salammbo-第13章

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！



of　repentance；　and　crushed　by　the　priest's　words；　and　filled　at　once

with　anger　against　him；　with　terror　and　humiliation；　she　burst　into

sobs。　Schahabarim　remained　erect；　and　more　insensible　than　the　stones

of　the　terrace。　He　looked　down　upon　her　quivering　at　his　feet；　and

felt　a　kind　of　joy　on　seeing　her　suffer　for　his　divinity　whom　he

himself　could　not　wholly　embrace。　The　birds　were　already　singing；　a

cold　wind　was　blowing；　and　little　clouds　were　drifting　in　the　paling

sky。



Suddenly　he　perceived　on　the　horizon；　behind　Tunis；　what　looked　like

slight　mists　trailing　along　the　ground；　then　these　became　a　great

curtain　of　dust　extending　perpendicularly；　and；　amid　the　whirlwinds　of

the　thronging　mass；　dromedaries'　heads；　lances　and　shields　appeared。

It　was　the　army　of　the　Barbarians　advancing　upon　Carthage。







CHAPTER　IV



BENEATH　THE　WALLS　OF　CARTHAGE



Some　country　people；　riding　on　asses　or　running　on　foot；　arrived　in

the　town；　pale；　breathless；　and　mad　with　fear。　They　were　flying　before

the　army。　It　had　accomplished　the　journey　from　Sicca　in　three　days；　in

order　to　reach　Carthage　and　wholly　exterminate　it。



The　gates　were　shut。　The　Barbarians　appeared　almost　immediately；　but

they　stopped　in　the　middle　of　the　isthmus；　on　the　edge　of　the　lake。



At　first　they　made　no　hostile　announcement。　Several　approached　with

palm　branches　in　their　hands。　They　were　driven　back　with　arrows；　so

great　was　the　terror。



In　the　morning　and　at　nightfall　prowlers　would　sometimes　wander　along

the　walls。　A　little　man　carefully　wrapped　in　a　cloak；　and　with　his

face　concealed　beneath　a　very　low　visor；　was　especially　noticed。　He

would　remain　whole　hours　gazing　at　the　aqueduct；　and　so　persistently

that　he　doubtless　wished　to　mislead　the　Carthaginians　as　to　his　real

designs。　Another　man；　a　sort　of　giant　who　walked　bareheaded；　used　to

accompany　him。



But　Carthage　was　defended　throughout　the　whole　breadth　of　the　isthmus：

first　by　a　trench；　then　by　a　grassy　rampart；　and　lastly　by　a　wall

thirty　cubits　high；　built　of　freestone；　and　in　two　storys。　It

contained　stables　for　three　hundred　elephants　with　stores　for　their

caparisons；　shackles；　and　food；　other　stables　again　for　four　thousand

horses　with　supplies　of　barley　and　harness；　and　barracks　for　twenty

thousand　soldiers　with　armour　and　all　materials　of　war。　Towers　rose

from　the　second　story；　all　provided　with　battlements；　and　having

bronze　bucklers　hung　on　cramps　on　the　outside。



This　first　line　of　wall　gave　immediate　shelter　to　Malqua；　the　sailors'

and　dyers'　quarter。　Masts　might　be　seen　whereon　purple　sails　were

drying；　and　on　the　highest　terraces　clay　furnaces　for　heating　the

pickle　were　visible。



Behind；　the　lofty　houses　of　the　city　rose　in　an　ampitheatre　of　cubical

form。　They　were　built　of　stone；　planks；　shingle；　reeds；　shells；　and

beaten　earth。　The　woods　belonging　to　the　temples　were　like　lakes　of

verdure　in　this　mountain　of　diversely…coloured　blocks。　It　was　levelled

at　unequal　distances　by　the　public　squares；　and　was　cut　from　top　to

bottom　by　countless　intersecting　lanes。　The　enclosures　of　the　three

old　quarters　which　are　now　lost　might　be　distinguished；　they　rose　here

and　there　like　great　reefs；　or　extended　in　enormous　fronts；　blackened；

half…covered　with　flowers；　and　broadly　striped　by　the　casting　of

filth；　while　streets　passed　through　their　yawning　apertures　like

rivers　beneath　bridges。



The　hill　of　the　Acropolis；　in　the　centre　of　Byrsa；　was　hidden　beneath

a　disordered　array　of　monuments。　There　were　temples　with　wreathed

columns　bearing　bronze　capitals　and　metal　chains；　cones　of　dry　stones

with　bands　of　azure；　copper　cupolas；　marble　architraves；　Babylonian

buttresses；　obelisks　poised　on　their　points　like　inverted　torches。

Peristyles　reached　to　pediments；　volutes　were　displayed　through

colonnades；　granite　walls　supported　tile　partitions；　the　whole

mounting；　half…hidden；　the　one　above　the　other　in　a　marvellous　and

incomprehensible　fashion。　In　it　might　be　felt　the　succession　of　the

ages；　and；　as　it　were；　the　memorials　of　forgotten　fatherlands。



Behind　the　Acropolis　the　Mappalian　road；　which　was　lined　with　tombs；

extended　through　red　lands　in　a　straight　line　from　the　shore　to　the

catacombs；　then　spacious　dwellings　occurred　at　intervals　in　the

gardens；　and　this　third　quarter；　Megara；　which　was　the　new　town；

reached　as　far　as　the　edge　of　the　cliff；　where　rose　a　giant　pharos

that　blazed　forth　every　night。



In　this　fashion　was　Carthage　displayed　before　the　soldiers　quartered

in　the　plain。



They　could　recognise　the　markets　and　crossways　in　the　distance；　and

disputed　with　one　another　as　to　the　sites　of　the　temples。　Khamon's；

fronting　the　Syssitia；　had　golden　tiles；　Melkarth；　to　the　left　of

Eschmoun；　had　branches　of　coral　on　its　roofing；　beyond；　Tanith's

copper　cupola　swelled　among　the　palm　trees；　the　dark　Moloch　was　below

the　cisterns；　in　the　direction　of　the　pharos。　At　the　angles　of　the

pediments；　on　the　tops　of　the　walls；　at　the　corners　of　the　squares；

everywhere；　divinities　with　hideous　heads　might　be　seen；　colossal　or

squat；　with　enormous　bellies；　or　immoderately　flattened；　opening　their

jaws；　extending　their　arms；　and　holding　forks；　chains　or　javelins　in

their　hands；　while　the　blue　of　the　sea　stretched　away　behind　the

streets　which　were　rendered　still　steeper　by　the　perspective。



They　were　filled　from　morning　till　evening　with　a　tumultuous　people；

young　boys　shaking　little　bells；　shouted　at　the　doors　of　the　baths；

the　shops　for　hot　drinks　smoked；　the　air　resounded　with　the　noise　of

anvils；　the　white　cocks；　sacred　to　the　Sun；　crowed　on　the　terraces；

the　oxen　that　were　being　slaughtered　bellowed　in　the　temples；　slaves

ran　about　with　baskets　on　their　heads；　and　in　the　depths　of　the

porticoes　a　priest　would　sometimes　appear；　draped　in　a　dark　cloak；

barefooted；　and　wearing　a　pointed　cap。



The　spectacle　afforded　by　Carthage　irritated　the　Barbarians；　they

admired　it　and　execrated　it；　and　would　have　liked　both　to　annihilate

it　and　to　dwell　in　it。　But　what　was　there　in　the　Military　Harbour

defended　by　a　triple　wall？　Then　behind　the　town；　at　the　back　of

Megara；　and　higher　than　the　Acropolis；　appeared　Hamilcar's　palace。



Matho's　eyes　were　directed　thither　every　moment。　He　would　ascend　the

olive　trees　and　lean　over　with　his　hand　spread　out　above　his　eyebrows。

The　gardens　were　empty；　and　the　red　door　with　its　black　cross　remained

constantly　shut。



More　than　twenty　times　he　walked　round　the　ramparts；　seeking　some

breach　by　which　he　might　enter。　One　night　he　threw　himself　into　the

gulf　and　swam　for　three　hours　at　a　stretch。　He　reached　the　foot　of　the

Mappalian　quarter　and　tried　to　climb　up　the　face　of　the　cliff。　He

covered　his　knees　with　blood；　broke　his　nails；　and　then　fell　back　into

the　waves　and　returned。



His　impotence　exasperated　him。　He　was　jealous　of　this　Carthage　which

contained　Salammbo；　as　if　of　some　one　who　had　possessed　her。　His

nervelessness　left　him　to　be　replaced　by　a　mad　and　continual　eagerness

for　action。　With　flaming　cheek；　angry　eyes；　and　hoarse　voice；　he　would

walk　with　rapid　strides　through　the　camp；　or　seated　on　the　shore　he

would　scour　his　great　sword　with　sand。　He　shot　arrows　at　the　passing

vultures。　His　heart　overflowed　into　frenzied　speech。



〃Give　free　course　to　your　wrath　like　a　runaway　chariot；〃　said

Spendius。　〃Shout；　blaspheme；　ravage　and　slay。　Grief　is　allayed　with

blood；　and　since　you　cannot　sate　your　love；　gorge　your　hate；　it　will

sustain　you！〃



Matho　resumed　the　command　of　his　soldiers。　He　drilled　them　pitilessly。

He　was　respected　for　his　courage　and　especially　for　his　strength。

Moreover　he　inspired　a　sort　of　mystic　dread；　and　it　was　believed　that

he　conversed　at　night　with　phantoms。　The　other　captains　were　animated

by　his　example。　The　army　soon　grew　disciplined。　From　their　houses　the

Carthaginians　could　hear　the　bugle…flourishes　that　regulated　their

exercises。　A