salammbo-第13节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



order　to　win　back　his　friendship；　and　to　speak　him　fair。　Such　a　show

of　confidence　would　soothe　them。



Traders；　scribes；　workers　in　the　arsenal；　and　whole　families　visited

the　Barbarians。



The　soldiers　allowed　all　the　Carthaginians　to　come　in；　but　by　a　single

passage　so　narrow　that　four　men　abreast　jostled　one　another　in　it。

Spendius；　standing　against　the　barrier；　had　them　carefully　searched；

facing　him　Matho　was　examining　the　multitude；　trying　to　recognise　some

one　whom　he　might　have　seen　at　Salammbo's　palace。



The　camp　was　like　a　town；　so　full　of　people　and　of　movement　was　it。

The　two　distinct　crowds　mingled　without　blending；　one　dressed　in　linen

or　wool；　with　felt　caps　like　fir…cones；　and　the　other　clad　in　iron　and

wearing　helmets。　Amid　serving　men　and　itinerant　vendors　there　moved

women　of　all　nations；　as　brown　as　ripe　dates；　as　greenish　as　olives；

as　yellow　as　oranges；　sold　by　sailors；　picked　out　of　dens；　stolen　from

caravans；　taken　in　the　sacking　of　towns；　women　that　were　jaded　with

love　so　long　as　they　were　young；　and　plied　with　blows　when　they　were

old；　and　that　died　in　routs　on　the　roadsides　among　the　baggage　and　the

abandoned　beasts　of　burden。　The　wives　of　the　nomads　had　square；　tawny

robes　of　dromedary's　hair　swinging　at　their　heels；　musicians　from

Cyrenaica；　wrapped　in　violet　gauze　and　with　painted　eyebrows；　sang；

squatting　on　mats；　old　Negresses　with　hanging　breasts　gathered　the

animals'　dung　that　was　drying　in　the　sun　to　light　their　fires；　the

Syracusan　women　had　golden　plates　in　their　hair；　the　Lusitanians　had

necklaces　of　shells；　the　Gauls　wore　wolf　skins　upon　their　white

bosoms；　and　sturdy　children；　vermin…covered；　naked　and　uncircumcised；

butted　with　their　heads　against　passers…by；　or　came　behind　them　like

young　tigers　to　bite　their　hands。



The　Carthaginians　walked　through　the　camp；　surprised　at　the　quantities

of　things　with　which　it　was　running　over。　The　most　miserable　were

melancholy；　and　the　rest　dissembled　their　anxiety。



The　soldiers　struck　them　on　the　shoulder；　and　exhorted　them　to　be　gay。

As　soon　as　they　saw　any　one；　they　invited　him　to　their　amusements。　If

they　were　playing　at　discus；　they　would　manage　to　crush　his　feet；　or

if　at　boxing　to　fracture　his　jaw　with　the　very　first　blow。　The

slingers　terrified　the　Carthaginians　with　their　slings；　the　Psylli

with　their　vipers；　and　the　horsemen　with　their　horses；　while　their

victims；　addicted　as　they　were　to　peaceful　occupations；　bent　their

heads　and　tried　to　smile　at　all　these　outrages。　Some；　in　order　to　show

themselves　brave；　made　signs　that　they　should　like　to　become　soldiers。

They　were　set　to　split　wood　and　to　curry　mules。　They　were　buckled　up

in　armour；　and　rolled　like　casks　through　the　streets　of　the　camp。

Then；　when　they　were　about　to　leave；　the　Mercenaries　plucked　out　their

hair　with　grotesque　contortions。



But　many；　from　foolishness　or　prejudice；　innocently　believed　that　all

the　Carthaginians　were　very　rich；　and　they　walked　behind　them

entreating　them　to　grant　them　something。　They　requested　everything

that　they　thought　fine：　a　ring；　a　girdle；　sandals；　the　fringe　of　a

robe；　and　when　the　despoiled　Carthaginian　cried〃But　I　have　nothing

left。　What　do　you　want？〃　they　would　reply；　〃Your　wife！〃　Others　even

said；　〃Your　life！〃



The　military　accounts　were　handed　to　the　captains；　read　to　the

soldiers；　and　definitively　approved。　Then　they　claimed　tents；　they

received　them。　Next　the　polemarchs　of　the　Greeks　demanded　some　of　the

handsome　suits　of　armour　that　were　manufactured　at　Carthage；　the　Great

Council　voted　sums　of　money　for　their　purchase。　But　it　was　only　fair；

so　the　horsemen　pretended；　that　the　Republic　should　indemnify　them　for

their　horses；　one　had　lost　three　at　such　a　siege；　another；　five　during

such　a　march；　another；　fourteen　in　the　precipices。　Stallions　from

Hecatompylos　were　offered　to　them；　but　they　preferred　money。



Next　they　demanded　that　they　should　be　paid　in　money　（in　pieces　of

money；　and　not　in　leathern　coins）　for　all　the　corn　that　was　owing　to

them；　and　at　the　highest　price　that　it　had　fetched　during　the　war；　so

that　they　exacted　four　hundred　times　as　much　for　a　measure　of　meal　as

they　had　given　for　a　sack　of　wheat。　Such　injustice　was　exasperating；

but　it　was　necessary；　nevertheless；　to　submit。



Then　the　delegates　from　the　soldiers　and　from　the　Great　Council　swore

renewed　friendship　by　the　Genius　of　Carthage　and　the　gods　of　the

Barbarians。　They　exchanged　excuses　and　caresses　with　oriental

demonstrativeness　and　verbosity。　Then　the　soldiers　claimed；　as　a　proof

of　friendship；　the　punishment　of　those　who　had　estranged　them　from　the

Republic。



Their　meaning；　it　was　pretended；　was　not　understood；　and　they

explained　themselves　more　clearly　by　saying　that　they　must　have

Hanno's　head。



Several　times　a　day；　they　left　their　camp；　and　walked　along　the　foot

of　the　walls；　shouting　a　demand　that　the　Suffet's　head　should　be

thrown　to　them；　and　holding　out　their　robes　to　receive　it。



The　Great　Council　would　perhaps　have　given　way　but　for　a　last

exaction；　more　outrageous　than　the　rest；　they　demanded　maidens；　chosen

from　illustrious　families；　in　marriage　for　their　chiefs。　It　was　an

idea　which　had　emanated　from　Spendius；　and　which　many　thought　most

simple　and　practicable。　But　the　assumption　of　their　desire　to　mix　with

Punic　blood　made　the　people　indignant；　and　they　were　bluntly　told　that

they　were　to　receive　no　more。　Then　they　exclaimed　that　they　had　been

deceived；　and　that　if　their　pay　did　not　arrive　within　three　days；　they

would　themselves　go　and　take　it　in　Carthage。



The　bad　faith　of　the　Mercenaries　was　not　so　complete　as　their　enemies

thought。　Hamilcar　had　made　them　extravagant　promises；　vague；　it　is

true；　but　at　the　same　time　solemn　and　reiterated。　They　might　have

believed　that　when　they　disembarked　at　Carthage　the　town　would　be

abandoned　to　them；　and　that　they　should　have　treasures　divided　among

them；　and　when　they　saw　that　scarcely　their　wages　would　be　paid；　the

disillusion　touched　their　pride　no　less　than　their　greed。



Had　not　Dionysius；　Pyrrhus；　Agathocles；　and　the　generals　of　Alexander

furnished　examples　of　marvellous　good　fortune？　Hercules；　whom　the

Chanaanites　confounded　with　the　sun；　was　the　ideal　which　shone　on　the

horizon　of　armies。　They　knew　that　simple　soldiers　had　worn　diadems；

and　the　echoes　of　crumbling　empires　would　furnish　dreams　to　the　Gaul

in　his　oak　forest；　to　the　Ethiopian　amid　his　sands。　But　there　was　a

nation　always　ready　to　turn　courage　to　account；　and　the　robber　driven

from　his　tribe；　the　patricide　wandering　on　the　roads；　the　perpetrator

of　sacrilege　pursued　by　the　gods；　all　who　were　starving　or　in　despair

strove　to　reach　the　port　where　the　Carthaginian　broker　was　recruiting

soldiers。　Usually　the　Republic　kept　its　promises。　This　time；　however；

the　eagerness　of　its　avarice　had　brought　it　into　perilous　disgrace。

Numidians；　Libyans；　the　whole　of　Africa　was　about　to　fall　upon

Carthage。　Only　the　sea　was　open　to　it；　and　there　it　met　with　the

Romans；　so　that；　like　a　man　assailed　by　murderers；　it　felt　death　all

around　it。



It　was　quite　necessary　to　have　recourse　to　Gisco；　and　the　Barbarians

accepted　his　intervention。　One　morning　they　saw　the　chains　of　the

harbour　lowered；　and　three　flat…bottomed　boats　passing　through　the

canal　of　Taenia　entered　the　lake。



Gisco　was　visible　on　the　first　at　the　prow。　Behind　him　rose　an

enormous　chest；　higher　than　a　catafalque；　and　furnished　with　rings

like　hanging　crowns。　Then　appeared　the　legion　of　interpreters；　with

their　hair　dressed　like　sphinxes；　and　with　parrots　tattooed　on　their

breasts。　Friends　and　slaves　followed；　all　without　arms；　and　in　such

numbers　that　they　shouldered　one　another。　The　three　long；　dangerously…

loaded　barges　advanced　amid　the　shouts　of　the　onlooking　army。



As　soon　as　Gisco　disembarked　the　soldiers　ran　to　him。　He　had　a　sort　of

tribune　erected　with　knapsacks；　and　declared　that　he　should　not　depart

before　he　had　paid　them　all　in　full。



There　was　an　outburst　of　applause；　and　it　was　a　long　time　before　he

was　able　to　speak。



Then　he　censured　the　wrongs　done　to　the　Republic；　and　to　the

Barbarians；　the　fault　lay　with　a　few　mutineers　who　had　alarmed

Carthage　by　their　violence。　The　best　proof　of　good　intention　on　the

part　of　the　latter　was　that　it　was　he；　the　eternal　adversary　of　the

Suffet　Hanno；　who　was　sent　to　them。　They　must　not　credit　the　people

with　the　folly　of　desiring　to　provoke　brave　men；　nor　with　ingratitude

enough　not　to　recognise　their　services；　and　Gisco　began　to　pay　the

soldiers；　commencing　with　the　Libyans。　As　they　had　declared　that　the

lists　were　untruthful；　he　made　no　use　of　them。



They　defiled　before　him　according　to　nationality；　opening　their

fingers　to　show　the　number　of　their　years　of　service；　they　were　marked

in　succession　with　green　paint　on　the　left　arm；　the　scribes　dipped

into　the　yawning　coffer；　while　others　m