salammbo- 第37部分

of　the　whip。



Then　there　was　a　delirium　of　joy！　People　repeated　that　there　were　six

thousand　Barbarians　killed；　the　others　would　not　hold　out；　and　the　war

was　finished；　they　embraced　one　another　in　the　streets；　and　rubbed　the

faces　of　the　Pataec　Gods　with　butter　and　cinnamomum　to　thank　them。

These；　with　their　big　eyes；　their　big　bodies；　and　their　arms　raised　as

high　as　the　shoulder；　seemed　to　live　beneath　their　freshened　paint；

and　to　participate　in　the　cheerfulness　of　the　people。　The　rich　left

their　doors　open；　the　city　resounded　with　the　noise　of　the　timbrels；

the　temples　were　illuminated　every　night；　and　the　servants　of　the

goddess　went　down　to　Malqua　and　set　up　stages　of　sycamore…wood　at　the

corners　of　the　cross…ways；　and　prostituted　themselves　there。　Lands

were　voted　to　the　conquerors；　holocausts　to　Melkarth；　three　hundred

gold　crowns　to　the　Suffet；　and　his　partisans　proposed　to　decree　to　him

new　prerogatives　and　honours。



He　had　begged　the　Ancients　to　make　overtures　to　Autaritus　for

exchanging　all　the　Barbarians；　if　necessary；　for　the　aged　Gisco；　and

the　other　Carthaginians　detained　like　him。　The　Libyans　and　Nomads

composing　the　army　under　Autaritus　knew　scarcely　anything　of　these

Mercenaries；　who　were　men　of　Italiote　or　Greek　race；　and　the　offer　by

the　Republic　of　so　many　Barbarians　for　so　few　Carthaginians；　showed

that　the　value　of　the　former　was　nothing　and　that　of　the　latter

considerable。　They　dreaded　a　snare。　Autaritus　refused。



Then　the　Ancients　decreed　the　execution　of　the　captives；　although　the

Suffet　had　written　to　them　not　to　put　them　to　death。　He　reckoned　upon

incorporating　the　best　of　them　with　his　own　troops　and　of　thus

instigating　defections。　But　hatred　swept　away　all　circumspection。



The　two　thousand　Barbarians　were　tied　to　the　stelae　of　the　tombs　in

the　Mappalian　quarter；　and　traders；　scullions；　embroiderers；　and　even

women；the　widows　of　the　dead　with　their　childrenall　who　would；

came　to　kill　them　with　arrows。　They　aimed　slowly　at　them；　the　better

to　prolong　their　torture；　lowering　the　weapon　and　then　raising　it　in

turn；　and　the　multitude　pressed　forward　howling。　Paralytics　had

themselves　brought　thither　in　hand…barrows；　many　took　the　precaution

of　bringing　their　food；　and　remained　on　the　spot　until　the　evening；

others　passed　the　night　there。　Tents　had　been　set　up　in　which　drinking

went　on。　Many　gained　large　sums　by　hiring　out　bows。



Then　all　these　crucified　corpses　were　left　upright；　looking　like　so

many　red　statues　on　the　tombs；　and　the　excitement　even　spread　to　the

people　of　Malqua；　who　were　the　descendants　of　the　aboriginal　families；

and　were　usually　indifferent　to　the　affairs　of　their　country。　Out　of

gratitude　for　the　pleasure　it　had　been　giving　them　they　now　interested

themselves　in　its　fortunes；　and　felt　that　they　were　Carthaginians；　and

the　Ancients　thought　it　a　clever　thing　to　have　thus　blended　the　entire

people　in　a　single　act　of　vengeance。



The　sanction　of　the　gods　was　not　wanting；　for　crows　alighted　from　all

quarters　of　the　sky。　They　wheeled　in　the　air　as　they　flew　with　loud

hoarse　cries；　and　formed　a　huge　cloud　rolling　continually　upon　itself。

It　was　seen　from　Clypea；　Rhades；　and　the　promontory　of　Hermaeum。

Sometimes　it　would　suddenly　burst　asunder；　its　black　spirals　extending

far　away；　as　an　eagle　clove　the　centre　of　it；　and　then　departed　again；

here　and　there　on　the　terraces　the　domes；　the　peaks　of　the　obelisks；

and　the　pediments　of　the　temples　there　were　big　birds　holding　human

fragments　in　their　reddened　beaks。



Owing　to　the　smell　the　Carthaginians　resigned　themselves　to　unbind　the

corpses。　A　few　of　them　were　burnt；　the　rest　were　thrown　into　the　sea；

and　the　waves；　driven　by　the　north　wind；　deposited　them　on　the　shore

at　the　end　of　the　gulf　before　the　camp　of　Autaritus。



This　punishment　had　no　doubt　terrified　the　Barbarians；　for　from　the

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　march