salammbo-第61部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



extended　beyond　a　girdle　of　walls；　then　the　sea　spread　out

indefinitely；　and　the　Barbarians；　with　their　chins　in　their　hands；

sighed　as　they　thought　of　their　native　lands。　A　cloud　of　grey　dust　was

falling。



The　evening　wind　blew；　then　every　breast　dilated；　and　as　the　freshness

increased；　the　vermin　might　be　seen　to　forsake　the　dead；　who　were

colder　now；　and　to　run　over　the　hot　sand。　Crows；　looking　towards　the

dying；　rested　motionless　on　the　tops　of　the　big　stones。



When　night　had　fallen　yellow…haired　dogs；　those　unclean　beasts　which

followed　the　armies；　came　quite　softly　into　the　midst　of　the

Barbarians。　At　first　they　licked　the　clots　of　blood　on　the　still　tepid

stumps；　and　soon　they　began　to　devour　the　corpses；　biting　into　the

stomachs　first　of　all。



The　fugitives　reappeared　one　by　one　like　shadows；　the　women　also

ventured　to　return；　for　there　were　still　some　of　them　left；　especially

among　the　Libyans；　in　spite　of　the　dreadful　massacre　of　them　by　the

Numidians。



Some　took　ropes'　ends　and　lighted　them　to　use　as　torches。　Others　held

crossed　pikes。　The　corpses　were　placed　upon　these　and　were　conveyed

apart。



They　were　found　lying　stretched　in　long　lines；　on　their　backs；　with

their　mouths　open；　and　their　lances　beside　them；　or　else　they　were

piled　up　pell…mell　so　that　it　was　often　necessary　to　dig　out　a　whole

heap　in　order　to　discover　those　they　were　wanting。　Then　the　torch

would　be　passed　slowly　over　their　faces。　They　had　received　complicated

wounds　from　hideous　weapons。　Greenish　strips　hung　from　their

foreheads；　they　were　cut　in　pieces；　crushed　to　the　marrow；　blue　from

strangulation；　or　broadly　cleft　by　the　elephants'　ivory。　Although　they

had　died　at　almost　the　same　time　there　existed　differences　between

their　various　states　of　corruption。　The　men　of　the　North　were　puffed

up　with　livid　swellings；　while　the　more　nervous　Africans　looked　as

though　they　had　been　smoked；　and　were　already　drying　up。　The

Mercenaries　might　be　recognised　by　the　tattooing　on　their　hands：　the

old　soldiers　of　Antiochus　displayed　a　sparrow…hawk；　those　who　had

served　in　Egypt；　the　head　of　the　cynosephalus；　those　who　had　served

with　the　princes　of　Asia；　a　hatchet；　a　pomegranate；　or　a　hammer；　those

who　had　served　in　the　Greek　republics；　the　side…view　of　a　citadel　or

the　name　of　an　archon；　and　some　were　to　be　seen　whose　arms　were

entirely　covered　with　these　multiplied　symbols；　which　mingled　with

their　scars　and　their　recent　wounds。



Four　great　funeral　piles　were　erected　for　the　men　of　Latin　race；　the

Samnites；　Etruscans；　Campanians；　and　Bruttians。



The　Greeks　dug　pits　with　the　points　of　their　swords。　The　Spartans

removed　their　red　cloaks　and　wrapped　them　round　the　dead；　the

Athenians　laid　them　out　with　their　faces　towards　the　rising　sun；　the

Cantabrians　buried　them　beneath　a　heap　of　pebbles；　the　Nasamonians

bent　them　double　with　ox…leather　thongs；　and　the　Garamantians　went　and

interred　them　on　the　shore　so　that　they　might　be　perpetually　washed　by

the　waves。　But　the　Latins　were　grieved　that　they　could　not　collect　the

ashes　in　urns；　the　Nomads　regretted　the　heat　of　the　sands　in　which

bodies　were　mummified；　and　the　Celts；　the　three　rude　stones　beneath　a

rainy　sky　at　the　end　of　an　islet…covered　gulf。



Vociferations　arose；　followed　by　the　lengthened　silence。　This　was　to

oblige　the　souls　to　return。　Then　the　shouting　was　resumed　persistently

at　regular　intervals。



They　made　excuses　to　the　dead　for　their　inability　to　honour　them　as

the　rites　prescribed：　for；　owing　to　this　deprivation；　they　would　pass

for　infinite　periods　through　all　kinds　of　chances　and　metamorphoses；

they　questioned　them　and　asked　them　what　they　desired；　others　loaded

them　with　abuse　for　having　allowed　themselves　to　be　conquered。



The　bloodless　faces　lying　back　here　and　there　on　wrecks　of　armour

showed　pale　in　the　light　of　the　great　funeral…pile；　tears　provoked

tears；　the　sobs　became　shriller；　the　recognitions　and　embracings　more

frantic。　Women　stretched　themselves　on　the　corpses；　mouth　to　mouth　and

brow　to　brow；　it　was　necessary　to　beat　them　in　order　to　make　them

withdraw　when　the　earth　was　being　thrown　in。　They　blackened　their

cheeks；　they　cut　off　their　hair；　they　drew　their　own　blood　and　poured

it　into　the　pits；　they　gashed　themselves　in　imitation　of　the　wounds

that　disfigured　the　dead。　Roarings　burst　forth　through　the　crashings

of　the　cymbals。　Some　snatched　off　their　amulets　and　spat　upon　them。

The　dying　rolled　in　the　bloody　mire　biting　their　mutilated　fists　in

their　rage；　and　forty…three　Samnites；　quite　a　〃sacred　spring；〃　cut　one

another's　throats　like　gladiators。　Soon　wood　for　the　funeral…piles

failed；　the　flames　were　extinguished；　every　spot　was　occupied；　and

weary　from　shouting；　weakened；　tottering；　they　fell　asleep　close　to

their　dead　brethren；　those　who　still　clung　to　life　full　of　anxieties；

and　the　others　desiring　never　to　wake　again。



In　the　greyness　of　the　dawn　some　soldiers　appeared　on　the　outskirts　of

the　Barbarians；　and　filed　past　with　their　helmets　raised　on　the　points

of　their　pikes；　they　saluted　the　Mercenaries　and　asked　them　whether

they　had　no　messages　to　send　to　their　native　lands。



Others　approached；　and　the　Barbarians　recognised　some　of　their　former

companions。



The　Suffet　had　proposed　to　all　the　captives　that　they　should　serve　in

his　troops。　Several　had　fearlessly　refused；　and　quite　resolved　neither

to　support　them　nor　to　abandon　them　to　the　Great　Council；　he　had　sent

them　away　with　injunctions　to　fight　no　more　against　Carthage。　As　to

those　who　had　been　rendered　docile　by　the　fear　of　tortures；　they　had

been　furnished　with　the　weapons　taken　from　the　enemy；　and　they　were

now　presenting　themselves　to　the　vanquished；　not　so　much　in　order　to

seduce　them　as　out　of　an　impulse　of　pride　and　curiosity。



At　first　they　told　of　the　good　treatment　which　they　had　received　from

the　Suffet；　the　Barbarians　listened　to　them　with　jealousy　although

they　despised　them。　Then　at　the　first　words　of　reproach　the　cowards

fell　into　a　passion；　they　showed　them　from　a　distance　their　own　swords

and　cuirasses　and　invited　them　with　abuse　to　come　and　take　them。　The

Barbarians　picked　up　flints；　all　took　to　flght；　and　nothing　more　could

be　seen　on　the　summit　of　the　mountain　except　the　lance…points

projecting　above　the　edge　of　the　palisades。



Then　the　Barbarians　were　overwhelmed　with　a　grief　that　was　heavier

than　the　humiliation　of　the　defeat。　They　thought　of　the　emptiness　of

their　courage；　and　they　stood　with　their　eyes　fixed　and　grinding　their

teeth。



The　same　thought　came　to　them　all。　They　rushed　tumultuously　upon　the

Carthaginian　prisoners。　It　chanced　that　the　Suffet's　soldiers　had　been

unable　to　discover　them；　and　as　he　had　withdrawn　from　the　field　of

battle　they　were　still　in　the　deep　pit。



They　were　ranged　on　the　ground　on　a　flattened　spot。　Sentries　formed　a

circle　round　them；　and　the　women　were　allowed　to　enter　thirty　or　forty

at　a　time