo babebukela le midlalo wayebagqala njengabancedisa abo babulalayo. Kuthekani namhlanje? Ubani usenokubuza, ‘Ngaba ndonwatyiswa kukubukela ukuphalala kwegazi, ukubulawa, okanye ugonyamelo kumabonwakude okanye kwi-Internet?’ Sifanele sikhumbule ukuba INdumiso 11:5 ithi: “UYehova uhlolisisa lowo ulilungisa kwanalowo ungendawo, yaye umphefumlo Wakhe umthiyile ngokuqinisekileyo nabani na othanda ugonyamelo.”

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 28]

Imilo “Yokungxengxeza Kwabafileyo”

Xa ethetha ngemvelaphi yemidlalo yokulwa ngekrele, umbhali wenkulungwane yesithathu uTertullian uthi: “Abantu bamandulo babecinga ukuba ngale midlalo babengxengxeza kwabafileyo, emva kokuba beyenze yabonakala ngathi ayinankohlakalo ingako. Mandulo, ngenxa yenkolelo yokuba imiphefumlo yabafileyo icanyagushelwa ngegazi lomntu, emingcwabeni kwakucanyagushwa ngamabanjwa okanye amakhoboka angamahlwempu athengiweyo. Emva koko kwakuyinto ebonakala intle ukusigquma esi senzo sibi ngokusenza sibonakale ngathi siyonwabisa. Ngoko emva kokuba abantu abafunyenweyo beqeqeshelwe ukusebenzisa izixhobo ezithile ezazikho ngelo xesha de babe ziincutshe—babeqeqeshwa ukuze babulawe!—yaye babebulawa ngosuku lomngcwabo emangcwabeni. Ngoko babethuthuzeleka ngokufa komnye umntu. Le yimvelaphi yemunus. Kodwa emva kwexesha le midlalo yayiba nenkohlakalo engakumbi; kuba iiholide zazingabi mnandi, ngaphandle kokuba nawo amarhancwa aqwenge abantu. Oko kwakusenziwa ukuze kungxengxezwe kubantu abafileyo kwaba sisithethe somngcwabo.”

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 27]

Isigcina-ntloko nesikhuselo sombalo samadoda amandulo awayesilwa ngamakrele

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 29]

Ukuzonwabisa ngogonyamelo kwakungamkelekanga kumaKristu amandulo. Ngaba nakuwe kunjalo?

[Inkcazelo]

Umdlalo wamanqindi: Dave Kingdon/Index Stock Photography; ukutyobozana kweenqwelo-mafutha: AP Photo/Martin Seppala

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 26]

Phoenix Art Museum, Arizona/Bridgeman Art Library