salammbo-第15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！



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　made　holes　with　a　style　on　a

sheet　of　lead。



A　man　passed　walking　heavily　like　an　ox。



〃Come　up　beside　me；〃　said　the　Suffet；　suspecting　some　fraud；　〃how　many

years　have　you　served？〃



〃Twelve；〃　replied　the　Libyan。



Gisco　slipped　his　fingers　under　his　chin；　for　the　chin…piece　of　the

helmet　used　in　course　of　time　to　occasion　two　callosities　there；　these

were　called　carobs；　and　〃to　have　the　carobs〃　was　an　expression　used　to

denote　a　veteran。



〃Thief！〃　exclaimed　the　Suffet；　〃your　shoulders　ought　to　have　what　your

face　lacks！〃　and　tearing　off　his　tunic　he　laid　bare　is　back　which　was

covered　with　a　bleeding　scab；　he　was　a　labourer　from　Hippo…Zarytus。

Hootings　were　raised；　and　he　was　decapitated。



As　soon　as　night　fell；　Spendius　went　and　roused　the　Libyans；　and　said

to　them：



〃When　the　Ligurians；　Greeks；　Balearians；　and　men　of　Italy　are　paid；

they　will　return。　But　as　for　you；　you　will　remain　in　Africa；　scattered

through　your　tribes；　and　without　any　means　of　defence！　It　will　be　then

that　the　Republic　will　take　its　revenge！　Mistrust　the　journey！　Are　you

going　to　believe　everything　that　is　said？　Both　the　Suffets　are　agreed；

and　this　one　is　imposing　on　you！　Remember　the　Island　of　Bones；　and

Xanthippus；　whom　they　sent　back　to　Sparta　in　a　rotten　galley！〃



〃How　are　we　to　proceed？〃　they　asked。



〃Reflect！〃　said　Spendius。



The　two　following　days　were　spent　in　paying　the　men　of　Magdala；

Leptis；　and　Hecatompylos；　Spendius　went　about　among　the　Gauls。



〃They　are　paying　off　the　Libyans；　and　then　they　will　discharge　the

Greeks；　the　Balearians；　the　Asiatics　and　all　the　rest！　But　you；　who

are　few　in　number；　will　receive　nothing！　You　will　see　your　native

lands　no　more！　You　will　have　no　ships；　and　they　will　kill　you　to　save

your　food！〃



The　Gauls　came　to　the　Suffet。　Autaritus；　he　whom　he　had　wounded　at

Hamilcar's　palace；　put　questions　to　him；　but　was　repelled　by　the

slaves；　and　disappeared　swearing　he　would　be　revenged。



The　demands　and　complaints　multiplied。　The　most　obstinate　penetrated

at　night　into　the　Suffet's　tent；　they　took　his　hands　and　sought　to

move　him　by　making　him　feel　their　toothless　mouths；　their　wasted　arms；

and　the　scars　of　their　wounds。　Those　who　had　not　yet　been　paid　were

growing　angry；　those　who　had　received　the　money　demanded　more　for

their　horses；　and　vagabonds　and　outlaws　assumed　soldiers'　arms　and

declared　that　they　were　being　forgotten。　Every　minute　there　arrived

whirlwinds　of　men；　as　it　were；　the　tents　strained　and　fell；　the

multitude；　thick　pressed　between　the　ramparts　of　the　camp；　swayed　with

loud　shouts　from　the　gates　to　the　centre。　When　the　tumult　grew

excessively　violent　Gisco　would　rest　one　elbow　on　his　ivory　sceptre

and　stand　motionless　looking　at　the　sea　with　his　fingers　buried　in　his

beard。



Matho　frequently　went　off　to　speak　with　Spendius；　then　he　would　again

place　himself　in　front　of　the　Suffet；　and　Gisco　could　feel　his　eyes

continually　like　two　flaming　phalaricas