salammbo-第62章

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any　venture　alone；　and　the　Suffet　had　the　rampart　raised　twelve　palms

higher；　all　the　material　in　the　arsenals　piled　up　in　the　Acropolis；

and　the　machines　repaired　once　more。



Sinews　taken　from　bulls'　necks；　or　else　stags'　hamstrings；　were

commonly　employed　for　the　twists　of　the　catapults。　However；　neither

stags　nor　bulls　were　in　existence　in　Carthage。　Hamilcar　asked　the

Ancients　for　the　hair　of　their　wives；　all　sacrificed　it；　but　the

quantity　was　not　sufficient。　In　the　buildings　of　the　Syssitia　there

were　twelve　hundred　marriageable　slaves　destined　for　prostitution　in

Greece　and　Italy；　and　their　hair；　having　been　rendered　elastic　by　the

use　of　unguents；　was　wonderfully　well　adapted　for　engines　of　war。　But

the　subsequent　loss　would　be　too　great。　Accordingly　it　was　decided

that　a　choice　should　be　made　of　the　finest　heads　of　hair　among　the

wives　of　the　plebeians。　Careless　of　their　country's　needs；　they

shrieked　in　despair　when　the　servants　of　the　Hundred　came　with

scissors　to　lay　hands　upon　them。



The　Barbarians　were　animated　with　increased　fury。　They　could　be　seen

in　the　distance　taking　fat　from　the　dead　to　grease　their　machines；

while　others　pulled　out　the　nails　and　stitched　them　end　to　end　to　make

cuirasses。　They　devised　a　plan　of　putting　into　the　catapults　vessels

filled　with　serpents　which　had　been　brought　by　the　Negroes；　the　clay

pots　broke　on　the　flag…stones；　the　serpents　ran　about；　seemed　to

multiply；　and；　so　numerous　were　they；　to　issue　naturally　from　the

walls。　Then　the　Barbarians；　not　satisfied　with　their　invention；

improved　upon　it；　they　hurled　all　kinds　of　filth；　human　excrements；

pieces　of　carrion；　corpses。　The　plague　reappeared。　The　teeth　of　the

Carthaginians　fell　out　of　their　mouths；　and　their　gums　were

discoloured　like　those　of　camels　after　too　long　a　journey。



The　machines　were　set　up　on　the　terrace；　although　the　latter　did　not

as　yet　reach　everywhere　to　the　height　of　the　rampart。　Before　the

twenty…three　towers　on　the　fortification　stood　twenty…three　others　of

wood。　All　the　tollenos　were　mounted　again；　and　in　the　centre；　a　little

further　back；　appeared　the　formidable　helepolis　of　Demetrius

Poliorcetes；　which　Spendius　had　at　last　reconstructed。　Of　pyramidical

shape；　like　the　pharos　of　Alexandria；　it　was　one　hundred　and　thirty

cubits　high　and　twenty…three　wide；　with　nine　stories；　diminishing　as

they　approached　the　summit；　and　protected　by　scales　of　brass；　they

were　pierced　with　numerous　doors　and　were　filled　with　soldiers；　and　on

the　upper　platform　there　stood　a　catapult　flanked　by　two　ballistas。



Then　Hamilcar　planted　crosses　for　those　who　should　speak　of　surrender；

and　even　the　women　were　brigaded。　The　people　lay　in　the　streets　and

waited　full　of　distress。



Then　one　morning　before　sunrise　（it　was　the　seventh　day　of　the　month

of　Nyssan）　they　heard　a　great　shout　uttered　by　all　the　Barbarians

simultaneously；　the　leaden…tubed　trumpets　pealed；　and　the　great

Paphlagonian　horns　bellowed　like　bulls。　All　rose　and　ran　to　the

rampart。



A　forest　of　lances；　pikes；　and　swords　bristled　at　its　base。　It　leaped

against　the　wall；　the　ladders　grappled　them；　and　Barbarians'　heads

appeared　in　the　intervals　of　the　battlements。



Beams　supported　by　long　files　of　men　were　battering　at　the　gates；　and；

in　order　to　demolish　the　wall　at　places　where　the　terrace　was　wanting；

the　Mercenaries　came　up　in　serried　cohorts；　the　first　line　crawling；

the　second　bending　their　hams；　and　the　others　rising　in　succession　to

the　last　who　stood　upright；　while　elsewhere；　in　order　to　climb　up；　the

tallest　advanced　in　front　and　the　lowest　in　the　rear；　and　all　rested

their　shields　upon　their　helmets　with　their　left　arms；　joining　them

together　at　the　edges　so　tightly　that　they　might　have　been　taken　for

an　assemblage　of　large　tortoises。　The　projectiles　slid　over　these

oblique　masses。



The　Carthaginians　threw　down　mill…stones；　pestles；　vats；　casks；　beds；

everything　that　could　serve　as　a　weight　and　could　knock　down。　Some

watched　at　the　embrasures　with　fisherman's　nets；　and　when　the

Barbarian　arrived　he　found　himself　caught　in　the　meshes；　and　struggled

like　a　fish。　They　demolished　their　own　battlements；　portions　of　wall

fell　down　raising　a　great　dust；　and　as　the　catapults　on　the　terrace

were　shooting　over　against　one　another；　the　stones　would　strike

together　and　shiver　into　a　thousand　pieces；　making　a　copious　shower

upon　the　combatants。



Soon　the　two　crowds　formed　but　one　great　chain　of　human　bodies；　it

overflowed　into　the　intervals　in　the　terrace；　and；　somewhat　looser　at

the　two　extremities；　swayed　perpetually　without　advancing。　They

clasped　one　another；　lying　flat　on　the　ground　like　wrestlers。　They

crushed　one　another。　The　women　leaned　over　the　battlements　and

shrieked。　They　were　dragged　away　by　their　veils；　and　the　whiteness　of

their　suddenly　uncovered　sides　shone　in　the　arms　of　the　Negroes　as　the

latter　buried　their　daggers　in　them。　Some　corpses　did　not　fall；　being

too　much　pressed　by　the　crowd；　and；　supported　by　the　shoulders　of

their　companions；　advanced　for　some　minutes　quite　upright　and　with

staring　eyes。　Some　who　had　both　temples　pierced　by　a　javelin　swayed

their　heads　about　like　bears。　Mouths；　opened　to　shout；　remained

gaping；　severed　hands　flew　through　the　air。　Mighty　blows　were　dealt；

which　were　long　talked　of　by　the　survivors。



Meanwhile　arrows　darted　from　the　towers　of　wood　and　stone。　The

tollenos　moved　their　long　yards　rapidly；　and　as　the　Barbarians　had

sacked　the　old　cemetery　of　the　aborigines　beneath　the　Catacombs；　they

hurled　the　tombstones　against　the　Carthaginians。　Sometimes　the　cables

broke　under　the　weight　of　too　heavy　baskets；　and　masses　of　men；　all

with　uplifted　arms；　would　fall　from　the　sky。



Up　to　the　middle　of　the　day　the　veterans　had　attacked　the　Taenia

fiercely　in　order　to　penetrate　into　the　harbour　and　destroy　the　fleet。

Hamilcar　had　a　fire　of　damp　straw　lit　upon　the　roofing　of　Khamon；　and

as　the　smoke　blinded　them　they　fell　back　to　left；　and　came　to　swell

the　horrible　rout　which　was　pressing　forward　in　Malqua。　Some

syntagmata　composed　of　sturdy　men；　chosen　expressly　for　the　purpose；

had　broken　in　three　gates。　They　were　checked　by　lofty　barriers　made　of

planks　studded　with　nails；　but　a　fourth　yielded　easily；　they　dashed

over　it　at　a　run　and　rolled　into　a　pit　in　which　there　were　hidden

snares。　At　the　south…west　gate　Autaritus　and　his　men　broke　down　the

rampart；　the　fissure　in　which　had　been　stopped　up　with　bricks。　The

ground　behind　rose；　and　they　climbed　it　nimbly。　But　on　the　top　they

found　a　second　wall　composed　of　stones　and　long　beams　lying　quite　flat

and　alternating　like　the　squares　on　a　chess…board。　It　was　a　Gaulish

fashion；　and　had　been　adapted　by　the　Suffet　to　the　requirements　of　the

situation；　the　Gauls　imagined　themselves　before　a　town　in　their　own

country。　Their　attack　was　weak；　and　they　were　repulsed。



All　the　roundway；　from　the　street　of　Khamon　as　far　as　the　Green

Market；　now　belonged　to　the　Barbarians；　and　the　Samnites　were

finishing　off　the　dying　with　blows　of　stakes；　or　else　with　one　foot　on

the　wall　were　gazing　down　at　the　smoking　ruins　beneath　them；　and　the

battle　which　was　beginning　again　in　the　distance。



The　slingers；　who　were　distributed　through　the　rear；　were　still

shooting。　But　the　springs　of　the　Acarnanian　slings　had　broken　from

use；　and　many　were　throwing　stones　with　the　hand　like　shepherds；　the

rest　hurled　leaden　bullets　with　the　handle　of　a　whip。　Zarxas；　his

shoulders　covered　with　his　long　black　hair；　went　about　everywhere；　and

led　on　the　Barbarians。　Two　pouches　hung　at　his　hips；　he　thrust　his

left　hand　into　them　continually；　while　his　right　arm　whirled　round

like　a　chariot…wheel。



Matho　had　at　first　refrained　from　fighting；　the　better　to　command　the

Barbarians　all　at　once。　He　had　been　seen　along　the　gulf　with　the

Mercenaries；　near　the　lagoon　with　the　Numidians；　and　on　the　shores　of

the　lake　among　the　Negroes；　and　f