salammbo-第42章

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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　Roman

fashion；　on　the　back。　As　a　precaution　against　the　elephants　Matho

instituted　a　corps　of　cataphract　cavalry；　men　and　horses　being　hidden

beneath　cuirasses　of　hippopotamus　skin　bristling　with　nails；　and　to

protect　the　horses'　hoofs　boots　of　plaited　esparto…grass　were　made　for

them。



It　was　forbidden　to　pillage　the　villages；　or　to　tyrannise　over　the

inhabitants　who　were　not　of　Punic　race。　But　as　the　country　was

becoming　exhausted；　Matho　ordered　the　provisions　to　be　served　out　to

the　soldiers　individually；　without　troubling　about　the　women。　At　first

the　men　shared　with　them。　Many　grew　weak　for　lack　of　food。　It　was　the

occasion　of　many　quarrels　and　invectives；　many　drawing　away　the

companions　of　the　rest　by　the　bait　or　even　by　the　promise　of　their　own

portion。　Matho　commanded　them　all　to　be　driven　away　pitilessly。　They

took　refuge　in　the　camp　of　Autaritus；　but　the　Gaulish　and　Libyan　women

forced　them　by　their　outrageous　treatment　to　depart。



At　last　they　came　beneath　the　walls　of　Carthage　to　implore　the

protection　of　Ceres　and　Proserpine；　for　in　Byrsa　there　was　a　temple

with　priests　consecrated　to　these　goddesses　in　expiation　of　the

horrors　formerly　committed　at　the　siege　of　Syracuse。　The　Syssitia；

alleging　their　right　to　waifs　and　strays；　claimed　the　youngest　in

order　to　sell　them；　and　some　fair　Lacedaemonian　women　were　taken　by

New　Carthaginians　in　marriage。



A　few　persisted　in　following　the　armies。　They　ran　on　the　flank　of　the

syntagmata　by　the　side　of　the　captains。　They　called　to　their　husbands；

pulled　them　by　the　cloak；　cursed　them　as　they　beat　their　breasts；　and

held　out　their　little　naked　and　weeping　children　at　arm's　length。　The

sight　of　them　was　unmanning　the　Barbarians；　they　were　an　embarrassment

and　a　peril。　Several　times　they　were　repulsed；　but　they　came　back

again；　Matho　made　the　horsemen　belonging　to　Narr'　Havas　charge　them

with　the　point　of　the　lance；　and　on　some　Balearians　shouting　out　to

him　that　they　must　have　women；　he　replied：　〃I　have　none！〃



Just　now　he　was　invaded　by　the　genius　of　Moloch。　In　spite　of　the

rebellion　of　his　conscience；　he　performed　terrible　deeds；　imagining

that　he　was　thus　obeying　the　voice　of　a　god。　When　he　could　not　ravage

the　fields；　Matho　would　cast　stones　into　them　to　render　them　sterile。



He　urged　Autaritus　and　Spendius　with　repeated　messages　to　make　haste。

But　the　Suffet's　operations　were　incomprehensible。　He　encamped　at

Eidous；　Monchar；　and　Tehent　successively；　some　scouts　believed　that

they　saw　him　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Ischiil；　near　the　frontiers　of

Narr'　Havas；　and　it　was　reported　that　he　had　crossed　the　river　above

Tebourba　as　though　to　return　to　Carthage。　Scarcely　was　he　in　one　place

when　he　removed　to　another。　The　routes　that　he　followed　always

remained　unknown。　The　Suffet　preserved　his　advantages　without　offering

battle；　and　while　pursued　by　the　Barbarians　seemed　to　be　leading　them。



These　marches　and　counter　marches　were　still　more　fatiguing　to　the

Carthaginians；　and　Hamilcar's　forces；　receiving　no　reinforcements；

diminished　from　day　to　day。　The　country　people　were　now　more　backward

in　bringing　him　provisions。　In　every　direction　he　encountered　taciturn

hesitation　and　hatred；　and　in　spite　of　his　entreaties　to　the　Great

Council　no　succour　came　from　Carthage。



It　was　said；　perhaps　it　was　believed；　that　he　had　need　of　none。　It　was

a　trick；　or　his　complaints　were　unnecessary；　and　Hanno's　partisans；　in

order　to　do　him　an　ill　turn；　exaggerated　the　importance　of　his

victory。　The　troops　which　he　commanded　he　was　welcome　to；　but　they

were　not　going　to　supply　his　demands　continually　in　that　way。　The　war

was　quite　burdensome　enough！　it　had　cost　too　much；　and　from　pride　the

patricians　belonging　to　his　faction　supported　him　but　slackly。



Then　Hamilcar；　despairing　of　the　Republic；　took　by　force　from　the

tribes　all　that　he　wanted　for　the　wargrain；　oil；　wood；　cattle；　and

men。　But　the　inhabitants　were　not　long　in　taking　flight。　The　villages

passed　through　were　empty；　and　the　cabins　were　ransacked　without

anything　being　discerned　in　them。　The　Punic　army　was　soon　encompassed

by　a　terrible　solitude。



The　Carthaginians；　who　were　furious；　began　to　sack　the　provinces；　they

filled　up　the　cisterns　and　fired　the　houses。　The　sparks；　being　carried

by　the　wind；　were　scattered　far　off；　and　whole　forests　were　on　fire　on

the　mountains；　they　bordered　the　valleys　with　a　crown　of　flames；　and

it　was　often　necessary　to　wait　in　order　to　pass　beyond　them。　Then　the

soldiers　resumed　their　march　over　the　warm　ashes　in　the　full　glare　of

the　sun。



Sometimes　they　would　see　what　looked　like　the　eyes　of　a　tiger　cat

gleaming　in　a　bush　by　the　side　of　the　road。　This　was　a　Barbarian

crouching　upon　his　heels；　and　smeared　with　dust；　that　he　might　not　be

distinguished　from　the　colour　of　the　foliage；　or　perhaps　when　passing

along　a　ravine　those　on　the　wings　would　suddenly　hear　the　rolling　of

stones；　and　raising　their　eyes　would　perceive　a　bare…footed　man

bounding　along　through　the　openings　of　the　gorge。



Meanwhile　Utica　and　Hippo…Zarytus　were　free　since　the　Mercenaries　were

no　longer　besieging　them。　Hamilcar　commanded　them　to　come　to　his

assistance。　But　not　caring　to　compromise　themselves；　they　answered　him

with　vague　words；　with　compliments　and　excuses。



He　went　up　again　abruptly　into　the　North；　determined　to　open　up　one　of

the　Tyrian　towns；　though　he　were　obliged　to　lay　siege　to　it。　He

required　a　station　on　the　coast；　so　as　to　be　able　to　draw　supplies　and

men　from　the　islands　or　from　Cyrene；　and　he　coveted　the　harbour　of

Utica　as　being　the　nearest　to　Carthage。



The　Suffet　therefore　left　Zouitin　and　turned　the　lake　of　Hippo…Zarytus

with　circumspection。　But　he　was　soon　obliged　to　lengthen　out　his

regiments　into　column　in　order　to　climb　the　mountain　which　separates

the　two　valleys。