登陆注册
15401800000044

第44章

"We will give you full authority," cried the chiefs of the Syssitia.

"No!"

"With no control, no partition, all the money that you want, all the captives, all the booty, fifty zereths of land for every enemy's corpse.""No! no! because it is impossible to conquer with you!""He is afraid!"

"Because you are cowardly, greedy, ungrateful, pusillanimous and mad!""He is careful of them!"

"In order to put himself at their head," said some one.

"And return against us," said another; and from the bottom of the hall Hanno howled:

"He wants to make himself king!"

Then they bounded up, overturning the seats and the torches: the crowd of them rushed towards the altar; they brandished daggers.But Hamilcar dived into his sleeves and drew from them two broad cutlasses; and half stooping, his left foot advanced, his eyes flaming and his teeth clenched, he defied them as he stood there beneath the golden candelabrum.

Thus they had brought weapons with them as a precaution; it was a crime; they looked with terror at one another.As all were guilty, every one became quickly reassured; and by degrees they turned their backs on the Suffet and came down again maddened with humiliation.For the second time they recoiled before him.They remained standing for some time.Several who had wounded their fingers put them to their mouths or rolled them gently in the hem of their mantles, and they were about to depart when Hamilcar heard these words:

"Why! it is a piece of delicacy to avoid distressing his daughter!"A louder voice was raised:

"No doubt, since she takes her lovers from among the Mercenaries!"At first he tottered, then his eye rapidly sought for Schahabarim.But the priest of Tanith had alone remained in his place; and Hamilcar could see only his lofty cap in the distance.All were sneering in his face.In proportion as his anguish increased their joy redoubled, and those who were behind shouted amid the hootings:

"He was seen coming out of her room!"

"One morning in the month of Tammouz!"

"It was the thief who stole the zaimph!"

"A very handsome man!"

"Taller than you!"

He snatched off the tiara, the ensign of his rank--his tiara with its eight mystic rows, and with an emerald shell in the centre--and with both hands and with all his strength dashed it to the ground; the golden circles rebounded as they broke, and the pearls rang upon the pavement.Then they saw a long scar upon the whiteness of his brow; it moved like a serpent between his eyebrows; all his limbs trembled.He ascended one of the lateral staircases which led on to the altar, and walked upon the latter! This was to devote himself to the god, to offer himself as a holocaust.The motion of his mantle agitated the lights of the candelabrum, which was lower than his sandals, and the fine dust raised by his footsteps surrounded him like a cloud as high as the waist.He stopped between the legs of the brass colossus.He took up two handfuls of the dust, the mere sight of which made every Carthaginian shudder with horror, and said:

"By the hundred torches of your Intelligences! by the eight fires of the Kabiri! by the stars, the meteors, and the volcanoes! by everything that burns! by the thirst of the desert and the saltness of the ocean! by the cave of Hadrumetum and the empire of Souls! by extermination! by the ashes of your sons and the ashes of the brothers of your ancestors with which I now mingle my own!--you, the Hundred of the Council of Carthage, have lied in your accusation of my daughter!

And I, Hamilcar Barca, marine Suffet, chief of the rich and ruler of the people, in the presence of bull-headed Moloch, I swear"--they expected something frightful, but he resumed in a loftier and calmer tone--"that I will not even speak to her about it!"The sacred servants entered wearing their golden combs, some with purple sponges and others with branches of palm.They raised the hyacinth curtain which was stretched before the door; and through the opening of this angle there was visible behind the other halls the great pink sky which seemed to be a continuation of the vault and to rest at the horizon upon the blue sea.The sun was issuing from the waves and mounting upwards.It suddenly struck upon the breast of the brazen colossus, which was divided into seven compartments closed by gratings.His red-toothed jaws opened in a horrible yawn; his enormous nostrils were dilated, the broad daylight animated him, and gave him a terrible and impatient aspect, as if he would fain have leaped without to mingle with the star, the god, and together traverse the immensities.

The torches, however, which were scattered on the ground, were still burning, while here and there on the mother-of-pearl pavement was stretched from them what looked like spots of blood.The Ancients were reeling from exhaustion; they filled their lungs inhaling the freshness of the air; the sweat flowed down their livid faces; they had shouted so much that they could now scarcely make their voices heard.But their wrath against the Suffet was not at all abated; they hurled menaces at him by way of farewells, and Hamilcar answered them again.

"Until the next night, Barca, in the temple of Eschmoun!""I shall be there!"

"We will have you condemned by the rich!""And I you by the people!"

"Take care that you do not end on the cross!""And you that you are not torn to pieces in the streets!"As soon as they were on the threshold of the court they again assumed a calm demeanour.

Their runners and coachmen were waiting for them at the door.Most of them departed on white mules.The Suffet leaped into his chariot and took the reins; the two animals, curving their necks, and rhythmically beating the resounding pebbles, went up the whole of the Mappalian Way at full gallop, and the silver vulture at the extremity of the pole seemed to fly, so quickly did the chariot pass along.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 最后的丧失

    最后的丧失

    为了一个装有生化进化药物的保险箱,四个组织明争暗斗,你看到的只是表面的几个人的相互搏杀。为了生存,也为了自己的爱人,两个高三学生开始了一段挣扎,走向各自认为正确的道路。大概在30万字左右,不会很长。
  • 邪魅女帝霸道王爷

    邪魅女帝霸道王爷

    身为魔族女帝,本应凶残,嗜杀成性。可她却与魔为敌,拯救苍生。笑,苍天不公。看,苍生唾弃。她依旧我行我宿,为救天下元神俱灭。你我都随为魔,为何不拜在本尊门下。我随为魔,去不与魔共舞,我随为魔,却不滥杀无辜。大婚当日,惨遭毒手。为救天下,灰飞烟灭。他,为了救她。耗尽修为,只为帮她重塑魂魄,再度轮回。重生现代,有疼爱自己的家人。却因祖母去世,悲痛欲绝。唤醒体内的力量,触犯天规,试图逆天改命。遇菩萨指点,重反异世。解救苍生,开始一段虐心之恋!
  • 中外神话故事(语文新课标课外必读第二辑)

    中外神话故事(语文新课标课外必读第二辑)

    国家教育部颁布了最新《语文课程标准》,统称新课标,对中、小学语文教学指定了阅读书目,对阅读的数量、内容、质量以及速度都提出了明确的要求,这对于提高学生的阅读能力,培养语文素养,陶冶情操,促进学生终身学习和终身可持续发展,对于提高广大人民的文学素养具有极大的意义。
  • 大时代之复国动乱

    大时代之复国动乱

    三大赛亚王子复国,谁是朋友,谁是敌人一群:21609057
  • 午夜咬鬼

    午夜咬鬼

    “你们不是说我是废物吗?我能帮你们办什么事?”我说。“也不用做什么,就帮我们缉拿小鬼!如今的世界实在太疯狂了,不是车祸就是凶杀,不是肺癌就是膀胱癌,没几个是按自己正常寿命死亡的,我们俩光是勾魂魄都应付不过来,更别提抓那些不遵守天条的小鬼了,所以我们不得不找个得力助手……”“但你必须变成一条狗,才能拥有法力……”“啊……”
  • 冷漠公主:倾心之恋

    冷漠公主:倾心之恋

    :她,从小缺少母爱和父爱,被奶奶抚养长大。奶奶过世后,她才被接了回去。缺失了童年的关爱,风舒妍究竟能否释怀。邪魅如他,从来不让女生近身的他,竟然爱上了风舒妍,可风舒妍究竟是否爱他。他,阳光温柔,也不可置否的爱上了风舒妍。可当他要向风舒妍表白时,一个惊天的秘密击溃了他。循环终回到原点,他们,又能否延续-----------------
  • 木枯成道

    木枯成道

    这是一个简单明了的书名,因为主角就叫木枯。这是一本典型的修仙小说,可以找到最经典的元素,此处有词为证:小厮仙门打杂,资质待遇最差,丹药夺宝截杀,兼收并下,书之一个不落。这又是一个值得一读的故事,流水账不是我的风格,此处有诗为证:宗呼万法武遗峰,木落枯之自树荣。梦魇千千何所道,奋余三世此劫终。这是一个简介结束的段落,编不下去了……不如点进正篇,让我一一道来。
  • 天知道如何遇见你

    天知道如何遇见你

    她相信爱情,却找不到自己的爱情,当她终于让她心脏狂跳的人,却似乎是不对的时间,不对的人··········
  • 双面间谍:契约婚姻

    双面间谍:契约婚姻

    二十年的日子,掏尽了岁月里很多有痕又无痕的记忆,闻茉莉再次“刻意”地遇见了沈浩宇,当年那个阳光飘飘的少年。然而,再次的相遇,竟带来了太多无法说清却又明晃晃的决裂。她是别人派来搜集关于他资料的间谍。他又利用她夺取属于自己的一切。然而在故事发生的时候,她却发现,她父亲的去世跟他的家族有着千丝万缕的关系。而他也发现了她最初来的目的。到底是谁动了谁的奶酪?
  • 少年至尊

    少年至尊

    武技锻身,魂控奇物,这是挑战迷宫高塔的征程,这是追寻历史文明踪迹的旅途。由学府到迷宫,见证主角一路霸气凛然的成长历程!