salammbo-第30章

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carried　us　towards　each　other；　he　looked　at　me；　and　I　felt　the　cold

steel　as　it　were　in　my　heart。〃



〃He　selected　the　day；　perhaps？〃　whispered　Matho　to　himself。



They　questioned　each　other；　trying　to　discover　what　it　was　that　had

brought　the　Suffet　just　when　circumstances　were　most　unfavourable。

They　went　on　to　talk　over　the　situation；　and　Spendius；　to　extenuate

his　fault；　or　to　revive　his　courage；　asserted　that　some　hope　still

remained。



〃And　if　there　be　none；　it　matters　not！〃　said　Matho；　〃alone；　I　will

carry　on　the　war！〃



〃And　I　too！〃　exclaimed　the　Greek；　leaping　up；　he　strode　to　and　fro；

his　eyes　sparkling；　and　a　strange　smile　wrinkled　his　jackal　face。



〃We　will　make　a　fresh　start；　do　not　leave　me　again！　I　am　not　made　for

battles　in　the　sunlightthe　flashing　of　swords　troubles　my　sight；　it

is　a　disease；　I　lived　too　long　in　the　ergastulum。　But　give　me　walls　to

scale　at　night；　and　I　will　enter　the　citadels；　and　the　corpses　shall

be　cold　before　cock…crow！　Show　me　any　one；　anything；　an　enemy；　a

treasure；　a　woman；a　woman；〃　he　repeated；　〃were　she　a　king's

daughter；　and　I　will　quickly　bring　your　desire　to　your　feet。　You

reproach　me　for　having　lost　the　battle　against　Hanno；　nevertheless　I

won　it　back　again。　Confess　it！　my　herd　of　swine　did　more　for　us　than　a

phalanx　of　Spartans。〃　And　yielding　to　the　need　that　he　felt　of

exalting　himself　and　taking　his　revenge；　he　enumerated　all　that　he　had

done　for　the　cause　of　the　Mercenaries。　〃It　was　I　who　urged　on　the　Gaul

in　the　Suffet's　gardens！　And　later；　at　Sicca；　I　maddened　them　all　with

fear　of　the　Republic！　Gisco　was　sending　them　back；　but　I　prevented　the

interpreters　speaking。　Ah！　how　their　tongues　hung　out　of　their　mouths！

do　you　remember？　I　brought　you　into　Carthage；　I　stole　the　zaimph。　I

led　you　to　her。　I　will　do　more　yet：　you　shall　see！〃　He　burst　out

laughing　like　a　madman。



Matho　regarded　him　with　gaping　eyes。　He　felt　in　a　measure

uncomfortable　in　the　presence　of　this　man；　who　was　at　once　so　cowardly

and　so　terrible。



The　Greek　resumed　in　jovial　tones　and　cracking　his　fingers：



〃Evoe！　Sun　after　run！　I　have　worked　in　the　quarries；　and　I　have　drunk

Massic　wine　beneath　a　golden　awning　in　a　vessel　of　my　own　like　a

Ptolemaeus。　Calamity　should　help　to　make　us　cleverer。　By　dint　of　work

we　may　make　fortune　bend。　She　loves　politicians。　She　will　yield！〃



He　returned　to　Matho　and　took　him　by　the　arm。



〃Master；　at　present　the　Carthaginians　are　sure　of　their　victory。　You

have　quite　an　army　which　has　not　fought；　and　your　men　obey　YOU。　Place

them　in　the　front：　mine　will　follow　to　avenge　themselves。　I　have　still

three　thousand　Carians；　twelve　hundred　slingers　and　archers；　whole

cohorts！　A　phalanx　even　might　be　formed；　let　us　return！〃



Matho；　who　had　been　stunned　by　the　disaster；　had　hitherto　thought　of

no　means　of　repairing　it。　He　listened　with　open　mouth；　and　the　bronze

plates　which　circled　his　sides　rose　with　the　leapings　of　his　heart。　He

picked　up　his　sword；　crying：



〃Follow　me；　forward！〃



But　when　the　scouts　returned；　they　announced　that　the　Carthaginian

dead　had　been　carried　off；　that　the　bridge　was　in　ruins；　and　that

Hamilcar　had　disappeared。







CHAPTER　IX



IN　THE　FIELD



Hamilcar　had　thought　that　the　Mercenaries　would　await　him　at　Utica；　or

that　they　would　return　against　him；　and　finding　his　forces

insufficient　to　make　or　to　sustain　an　attack；　he　had　struck　southwards

along　the　right　bank　of　the　river；　thus　protecting　himself　immediately

from　a　surprise。



He　intended　first　to　wink　at　the　revolt　of　the　tribes　and　to　detach

them　all　from　the　cause　of　the　Barbarians；　then　when　they　were　quite

isolated　in　the　midst　of　the　provinces　he　would　fall　upon　them　and

exterminate　them。



In　fourteen　days　he　pacified　the　region　comprised　between　Thouccaber

and　Utica；　with　the　towns　of　Tignicabah；　Tessourah；　Vacca；　and　others

further　to　the　west。　Zounghar　built　in　the　mountains；　Assoura

celebrated　for　its　temple；　Djeraado　fertile　in　junipers；　Thapitis；　and

Hagour　sent　embassies　to　him。　The　country　people　came　with　their　hands

full　of　provisions；　implored　his　protection；　kissed　his　feet　and　those

of　the　soldiers；　and　complained　of　the　Barbarians。　Some　came　to　offer

him　bags　containing　heads　of　Mercenaries　killed；　so　they　said；　by

themselves；　but　which　they　had　cut　off　corpses；　for　many　had　lost

themselves　in　their　flight；　and　were　found　dead　here　and　there　beneath

the　olive　trees　and　among　the　vines。



On　the　morrow　of　his　victory；　Hamilcar；　to　dazzle　the　people；　had　sent

to　Carthage　the　two　thousand　captives　taken　on　the　battlefield。　They

arrived　in　long　companies　of　one　hundred　men　each；　all　with　their　arms

fastened　behind　their　backs　with　a　bar　of　bronze　which　caught　them　at

the　nape　of　the　neck；　and　the　wounded；　bleeding　as　they　still　were；

running　also　along；　horsemen　followed　them；　driving　them　on　with　blows

of　the　whip。



Then　there　was　a　delirium　of　joy！　People　repeated　that　there　were　six

thousand　Barbarians　killed；　the　others　would　not　hold　out；　and　the　war

was　finished；　they　embraced　one　another　in　the　streets；　and　rubbed　the

faces　of　the　Pataec　Gods　with　butter　and　cinnamomum　to　thank　them。

These；　with　their　big　eyes；　their　big　bodies；　and　their　arms　raised　as

high　as　the　shoulder；　seemed　to　live　beneath　their　freshened　paint；

and　to　participate　in　the　cheerfulness　of　the　people。　The　rich　left

their　doors　open；　the　city　resounded　with　the　noise　of　the　timbrels；

the　temples　were　illuminated　every　night；　and　the　servants　of　the

goddess　went　down　to　Malqua　and　set　up　stages　of　sycamore…wood　at　the

corners　of　the　cross…ways；　and　prostituted　themselves　there。　Lands

were　voted　to　the　conquerors；　holocausts　to　Melkarth；　three　hundred

gold　crowns　to　the　Suffet；　and　his　partisans　proposed　to　decree　to　him

new　prerogatives　and　honours。



He　had　begged　the　Ancients　to　make　overtures　to　Autaritus　for

exchanging　all　the　Barbarians；　if　necessary；　for　the　aged　Gisco；　and

the　other　Carthaginians　detained　like　him。　The　Libyans　and　Nomads

composing　the　army　under　Autaritus　knew　scarcely　anything　of　these

Mercenaries；　who　were　men　of　Italiote　or　Greek　race；　and　the　offer　by

the　Republic　of　so　many　Barbarians　for　so　few　Carthaginians；　showed

that　the　value　of　the　former　was　nothing　and　that　of　the　latter

considerable。　They　dreaded　a　snare。　Autaritus　refused。



Then　the　Ancients　decreed　the　execution　of　the　captives；　although　the

Suffet　had　written　to　them　not　to　put　them　to　death。　He　reckoned　upon

incorporating　the　best　of　them　with　his　own　troops　and　of　thus

instigating　defections。　But　hatred　swept　away　all　circumspection。



The　two　thousand　Barbarians　were　tied　to　the　stelae　of　the　tombs　in

the　Mappalian　quarter；　and　traders；　scullions；　embroiderers；　and　even

women；the　widows　of　the　dead　with　their　childrenall　who　would；

came　to　kill　them　with　arrows。　They　aimed　slowly　at　them；　the　better

to　prolong　their　torture；　lowering　the　weapon　and　then　raising　it　in

turn；　and　the　multitude　pressed　forward　howling。　Paralytics　had

themselves　brought　thither　in　hand…barrows；　many　took　the　precaution

of　bringing　their　food；　and　remained　on　the　spot　until　the　evening；

others　passed　the　night　there。　Tents　had　been　set　up　in　which　drinking

went　on。　Many　gained　large　sums　by　hiring　out　bows。



Then　all　these　crucified　corpses　were　left　upright；　looking　like　so

many　red　statues　on　the　tombs；　and　the　excitement　even　spread　to　the

people　of　Malqua；　who　were　the　descendants　of　the　aboriginal　families；

and　were　usually　indifferent　to　the　affairs　of　their　country。　Out　of

gratitude　for　the　pleasure　it　had　been　giving　them　they　now　interested

themselves　in　its　fortunes；　and　felt　that　they　were　Carthaginians；　and

the　Ancients　thought　it　a　clever　thing　to　have　thus　blended　the　entire

people　in　a　single　act　of　vengeance。



The　sanction　of　the　gods　was　not　wanting；　for　crows　alighted　from　all

quarters　of　the　sky。　They　wheeled　in　the　air　as　they　flew　with　loud

hoarse　cries；　and　formed　a　huge　cloud　rolling　continually　upon　itself。

It　was　seen　from　Clypea；　Rhades；　and　the　promontory　of　Hermaeum。

Sometimes　it　would　suddenly　burst　asunder；　its　black　spirals　extending

far　away；　as　an　eagle　clove　the　centre　of　it；　and　then　departed　again；

here　and　there　on　the　terraces　the　domes；　the　peaks　of　the　obelisks；

and　the　pediments　of　the　temples　there　were　big　birds　holding　human

fragments　in　their　reddened　beaks。



Owing　to　the　smell　the　Carthaginians　resigned　themselves　to　unbind　the

corpses。　A　few　of　them　were　burnt；　the　rest　were　thrown　into　the　sea；

and　the　waves；　driven　by　the　north　wind；　deposited　them　on　the　shore

at　the　end　of　the　gulf　before　the　camp　of　Autaritus。



This　punishment　had　no　doubt　terrified　the　Barbarians；　for　from　the

top　of　Eschmoun　they　could　be　seen　striking　their　tents；　collecting

their　flocks；　and　hoisting　their　baggage　upon　asses；　and　on　the

evening　of　the　same　day　the　entire　army　withdrew。



It　was　to　march　to　and　fro　between　the　mountain　of　the　Hot　Springs　and

Hippo…Zarytus；　and　so　debar　the　Suffet　from　approaching　the　Tyrian

towns；　and　from　the　possibility　of　a　return　to　Carthage。



Meanwhile　the　two　other　armies　were　to　try　to　overtake　him　in　the

south；　Spendius　in　the　east；　and　Matho　in　the　west；　in　such　a　way　that

all　three　should　unite　to　surprise　and　entangle　him。　Then　they

received　a　reinforcement　which　they　had　not　looked　for：　Narr'　Havas

appeared　with　three　hundred　camels　laden　with　bitumen；　twenty…five

elephants；　and　six　thousand　horsemen。



To　weaken　the　Mercenaries　the　Suffet　had　judged　it　prudent　to　occupy

his　attention　at　a　distance　in　his　own　kingdom。　From　the　heart　of

Carthage　he　had　come　to　an　understanding　with　Masgaba；　a　Gaetulian

brigand　who　was　seeking　to　found　an　empire。　Strengthened　by　Punic

money；　the　adventurer　had　raised　the　Numidian　States　with　promises　of

freedom。　But　Narr'　Havas；　warned　by　his　nurse's　son；　had　dropped　into

Cirta；　poisoned　the　conquerors　with　the　water　of　the　cisterns；　struck

off　a　few　heads；　set　all　right　again；　and　had　just　arrived　against　the

Suffet　more　furious　than　the　Barbarians。



The　chiefs　of　the　four　armies　concerted　the　arrangements　for　the　war。

It　would　be　a　long　one；　and　everything　must　be　foreseen。



It　was　agreed　first　to　entreat　the　assistance　of　the　Romans；　and　this

mission　was　offered　to　Spendius；　but　as　a　fugitive　he　dared　not

undertake　it。　Twelve　men　from　the　Greek　colonies　embarked　at　Annaba　in

a　sloop　belonging　to　the　Numidians。　Then　the　chiefs　exacted　an　oath　of

complete　obedience　from　all　the　Barbarians。　Every　day　the　captains

inspected　clothes　and　boots；　the　sentries　were　even　forbidden　to　use　a

shield；　for　they　would　often　lean　it　against　their　lance　and　fall

asleep　as　they　stood；　those　who　had　any　baggage　trailing　after　them

were　obliged　to　get　rid　of　it；　everything　was　to　be　carried；　in