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