Only One Of His Monastic Brethren Is Known To Us
As A Man Of Any Distinction:
This was Dionysius Exiguus, or the
Little, by birth a Scythian, a man of much learning.
He compiled the
first history of the Councils, and, a matter more important,
originated the computation of the Christian Era; for up to this time
men had dated in the old way, by shadowy consulships and confusing
Indictions. There is happy probability that Cassiodorus lived out
his life in peace; but the monastery did not long exist; like that
of Benedict on Monte Cassino, it seems to have been destroyed by the
Lombards, savages and Arians. No trace of it remains. But high up on
the mountain is a church known as S. Maria de Vetere, a name
indicating an ancient foundation, which perhaps was no other than
the anchorite house of Castellense.
CHAPTER XVII
THE GROTTA
About a mile beyond Squillace the line passes by a tunnel through
the promontory of Mons Moscius. At this point on the face of the
sea-cliff I was told that I should discover a grotta, one of the
caverns which some think are indicated by Cassiodorus when he speaks
of his fish-preserves. Arrived near the mouth of the tunnel I found
a signal-box, where several railway men were grouped in talk; to
them I addressed myself, and all immediately turned to offer me
guidance. We had to clamber down a rocky descent, and skirt the
waves for a few yards; when my cluster of companions had
sufficiently shown their good-will, all turned back but one, who
made a point of giving me safe conduct into the cave itself. He was
a bronzed, bright-eyed, happy-looking fellow of middle age, his
humorous intelligence appearing in a flow of gossip about things
local. We entered a narrow opening, some twelve feet high, which ran
perhaps twenty yards into the cliff. Lenormant supposes that this
was a quarry made by the original Greek colonists. If Cassiodorus
used it for the purpose mentioned, the cave must have been in direct
communication either with the sea or the river; at present, many
yards of sloping shingle divide it from the line of surf, and the
river flows far away. Movement of the shore there has of course
been, and the Pellena may have considerably changed the direction of
its outflow; our author's description being but vague, one can only
muse on probabilities and likelihoods.
Whilst we talked, the entrance to the cave was shadowed, and there
entered one of the men who had turned back half-way; his face
betrayed the curiosity which had after all prevailed to bring him
hither. Shouting merrily, my companion hailed him as "Brigadiere."
The two friends contrasted very amusingly; for the brigadiere was a
mild, timid, simple creature, who spoke with diffidence; he kept his
foolishly good-natured eyes fixed upon me, a gaze of wonder. After
listening to all that my guide had to say - it was nothing to the
point, dealing chiefly with questions of railway engineering - I
had just begun to explain my interest in the locality, and I
mentioned the name of Cassiodorus.
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