salammbo-第58章

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Carthage。



One　man　had　remained。　He　showed　black　against　the　background　of　the

sky。　The　moon　was　shining　behind　him；　and　his　shadow；　which　was　of

extravagant　size；　looked　in　the　distance　like　an　obelisk　proceeding

across　the　plain。



They　waited　until　he　was　in　position　just　before　them。　Zarxas　seized

his　sling；　but　whether　from　prudence　or　from　ferocity　Spendius　stopped

him。　〃No；　the　whiz　of　the　bullet　would　make　a　noise！　Let　me！〃



Then　he　bent　his　bow　with　all　his　strength；　resting　the　lower　end　of

it　against　the　great　toe　of　his　left　foot；　he　took　aim；　and　the　arrow

went　off。



The　man　did　not　fall。　He　disappeared。



〃If　he　were　wounded　we　should　hear　him！〃　said　Spendius；　and　he　mounted

quickly　from　story　to　story　as　he　had　done　the　first　time；　with　the

assistance　of　a　rope　and　a　harpoon。　Then　when　he　had　reached　the　top

and　was　beside　the　corpse；　he　let　it　fall　again。　The　Balearian

fastened　a　pick　and　a　mallet　to　it　and　turned　back。



The　trumpets　sounded　no　longer。　All　was　now　quiet。　Spendius　had　raised

one　of　the　flag…stones　and；　entering　the　water；　had　closed　it　behind

him。



Calculating　the　distance　by　the　number　of　his　steps；　he　arrived　at　the

exact　spot　where　he　had　noticed　an　oblique　fissure；　and　for　three

hours　until　morning　he　worked　in　continuous　and　furious　fashion；

breathing　with　difficulty　through　the　interstices　in　the　upper　flag…

tones；　assailed　with　anguish；　and　twenty　times　believing　that　he　was

going　to　die。　At　last　a　crack　was　heard；　and　a　huge　stone　ricocheting

on　the　lower　arches　rolled　to　the　ground；and　suddenly　a　cataract；　an

entire　river；　fell　from　the　skies　onto　the　plain。　The　aqueduct；　being

cut　through　in　the　centre；　was　emptying　itself。　It　was　death　to

Carthage　and　victory　for　the　Barbarians。



In　an　instant　the　awakened　Carthaginians　appeared　on　the　walls；　the

houses；　and　the　temples。　The　Barbarians　pressed　forward　with　shouts。

They　danced　in　delirium　around　the　great　waterfall；　and　came　up　and

wet　their　heads　in　it　in　the　extravagance　of　their　joy。



A　man　in　a　torn；　brown　tunic　was　perceived　on　the　summit　of　the

aqueduct。　He　stood　leaning　over　the　very　edge　with　both　hands　on　his

hips；　and　was　looking　down　below　him　as　though　astonished　at　his　work。



Then　he　drew　himself　up。　He　surveyed　the　horizon　with　a　haughty　air

which　seemed　to　say：　〃All　that　is　now　mine！〃　The　applause　of　the

Barbarians　burst　forth；　while　the　Carthaginians；　comprehending　their

disaster　at　last；　shrieked　with　despair。　Then　he　began　to　run　about

the　platform　from　one　end　to　the　other；and　like　a　chariot…driver

triumphant　at　the　Olympic　Games；　Spendius；　distraught　with　pride；

raised　his　arms　aloft。







CHAPTER　XIII



MOLOCH



The　Barbarians　had　no　need　of　a　circumvallation　on　the　side　of　Africa；

for　it　was　theirs。　But　to　facilitate　the　approach　to　the　walls；　the

entrenchments　bordering　the　ditch　were　thrown　down。　Matho　next　divided

the　army　into　great　semicircles　so　as　to　encompass　Carthage　the

better。　The　hoplites　of　the　Mercenaries　were　placed　in　the　first　rank；

and　behind　them　the　slingers　and　horsemen；　quite　at　the　back　were　the

baggage；　chariots；　and　horses；　and　the　engines　bristled　in　front　of

this　throng　at　a　distance　of　three　hundred　paces　from　the　towers。



Amid　the　infinite　variety　of　their　nomenclature　（which　changed　several

times　in　the　course　of　the　centuries）　these　machines　might　be　reduced

to　two　systems：　some　acted　like　slings；　and　the　rest　like　bows。



The　first；　which　were　the　catapults；　was　composed　of　a　square　frame

with　two　vertical　uprights　and　a　horizontal　bar。　In　its　anterior

portion　was　a　cylinder；　furnished　with　cables；　which　held　back　a　great

beam　bearing　a　spoon　for　the　reception　of　projectiles；　its　base　was

caught　in　a　skein　of　twisted　thread；　and　when　the　ropes　were　let　go　it

sprang　up　and　struck　against　the　bar；　which；　checking　it　with　a　shock；

multiplied　its　power。



The　second　presented　a　more　complicated　mechanism。　A　cross…bar　had　its

centre　fixed　on　a　little　pillar；　and　from　this　point　of　junction　there

branched　off　at　right　angles　a　short　of　channel；　two　caps　containing

twists　of　horse…hair　stood　at　the　extremities　of　the　cross…bar；　two

small　beams　were　fastened　to　them　to　hold　the　extremities　of　a　rope

which　was　brought　to　the　bottom　of　the　channel　upon　a　tablet　of

bronze。　This　metal　plate　was　released　by　a　spring；　and　sliding　in

grooves　impelled　the　arrows。



The　catapults　were　likewise　called　onagers；　after　the　wild　asses　which

fling　up　stones　with　their　feet；　and　the　ballistas　scorpions；　on

account　of　a　hook　which　stood　upon　the　tablet；　and　being　lowered　by　a

blow　of　the　fist；　released　the　spring。



Their　construction　required　learned　calculations；　the　wood　selected

had　to　be　of　the　hardest　substance；　and　their　gearing　all　of　brass；

they　were　stretched　with　levers；　tackle…blocks；　capstans　or　tympanums；

the　direction　of　the　shooting　was　changed　by　means　of　strong　pivots；

they　were　moved　forward　on　cylinders；　and　the　most　considerable　of

them；　which　were　brought　piece　by　piece；　were　set　up　in　front　of　the

enemy。



Spendius　arranged　three　great　catapults　opposite　the　three　principle

angles；　he　placed　a　ram　before　every　gate；　a　ballista　before　every

tower；　while　carroballistas　were　to　move　about　in　the　rear。　But　it　was

necessary　to　protect　them　against　the　fire　thrown　by　the　besieged；　and

first　of　all　to　fill　up　the　trench　which　separated　them　from　the

walls。



They　pushed　forward　galleries　formed　of　hurdles　of　green　reeds；　and

oaken　semicircles　like　enormous　shields　gliding　on　three　wheels；　the

workers　were　sheltered　in　little　huts　covered　with　raw　hides　and

stuffed　with　wrack；　the　catapults　and　ballistas　were　protected　by　rope

curtains　which　had　been　steeped　in　vinegar　to　render　them

incombustible。　The　women　and　children　went　to　procure　stones　on　the

strand；　and　gathered　earth　with　their　hands　and　brought　it　to　the

soldiers。



The　Carthaginians　also　made　preparations。



Hamilcar　had　speedily　reassured　them　by　declaring　that　there　was

enough　water　left　in　the　cisterns　for　one　hundred　and　twenty…three

days。　This　assertion；　together　with　his　presence；　and　above　all　that

of　the　zaimph　among　them；　gave　them　good　hopes。　Carthage　recovered

from　its　dejection；　those　who　were　not　of　Chanaanitish　origin　were

carried　away　by　the　passion　of　the　rest。



The　slaves　were　armed；　the　arsenals　were　emptied；　and　every　citizen

had　his　own　post　and　his　own　employment。　Twelve　hundred　of　the

fugitives　had　survived；　and　the　Suffet　made　them　all　captains；　and

carpenters；　armourers；　blacksmiths；　and　goldsmiths　were　intrusted　with

the　engines。　The　Carthaginians　had　kept　a　few　in　spite　of　the

conditions　of　the　peace　with　Rome。　These　were　repaired。　They

understood　such　work。



The　two　northern　and　eastern　sides；　being　protected　by　the　sea　and　the

gulf；　remained　inaccessible。　On　the　wall　fronting　the　Barbarians　they

collected　tree…trunks；　mill…stones；　vases　filled　with　sulphur；　and

vats　filled　with　oil；　and　built　furnaces。　Stones　were　heaped　up　on　the

platforms　of　the　towers；　and　the　houses　bordering　immediately　on　the

rampart　were　crammed　with　sand　in　order　to　strengthen　it　and　increase

its　thickness。



The　Barbarians　grew　angry　at　the　sight　of　these　preparations。　They

wished　to　fight　at　once。　The　weights　which　they　put　into　the　catapults

were　so　extravagantly　heavy　that　the　beams　broke；　and　the　attack　was

delayed。



At　last　on　the　thirteenth　day　of　the　month　of　Schabar；at　sunrise；a

great　blow　was　heard　at　the　gate　of　Khamon。



Seventy…five　soldiers　were　pulling　at　ropes　arranged　at　the　base　of　a

gigantic　beam　which　was　suspended　horizontally　by　chains　hanging　from

a　framework；　and　which　terminated　in　a　ram's　head　of　pure　brass。　It

had　been　swathed　in　ox…hides；　it　was　bound　at　intervals　with　iron

bracelets；　it　was　thrice　as　thick　as　a　man's　body；　one　hundred　and

twenty　cubits　long