salammbo-第29章

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the　altar；　rose　the　Moloch；　all　of　iron；　and　with　gaping　apertures　in

his　human　breast。　His　outspread　wings　were　stretched　upon　the　wall；

his　tapering　hands　reached　down　to　the　ground；　three　black　stones

bordered　by　yellow　circles　represented　three　eyeballs　on　his　brow；　and

his　bull's　head　was　raised　with　a　terrible　effort　as　if　in　order　to

bellow。



Ebony　stools　were　ranged　round　the　apartment。　Behind　each　of　them　was

a　bronze　shaft　resting　on　three　claws　and　supporting　a　torch。　All

these　lights　were　reflected　in　the　mother…of…pearl　lozenges　which

formed　the　pavement　of　the　hall。　So　lofty　was　the　latter　that　the　red

colour　of　the　walls　grew　black　as　it　rose　towards　the　vaulted　roof；

and　the　three　eyes　of　the　idol　appeared　far　above　like　stars　half　lost

in　the　night。



The　Ancients　sat　down　on　the　ebony　stools　after　putting　the　trains　of

their　robes　over　their　heads。　They　remained　motionless　with　their

hands　crossed　inside　their　broad　sleeves；　and　the　mother…of…pearl

pavement　seemed　like　a　luminous　river　streaming　from　the　altar　to　the

door　and　flowing　beneath　their　naked　feet。



The　four　pontiffs　had　their　places　in　the　centre；　sitting　back　to　back

on　four　ivory　seats　which　formed　a　cross；　the　high…priest　of　Eschmoun

in　a　hyacinth　robe；　the　high…priest　of　Tanith　in　a　white　linen　robe；

the　high…priest　of　Khamon　in　a　tawny　woollen　robe；　and　the　high…priest

of　Moloch　in　a　purple　robe。



Hamilcar　advanced　towards　the　candelabrum。　He　walked　all　round　it；

looking　at　the　burning　wicks；　then　he　threw　a　scented　powder　upon

them；　and　violet　flames　appeared　at　the　extremities　of　the　branches。



Then　a　shrill　voice　rose；　another　replied　to　it；　and　the　hundred

Ancients；　the　four　pontiffs；　and　Hamilcar；　who　remained　standing；

simultaneously　intoned　a　hymn；　and　their　voicesever　repeating　the

same　syllables　and　strengthening　the　soundsrose；　grew　loud；　became

terrible；　and　then　suddenly　were　still。



There　was　a　pause　for　some　time。　At　last　Hamilcar　drew　from　his　breast

a　little　three…headed　statuette；　as　blue　as　sapphire；　and　placed　it

before　him。　It　was　the　image　of　Truth；　the　very　genius　of　his　speech。

Then　he　replaced　it　in　his　bosom；　and　all；　as　if　seized　with　sudden

wrath；　cried　out：



〃They　are　good　friends　of　yours；　are　the　Barbarians！　Infamous　traitor！

You　come　back　to　see　us　perish；　do　you　not？　Let　him　speak！No！　no！〃



They　were　taking　their　revenge　for　the　constraint　to　which　political

ceremonial　had　just　obliged　them；　and　even　though　they　had　wished　for

Hamilcar's　return；　they　were　now　indignant　that　he　had　not　anticipated

their　disasters；　or　rather　that　he　had　not　endured　them　as　well　as

they。



When　the　tumult　had　subsided；　the　pontiff　of　Moloch　rose：



〃We　ask　you　why　you　did　not　return　to　Carthage？〃



〃What　is　that　to　you？〃　replied　the　Suffet　disdainfully。



Their　shouts　were　redoubled。



〃Of　what　do　you　accuse　me？　I　managed　the　war　badly；　perhaps！　You　have

seen　how　I　order　my　battles；　you　who　conveniently　allow　Barbarians〃



〃Enough！　enough！〃



He　went　on　in　a　low　voice　so　as　to　make　himself　the　better　listened

to：



〃Oh！　that　is　true！　I　am　wrong；　lights　of　the　Baals；　there　are　intrepid

men　among　you！　Gisco；　rise！〃　And　surveying　the　step　of　the　altar　with

half…closed　eyelids；　as　if　he　sought　for　some　one；　he　repeated：



〃Rise；　Gisco！　You　can　accuse　me；　they　will　protect　you！　But　where　is

he？〃　Then；　as　if　he　remembered　himself：　〃Ah！　in　his　house；　no　doubt！

surrounded　by　his　sons；　commanding　his　slaves；　happy；　and　counting　on

the　wall　the　necklaces　of　honour　which　his　country　has　given　to　him！〃



They　moved　about　raising　their　shoulders　as　if　they　were　being

scourged　with　thongs。　〃You　do　not　even　know　whether　he　is　living　or

dead！〃　And　without　giving　any　heed　to　their　clamours　he　said　that　in

deserting　the　Suffet　they　had　deserted　the　Republic。　So；　too；　the

peace　with　Rome；　however　advantageous　it　might　appear　to　them；　was

more　fatal　than　twenty　battles。　A　fewthose　who　were　the　least　rich

of　the　Council　and　were　suspected　of　perpetual　leanings　towards　the

people　or　towards　tyrannyapplauded。　Their　opponents；　chiefs　of　the

Syssitia　and　administrators；　triumphed　over　them　in　point　of　numbers；

and　the　more　eminent　of　them　had　ranged　themselves　close　to　Hanno；　who

was　sitting　at　the　other　end　of　the　hall　before　the　lofty　door；　which

was　closed　by　a　hanging　of　hyacinth　colour。



He　had　covered　the　ulcers　on　his　face　with　paint。　But　the　gold　dust　in

his　hair　had　fallen　upon　his　shoulders；　where　it　formed　two　brilliant

sheets；　so　that　his　hair　appeared　whitish；　fine；　and　frizzled　like

wool。　His　hands　were　enveloped　in　linen　soaked　in　a　greasy　perfume；

which　dripped　upon　the　pavement；　and　his　disease　had　no　doubt

considerably　increased；　for　his　eyes　were　hidden　beneath　the　folds　of

his　eyelids。　He　had　thrown　back　his　head　in　order　to　see。　His

partisans　urged　him　to　speak。　At　last　in　a　hoarse　and　hideous　voice　he

said：



〃Less　arrogance；　Barca！　We　have　all　been　vanquished！　Each　one　supports

his　own　misfortune！　Be　resigned！〃



〃Tell　us　rather；〃　said　Hamilcar；　smiling；　〃how　it　was　that　you　steered

your　galleys　into　the　Roman　fleet？〃



〃I　was　driven　by　the　wind；〃　replied　Hanno。



〃You　are　like　a　rhinoceros　trampling　on　his　dung：　you　are　displaying

your　own　folly！　be　silent！〃　And　they　began　to　indulge　in

recriminations　respecting　the　battle　of　the　Aegatian　islands。



Hanno　accused　him　of　not　having　come　to　meet　him。



〃But　that　would　have　left　Eryx　undefended。　You　ought　to　have　stood　out

from　the　coast；　what　prevented　you？　Ah！　I　forgot！　all　elephants　are

afraid　of　the　sea！〃



Hamilcar's　followers　thought　this　jest　so　good　that　they　burst　out

into　loud　laughter。　The　vault　rang　with　it　like　the　beating　of

tympanums。



Hanno　denounced　the　unworthiness　of　such　an　insult；　the　disease　had

come　upon　him　from　a　cold　taken　at　the　siege　of　Hecatompylos；　and

tears　flowed　down　his　face　like　winter　rain　on　a　ruined　wall。



Hamilcar　resumed：



〃If　you　had　loved　me　as　much　as　him　there　would　be　great　joy　in

Carthage　now！　How　many　times　did　I　not　call　upon　you！　and　you　always

refused　me　money！〃



〃We　had　need　of　it；〃　said　the　chiefs　of　the　Syssitia。



〃And　when　things　were　desperate　with　mewe　drank　mules'　urine　and　ate

the　straps　of　our　sandals；　when　I　would　fain　have　had　the　blades　of

grass　soldiers　and　made　battalions　with　the　rottenness　of　our　dead；

you　recalled　the　vessels　that　I　had　left！〃



〃We　could　not　risk　everything；〃　replied　Baat…Baal；　who　possessed　gold

mines　in　Darytian　Gaetulia。



〃But　what　did　you　do　here；　at　Carthage；　in　your　houses；　behind　your

walls？　There　are　Gauls　on　the　Eridanus；　who　ought　to　have　been　roused；

Chanaanites　at　Cyrene　who　would　have　come；　and　while　the　Romans　send

ambassadors　to　Ptolemaeus〃



〃Now　he　is　extolling　the　Romans　to　us！〃　Some　one　shouted　out　to　him：

〃How　much　have　they　paid　you　to　defend　them？〃



〃Ask　that　of　the　plains　of　Brutium；　of　the　ruins　of　Locri；　of

Metapontum；　and　of　Heraclea！　I　have　burnt　all　their　trees；　I　have

pillaged　all　their　temples；　and　even　to　the　death　of　their

grandchildren's　grandchildren〃



〃Why；　you　disclaim　like　a　rhetor！〃　said　Kapouras；　a　very　illustrious

merchant。　〃What　is　it　that　you　want？〃



〃I　say　that　we　must　be　more　ingenious　or　more　terrible！　If　the　whole

of　Africa　rejects　your　yoke　the　reason　is；　my　feeble　masters；　that　you

do　not　know　how　to　fasten　it　to　her　shoulders！　Agathocles；　Regulus；

Coepio；　any　bold　man　has　only　to　land　and　capture　her；　and　when　the

Libyans　in　the　east　concert　with　the　Numidians　in　the　west；　and　the

Nomads　come　from　the　south；　and　the　Romans　from　the　north〃a　cry　of

horror　rose〃Oh！　you　will　beat　your　breasts；　and　roll　in　the　dust；

and　tear　your　cloaks！　No　matter！　you　will　have　to　go　and　turn　the

mill…stone　in　the　Suburra；　and　gather　grapes　on　the　hills　of　Latium。〃



They　smote　their　right　thighs　to　mark　t