第 22 节
作者:
淋雨 更新:2021-02-21 13:47 字数:9322
the other。 Spendius took care of his men; he dreamed of plans and
strove to recall the stratagems which he had heard described in his
travels。 But why did Narr' Havas not return? There was nothing but
anxiety。
Hanno had at last concluded his preparations。 One night when there was
no moon he transported his elephants and soldiers on rafts across the
Gulf of Carthage。 Then they wheeled round the mountain of the Hot
Springs so as to avoid Autaritus; and continued their march so slowly
that instead of surprising the Barbarians in the morning; as the
Suffet had calculated; they did not reach them until it was broad
daylight on the third day。
Utica had on the east a plain which extended to the large lagoon of
Carthage; behind it a valley ran at right angles between two low and
abruptly terminated mountains; the Barbarians were encamped further to
the left in such a way as to blockade the harbour; and they were
sleeping in their tents (for on that day both sides were too weary to
fight and were resting) when the Carthaginian army appeared at the
turning of the hills。
Some camp followers furnished with slings were stationed at intervals
on the wings。 The first line was formed of the guards of the Legion in
golden scale…armour; mounted on their big horses; which were without
mane; hair; or ears; and had silver horns in the middle of their
foreheads to make them look like rhinoceroses。 Between their squadrons
were youths wearing small helmets and swinging an ashen javelin in
each hand。 The long files of the heavy infantry marched behind。 All
these traders had piled as many weapons upon their bodies as possible。
Some might be seen carrying an axe; a lance; a club; and two swords
all at once; others bristled with darts like porcupines; and their
arms stood out from their cuirasses in sheets of horn or iron plates。
At last the scaffoldings of the lofty engines appeared: carrobalistas;
onagers; catapults and scorpions; rocking on chariots drawn by mules
and quadrigas of oxen; and in proportion as the army drew out; the
captains ran panting right and left to deliver commands; close up the
files; and preserve the intervals。 Such of the Ancients as held
commands had come in purple cassocks; the magnificent fringes of which
tangled in the white straps of their cothurni。 Their faces; which were
smeared all over with vermilion; shone beneath enormous helmets
surmounted with images of the gods; and; as they had shields with
ivory borders covered with precious stones; they might have been taken
for suns passing over walls of brass。
But the Carthaginians manoeuvred so clumsily that the soldiers in
derision urged them to sit down。 They called out that they were just
going to empty their big stomachs; to dust the gilding of their skin;
and to give them iron to drink。
A strip of green cloth appeared at the top of the pole planted before
Spendius's tent: it was the signal。 The Carthaginian army replied to
it with a great noise of trumpets; cymbals; flutes of asses' bones;
and tympanums。 The Barbarians had already leaped outside the
palisades; and were facing their enemies within a javelin's throw of
them。
A Balearic slinger took a step forward; put one of his clay bullets
into his thong; and swung round his arm。 An ivory shield was shivered;
and the two armies mingled together。
The Greeks made the horses rear and fall back upon their masters by
pricking their nostrils with the points of their lances。 The slaves
who were to hurl stones had picked such as were too big; and they
accordingly fell close to them。 The Punic foot…soldiers exposed the
right side in cutting with their long swords。 The Barbarians broke
their lines; they slaughtered them freely; they stumbled over the
dying and dead; quite blinded by the blood that spurted into their
faces。 The confused heap of pikes; helmets; cuirasses and swords
turned round about; widening out and closing in with elastic
contractions。 The gaps increased more and more in the Carthaginian
cohorts; the engines could not get out of the sand; and finally the
Suffet's litter (his grand litter with crystal pendants); which from
the beginning might have been seen tossing among the soldiers like a
bark on the waves; suddenly foundered。 He was no doubt dead。 The
Barbarians found themselves alone。
The dust around them fell and they were beginning to sing; when Hanno
himself appeared on the top of an elephant。 He sat bare…headed beneath
a parasol of byssus which was carried by a Negro behind him。 His
necklace of blue plates flapped against the flowers on his black
tunic; his huge arms were compressed within circles of diamonds; and
with open mouth he brandished a pike of inordinate size; which spread
out at the end like a lotus; and flashed more than a mirror。
Immediately the earth shook;and the Barbarians saw all the elephants
of Carthage; with their gilt tusks and blue…painted ears; hastening up
in single line; clothed with bronze and shaking the leathern towers
which were placed above their scarlet caparisons; in each of which
were three archers bending large bows。
The soldiers were barely in possession of their arms; they had taken
up their positions at random。 They were frozen with terror; they stood
undecided。
Javelins; arrows; phalaricas; and masses of lead were already being
showered down upon them from the towers。 Some clung to the fringes of
the caparisons in order to climb up; but their hands were struck off
with cutlasses and they fell backwards upon the swords' points。 The
pikes were too weak and broke; and the elephants passed through the
phalanxes like wild boars through tufts of grass; they plucked up the
stakes of the camp with their trunks; and traversed it from one end to
the other; overthrowing the tents with their breasts。 All the
Barbarians had fled。 They were hiding themselves in the hills
bordering the valley by which the Carthaginians had come。
The victorious Hanno presented himself before the gates of Utica。 He
had a trumpet sounded。 The three Judges of the town appeared in the
opening of the battlements on the summit of a tower。
But the people of Utica would not receive such well…armed guests。
Hanno was furious。 At last they consented to admit him with a feeble
escort。
The streets were too narrow for the elephants。 They had to be left
outside。
As soon as the Suffet was in the town the principal men came to greet
him。 He had himself taken to the vapour baths; and called for his
cooks。
Three hours afterwards he was still immersed in the oil of cinnamomum
with which the basin had been filled; and while he bathed he ate
flamingoes' tongues with honied poppy…seeds on a spread ox…hide。
Beside him was his Greek physician; motionless; in a long yellow robe;
directing the re…heating of the bath from time to time; and two young
boys leaned over the steps of the basin and rubbed his legs。 But
attention to his body did not check his love for the commonwealth; for
he was dictating a letter to be sent to the Great Council; and as some
prisoners had just been taken he was asking himself what terrible
punishment could be devised。
〃Stop!〃 said he to a slave who stood writing in the hollow of his
hand。 〃Let some of them be brought to me! I wish to see them!〃
And from the bottom of the hall; full of a whitish vapour on which the
torches cast red spots; three Barbarians were thrust forward: a
Samnite; a Spartan; and a Cappadocian。
〃Proceed!〃 said Hanno。
〃Rejoice; light of the Baals! your Suffet has exterminated the
ravenous hounds! Blessings on the Republic! Give orders for prayers!〃
He perceived the captives and burst out laughing: 〃Ah! ha! my fine
fellows of Sicca! You are not shouting so loudly to…day! It is I! Do
you recognise me? And where are your swords? What really terrible
fellows!〃 and he pretended to be desirous to hide himself as if he
were afraid of them。 〃You demanded horses; women; estates;
magistracies; no doubt; and priesthoods! Why not? Well; I will provide
you with the estates; and such as you will never come out of! You
shall be married to gibbets that are perfectly new! Your pay? it shall
be melted in your mouths in leaden ingots! and I will put you into
good and very exalted positions among the clouds; so as to bring you
close to the eagles!〃
The three long…haired and ragged Barbarians looked at him without
understanding what he said。 Wounded in the knees; they had been seized
by having ropes thrown over them; and the ends of the great chains on
their hands trailed upon the pavement。 Hanno was indignant at their
impassibility。
〃On your knees! on your knees! jackals! dust! vermin! excrements! And
they make no reply! Enough! be silent! Let them be flayed alive! No!
presently!〃
He was breathing like a hippopotamus and rolling his eyes。 The
perfumed oil overflowed beneath the mass of his body; and clingin