CHAPTER V.
A GREAT SCHEME.
Scipio's forebodings as to the incapacity of the new generals wererapidly justified. The siege operations had not been uniformlysuccessful before they took over the command. There had been losses aswell as gains. Still, on the whole, the besiegers had the balance ofadvantage. The defence had been broken down at more points than one.Carthage was distinctly in a worse position than it had been threemonths after the breaking out of the war. The besieged had done somedamage to the Roman fleet, had burnt a considerable extent ofsiege-works, and had suffered a distinctly smaller loss in killed andwounded than they had been able to inflict on their assailants.
But if the damage that they suffered was less than that which they did,still it was less capable of being repaired, often indeed could not berepaired at all. If a ship was burnt, they could not build another; thelosses of the garrison could not be filled up; the general waste ofstrength could not be repaired. Carthage, in short, had only itself todraw upon as a reserve; Rome had all the countries that bordered on theMediterranean, from Greece westward. These were advantages which werecertain to tell in the long run, but meanwhile much might occur to delaythe final victory.
The first thing to happen in the Roman camp was that supplies began tofall short. The country round Carthage was, of course, so much wasted bythis time that practically nothing could be drawn from it. Further off,indeed, there was plenty of food and forage, but the natives showed noreadiness in bringing it into camp. The fact was that there was nomarket; buyers there were in plenty, but not buyers with money in hand,for the military chest was empty, and the pay of the soldiers months inarrear.
The consequence of this was that the Roman generals practically raisedthe siege of Carthage, and devoted their time and strength to reducingthe Carthaginian towns, hoping thus to supply their wants. But in thisattempt they made very little progress. They began by attacking the townof Clypea. Here they failed. The fleet could not make its way into theharbour, which the townspeople had effectually protected by sinking acouple of ships in the entrance, and the Roman engineers could not reachthe walls of the town.
They had better fortune with another small town in the neighbourhood,though their success was gained in a not very creditable way. Thetownspeople were disposed to come to terms, and a conference betweentheir representatives and the Roman generals was accordingly held. Termswere agreed upon, and the agreement had been actually signed, when somesoldiers made their way into the town. The Romans at once broke up themeeting, and treated the place as if it had been taken by storm. Thisconduct was, of course, as unwise as it was wicked. Next to nothing wasgained by the falsehood, while every Carthaginian dependency resolved toresist to the uttermost.
Hippo was the next place to be attacked. After Carthage and Utica--theRoman head-quarters were at Utica--Hippo was the largest and mostimportant town in Northern Africa. Its docks, its harbour, its wallswere on a grand scale. Two hundred years before, Agathocles, tyrant ofSyracuse, in his desperate struggle with Carthage had made it the baseof his operations. A lavish expenditure, directed by the best engineersof the time, had made it almost impregnable.
The Roman generals had, indeed, excellent reasons for attacking it. Tillit was in their power, they could hardly hope to capture Carthage, forit stood almost between their own head-quarters and that city, andcommanded the route by which stores had to be carried to the besiegingarmy. But the Roman forces were quite unequal to the undertaking. Twicedid the people of Hippo, helped by a sally from Carthage, destroy thesiege-works, and when the time for retiring to winter quarters arrived,nothing had been accomplished by the besiegers.
All this did vast damage to the prestige of the Romans. Far-seeingpersons were convinced, as I have said, that the future belonged tothem; but ordinary observers began to think, and not without someexcuse, that their decline had begun. Among these were two out of threesons of King Masinissa. Possibly dissatisfaction had something to dowith their state of mind. Each had expected to get more than Scipio'saward had given him; both grudged to Gulussa the command of the troops,suspecting that this meant in the end their own subjection to him.Gulussa himself seemed to be still loyal to Rome, but the generaldiscontent had not failed to reach some of the high-placed officers inhis army.
Cleanor was still with Mastanabal, and, of course, watched the progressof affairs with intense interest. His hopes rose high when tidingsreached the palace that the Romans had abandoned the siege of Hippo. Atthe evening meal that day the subject was discussed, but in a veryguarded way, for the prince was still, at least in name, an ally ofRome, and his young secretary, for this was the office which Cleanor nowfilled, was too discreet to ignore the fact. The hour for retiring hadalmost come when the confidential slave who waited on the princehurriedly entered the chamber and placed a letter in his hands. It was adouble tablet closely bound together with cords of crimson silk, theseagain being secured by seals. Hastily cutting the cords with the daggerwhich he carried at his waist, the prince read the communication withthat impassive and inscrutable look which it is one of the necessitiesof a despotic ruler to acquire. Rising shortly after from table he badethe young Greek good-night, but added, as if by an after-thought, "Butstay, I have a book, a new acquisition, to show you. Come into thelibrary."
The library was a small inner room, of a semicircular shape,which opened out of the dining-hall. It had this great advantage,contemplated, no doubt, by the builder who designed it, thatconversations held in it could not by any possibility be overheard. Ithad an outer wall everywhere except on the side which adjoined thedining-hall. It was built on columns, so that no one could listenbeneath, and there was no storey over it. As long as the outer chamberwas empty, absolute secrecy was ensured. Only a bird of the air couldcarry the matters discussed in it.
"Listen, Cleanor," said the prince, and proceeded to read the followingletter:--
_Hasdrubal, son of Gisco, to King Mastanabal greeting. Know that if you would save Africa, now, and now only, you have the opportunity. The Romans have fled from Hippo fewer by a third than when they first attacked it. Bithyas, commander of Gulussa's cavalry, has come over to us with seven hundred of his best troopers. Strike then along with us such a blow as shall rid us of this devouring Beast now and for ever. Else you shall yourself surely be devoured. Think not that when Carthage is destroyed, there shall be any hope left for Numidia. Farewell!_
"What think you of this, Cleanor?" the king asked after a pause. "I knowwell enough that you have no liking for the Romans. Indeed, why shouldyou? But you can judge of how things stand, judge, doubtless, better insome ways than I can, for there are many things that we kings never see.Speak frankly. No one can overhear us."
"Sire," replied the young Greek, "it wants, I fear, more wisdom than Ipossess to give you any profitable counsel. I hate Rome, but I fear her.She makes blunders without number, but always manages to succeed in theend. She chooses mere fools and braggarts for her generals, but alwaysfinds the right man at last. So I read her history. There was a timewhen everyone believed that Hannibal would make an end of her, and yetshe survived. She lost army after army, yet conquered in the end. Aftera Flaminius and a Varro[8] she found a Scipio. And she has a Scipio now.I saw him, sire, the other day, and felt that he was a great man."
"But he is too young," interrupted the king. "He wants some five yearsyet of the age when he can be put in chief command."
"True, sire; but when a man is absolutely necessary they will have him,be he young or old."
"Then there is their unending civil strife. What of that?"
"It makes for us, no doubt. But even that they can drop on occasion."
After a pause of some minutes Mastanabal spoke again.
"Then, what do you advise?"
"Sire," replied the young Greek, "I would advise you for the present todo nothing. Let me answer this letter in person, and answer it as Ithink best, if you can trust me so far. I have a plan, for I have beenthinking o
f these matters night and day. But don't ask me what it is. Itis better that you should know nothing about it. I will start at once.It might look well if you were to send some troopers in pursuit. Ofcourse they must not catch me. Put Juba in command, and we may rely ontheir not being too active."
"Will you carry any token from me?" asked the king.
"No, sire, it is better not. Let me have the letter; that will beenough. Will you forgive me if I steal Whitefoot from her stable?"
"Take her or any other horse that you want. Have you money enough?"
"Ample, sire; your good father provided me with that."
"Then, farewell! You make me curious, but I suppose that I may not askany questions. In any case, and whatever happens, count me as a surefriend."
Before midnight Cleanor was well on his way to Carthage. At the firstsigns of dawn he drew rein, and halted for the day at a small cluster ofpalms, where there was abundance of herbage for his horse. Startingagain at nightfall he reached the camp of Hasdrubal just as the lightwas showing itself in the east. The camp, it should be explained, waspitched outside the city. The larger half of the Carthaginian armyoccupied it. The remainder of the troops were stationed within the wallsunder the command of another Hasdrubal.
Cleanor, who had contrived to learn something about the arrangements ofthe camp, gave himself up into the hands of the officer commanding anoutlying picket. Hasdrubal's letter proved, as he had anticipated, asufficient passport, and he was conducted, after taking a few hours'rest, into the general's presence.
The personality of Hasdrubal was not by any means attractive, andCleanor could not help comparing his puny physique and sinisterexpression with the commanding figure and noble countenance of Scipio.The Carthaginian may be best described by saying that he resembled themore ignoble type of Jew. It is often forgotten that the Phoenicianrace, of which the Carthaginian people was the principal offshoot, wasclosely akin to the Hebrew in blood and language.[9] Hasdrubal showedthe relationship plainly enough. His black, ringlety hair, prominentnose, thick, sensual lips, and keen but shifty eyes, were just such asmight have been seen at that day in the meaner quarters of Jerusalem orAlexandria (then become the second capital of the Jews), and at thepresent time in the London Whitechapel or the Roman Ghetto.
On the present occasion, however, Hasdrubal wore his most pleasingexpression. He was genuinely delighted to see Cleanor, as much delightedas he was astonished, for he had taken it for granted that the young manhad perished in the destruction of Chelys.
"Hail, Cleanor!" he cried with a heartiness that was not in the leastaffected. "What good fortune has restored you to us? we had long givenyou up as dead."
Cleanor gave him in the fewest possible words a sketch of what hadhappened.
"And what can I do for you?" continued Hasdrubal. "If, as I hope, youare come to join us, I can find plenty of work for you. Things arelooking more bright for Carthage than they have done for years past. Weshall soon have all Africa with us. When that happens the Romans willhave nothing left them but the ground that they stand on, and even that,I hope, not very long. You have heard of Bithyas with his squadroncoming over to us? We shall soon have the rest of Gulussa's armyfollowing him, and then there will be Gulussa himself and his brothers.You have been in Mastanabal's household; tell me how he stands."
Cleanor produced in answer Hasdrubal's own letter. "The king'sposition," he went on, "is a very difficult one, and he must act withthe greatest caution in your interests as well as in his own. If hedeclares himself too soon, his brothers will most certainly take theother side. What is wanted is a combination so strong as to compel allthe three to declare themselves together. He wishes well to you; that Ican say positively."
"That is good as far as it goes, though I should have liked somethingmore definite."
"May I put before you," said Cleanor, "an idea which has been workingfor some time in my head? I am afraid that it is somewhat presumptuousin a youth such as I am to discuss such things; still, if you arewilling to hear--"
"Say on, my young friend," cried the Carthaginian; "a son of your houseis not likely to say anything but what is worth hearing."
"I spoke of a combination which would enable Mastanabal to declarehimself. Don't you think such a combination might be made among allthose who hate Rome or fear her? First there is my own nation. TheLeague[10] is, I have heard, little satisfied with its powerful friends,and it needs only a little blowing to set that fire a-blazing. Thenthere are the Macedonians, who haven't forgotten that they were mastersof the world not so very long ago. There is Syria, there is Egypt, bothof them afraid of being swallowed up before long. There are the Jews,kinsmen of your own, I believe. Is it not so?"
"Yes," said the Carthaginian, "kinsmen, but not friends. I fear that weshall not get much help there."
"Then there is Spain. What do you know, sir, of Spain? Is there anychance of a rising?"
"The northern tribes[11] still hold their own, but they will hardly gooutside their own borders. They are quite content to be free themselveswithout thinking of others. Still, there is something that might be donein Spain. Only, unluckily, the Spaniards don't love us any more thanthey love the Romans. Perhaps they love us rather less. However, thisis a promising scheme of yours, my young friend. Ah! if it had not beenfor you Greeks we should have had all the shores of the Sea[12] longago. We never could get you out of Sicily. It would be strange if youwere now to make amends to us for all the mischief that you have done."
Cleanor, who had read history to some purpose, could not help thinkingto himself that mankind would hardly have been better off than it was ifCarthage had been mistress of the west. But he put away the thought. Hislot was cast, and he could not, would not change it. The memory of theinexpiable wrong that he had suffered swept over his mind, and he sethimself resolutely to carry out his purpose.
"And what do you suggest?" continued Hasdrubal.
"To go myself and see what can be done," replied the Greek.
"Good! And let no time be lost. I don't mean that you are one to losetime; that you certainly are not; I mean that we had better not sayanything about this to the authorities inside the walls. There will bequestions, debates, delays, nothing settled, I feel sure, till it istoo late. You must go unofficially, but I will give you letters ofcommendation which you will find useful. Succeed, and there is nothingthat you may not ask, and get, from Carthage and from me. When shall yoube ready to start?"
"To-day."
"And whither do you propose to go first?"
"First, of course, to Greece; then to Macedonia. I hear that there issomeone there who calls himself the son of King Philip, and that theMacedonians are flocking to his standard."
"So be it. Farewell; and Hercules be with you!"
FOOTNOTES:
8: Flaminius commanded at the disastrous battle of Lake Trasumennus, Varro at the still more disastrous defeat of Cannæ.
9: _Carthage_ was Kirjath-Hadeschath, the "new town" (opposed to Tyre, which was the old); its chief magistrates were _Shophetim_ (Latinized into Suffetes), the Hebrew word for "judges". _Barca_ was a well-known name, corresponding to the Hebrew _Barak_, and meaning "lightning".
10: By the "League" Cleanor means the Achæan League, a combination originally of the cities of Achaia proper, or the southern shore of the Corinthian Gulf, but afterwards extended over the greater part of Mainland Greece.
11: The Cantabri (now the Basques), who were not subdued by Rome for more than a century after this time.
12: By the "Sea" Hasdrubal means the _Mediterranean_; outside the Pillars of Hercules (Gibraltar and Tangiers) was the _Ocean_ (the Atlantic).
Lords of the World: A story of the fall of Carthage and Corinth Page 7