Babethi Ezokuzijabulisa
INKUNDLA yemidlalo yasesiteji yayigcwele ukwesasa. Amashumi ezinkulungwane ayehlangene komunye wemibukwane evusa amadlingozi yaseRoma lasendulo. Lenkundla yayihlotshiswe kahle ngamafulege, izimbali nezindwangu ezimibalabala. Emithonjeni kwakuphuma amanzi anamakha, anephunga elinuka kamnandi. Abacebile babedlubhe ezikanokusho ezikhazimulayo. Izingxoxo zesixuku zazineziqubu zohleko, kodwa ukwesasa kwalesi sixuku kwakufihla isenzakalo esihlasimulisa umzimba esasizokwenzeka.
Ngokushesha ukukhala kwama-tuba okuxhaphazelisa amathumbu kwakubizela izilwi ezimbili empini. Isixuku sasivukwa usinga njengoba lezi zilwi zaziqala ukubhokodana kabuhlungu. Ukukhala kwezinkemba kwakungezwakali ngenxa yomsindo oklabalasayo wezibukeli ezihalalisayo. Ngokuzumayo, ngegalelo lobuciko, esinye isilwi sasiqumba phansi esinye. Ukuphila kwesilwi esiwile kwase kuxhomeke ezibukelini. Uma zaziphakamisa amaduku azo, sasizosinda. Ngophawu olulodwa nje lokumisa izithupha, isixuku—kuhlanganise amakhosikazi namantombazane—sasiyala ukuba isilwi sibulawe. Ngokushesha isidumbu sasihudulwa sikhishwe enkundleni, inhlabathi eyayigcwele igazi iphendulwe ngamafosholo, kuthelwe isihlabathi esisha, isixuku bese sizilungiselela ukuchithwa kwegazi okuqhubekayo.
Kwabaningi ababehlala eRoma yasendulo, lokho kwakuwukuzijabulisa. “Ngisho nabantu ababekhathalela ukuziphatha okuhle babengamelene nokuzijabulisa ngokuchithwa kwegazi okunje,” kusho incwadi ethi Rome: The First Thousand Years. Futhi umdlalo wokulwa wawumane ungenye yezindlela ezonakele zezokuzijabulisa ezazitholakala eRoma. Kwakuba nezimpi ezingokoqobo zasolwandle ukuze kujatshuliswe izibukeli ezomele igazi. Abantu babebulawa ngisho naphambi kwezibukeli, lapho iselelesi esilahlwe icala sasiboshelwa khona esigxotsheni bese sishwabadelwa izilwane zasendle ezibulewe indlala.
Kulabo ababengalomele igazi ngaleyo ndlela, kwakunezinhlobonhlobo zemidlalo yasesiteji eRoma. Emidlalweni yokulingisa—okuyimidlalo emifushane ekhuluma ngokuphila kwansuku zonke—“ukuphinga nokuthandana kwakuyizindaba ezisematheni,” kubhala uLudwig Friedländer kwethi Roman Life and Manners Under the Early Empire. “Ulimi lwalugcwele inhlamba futhi amahlaya engcolile, ehambisana nokunyipha, ukushukuma komzimba okuhlambalazayo, futhi ngaphezu kwalokho, ukudansela umtshingo ngendlela eyinqaba.” Ngokwe-New Encyclopædia Britannica, “kunobufakazi bokuthi kwakuphingwa ngokoqobo emdlalweni wokulingisa wasesiteji ngesikhathi soMbuso WaseRoma.” Ngokunengqondo uFriedländer wabiza umdlalo wokulingisa ngokuthi “umdlalo oveza ukuziphatha okubi nenhlamba ngokuyingcaca ngaphezu kwayo yonke,” wayesenezela: “Izigcawu ezinokonakala yizona ezazishayelwa ihlombe kakhulu.”a
Kuthiwani namuhla? Ingabe ezokuzijabulisa ezikhethwa umuntu sezishintshile? Cabangela ubufakazi, njengoba budingidwa esihlokweni esilandelayo.
[Umbhalo waphansi]
a Ngezinye izikhathi, umuntu wayebulawa esiteji ukuze umdlalo ube ngokoqobo. Incwadi ethi The Civilization of Rome iyaphawula: “Kwakungeyona into engavamile ukuba iselelesi esilahlwe yicala sithathe indawo yomdlali emzuzwini wenhlekelele.”
[Isithombe ekhasini 3]
The Complete Encyclopedia of Illustration/J. G. Heck