The Scarlet Banner

by Felix Dahn

  CHAPTER XIII

  Meanwhile the ships had reached the shore: they were moored in a broadfront, side by side, greeted with a loud burst of music from pipes anddrums in the balcony. Instantly all flung from their lofty prowsstep-ladders, covered with rich rugs. Slaves scattered flowersover the stairs, down which the bridal pair and their guests nowdescended to the land, while, at the same moment, by similar steps thespectators descended from the platforms. The two groups now formedin a festal procession upon the shore, A handsome though somewhateffeminate-looking young Vandal, with a winged hat on his fair locksand winged shoes on his feet, hurried constantly to and fro, waving anivory staff twined with golden serpents. He seemed to be the manager ofthe entertainment.

  "Who is that?" asked Victor. "Probably the master of the beautifulAphrodite. He is nodding; and she smiles at him."

  "Yes, that is Thrasabad," cried Laurus, angrily, clinching his fist,yet lowering his voice timidly. "May Saint Cyprian send scorpions intohis bed! A Vandal writer! He is spoiling my trade. And I am the pupilof the great Luxorius."

  "Pupil? I think you were--"

  "His slave, then freedman. I have covered whole ass's skins with copiesof his verses."

  "But not as his pupil?"

  "You don't understand. The whole art of composition consists of a dozenlittle tricks, which are best learned by copying, because they areconstantly recurring. And this Barbarian composes gratis! Of course hemust be glad to have any one listen to him."

  "He is leading the procession--as Mercury."

  "Oh, the character just suits him. He understands how to steal. Only indoing so they kill the owners. 'Feud' is what these noble Germans callit."

  "Look! he has given the signal; they are going to the Circus. Up! Letus follow."

  Mercury held out his hand to Aphrodite to help her to land.

  "Do I have you again?" he whispered tenderly. "I have missed you twolong hours, fair one. Dearest, I love you fervently."

  The girl smiled charmingly, raising her beautiful eyes to his with agrateful, even tender expression.

  "That is the only reason I still live," she murmured, instantlylowering her long lashes sorrowfully.

  "But so completely muffled, my Aphrodite?"

  "I am not your Aphrodite; I am your Glauke."

  Hand in hand with her, Thrasabad now led the procession, which, notwithout occasional pauses, forced its way through the staringmultitude.

  As soon as the Circus was reached, numerous slaves showed the guests toseats, assigned according to their rank or the regard in which theywere held by the giver of the entertainment. The best were in the frontrow, originally intended for the Senators of Carthage; the structure onthe southern side, the pulvinar, the imperial box which had beenoccupied by many a predecessor of Gelimer, remained empty. On thenorthern side, not directly opposite to the pulvinar, but considerablynearer the eastern end, the "Porta Pompae," there were projecting boxesfor the bridegroom, his most intimate friends, and his mostdistinguished guests. Through this gate, in the midst of the stallsand sheds for the horses and chariots,--the "oppidum" and the"carceres,"--the circensian procession passed before the beginning ofthe races. From this gate the course ran westward in a semi-circle. Thevictors made their exit through the "Porta Triumphalis." Extending theentire length from east to west, the "spina," a low wall richly adornedwith small columns, dark-green marble obelisks, and numerous statuettesof victors in former races, divided the course into two parts like abarrier. At the eastern and western ends a goal "Meta" was erected, theformer called the "Meta prima," the latter the "Meta secunda." Thechariots drove into the arena from the southern and northern ends ofthe stables, through two gates in the east. Lastly, on the southernside, midway between the stables and the imperial box, partly concealedfrom view, was the sorrowful gate, the "Porta Libitinensis," throughwhich the killed and wounded charioteers were borne out. The length ofthe course was about one hundred and ninety paces, the width onehundred and forty.

  After the bustle had subsided, and the guests were all in their seats.Mercury appeared in the principal box, which contained about twelve menand women, among them Modigisel and his beautiful companion. He bowedgracefully before the bridal pair, and began,--

  "Allow me, divine brother, son of Semele--"

  "Listen, my little man," interrupted the bridegroom. (Mercury measureda few inches less than Bacchus, but was considerably over six feettall.) "I believe you have had too much wine, and especially the darkred, which I drank from the 'Ocean'; in short, you share myintoxication. Our brave father's name was Thrasamer, not Semele." Thepoetic Vandal, with a superior smile, exchanged glances with Aphrodite,who was also in the box, and continued,--

  "Allow me, before the games begin, to read my epithalamium--"

  "No, no, brother," interrupted the giant, hastily. "Better, far betternot! The verses are--"

  "Perhaps not smooth enough? What do you know about hiatus, and--"

  "Nothing at all! But the sense--so far as I understood it--you weregood enough to read it aloud to me three times--"

  "Five times to me," said Aphrodite, softly, with a charming smile. "Ientreated him to burn the verses. They are neither beautiful nor good.So what is their use?"

  "The meaning is so exaggerated," Thrasaric went on; "well, we may sayshameless."

  "They follow the best Roman models," said the poet, resentfully.

  "Very probably. Perhaps that is the reason I was ashamed when Ilistened to them alone; I should not like, in the presence of theseladies--"

  A shrill laugh reached his ears.

  "You are laughing, Astarte?"

  "Yes, handsome Thrasaric, I am laughing! You Germans are incorrigibleshamefaced boys, with the limbs of giants."

  The bride raised her eyes beseechingly to him. He did not see it.

  "Shamefaced? I have seemed to myself very shameless. My part as ahalf-nude god is most distasteful to me. I shall be glad, Eugenia, whenall this uproar is over."

  She pressed his hand gratefully, whispering, "And to-morrow you will gowith me to Hilda, won't you? She wished to congratulate me on the firstday of my happiness."

  "Certainly! And _her_ congratulations will bring you happiness. She isthe most glorious of women. She, her marriage with Gibamund, firsttaught me to believe once more in women, love, and the happiness ofwedded life. It was she who--What do you want, little man? Oh, thegames! The guests! I was forgetting everything. Go on! Give the signal!They must begin below."

  Mercury stepped forward to the white marble railing of the box andwaved his serpent wand twice in the air. The two gates at the right andleft of the stables swung open: from the former a man, clad in blue,carrying a tuba, entered the arena; from the latter one dressedentirely in green; and two loud blasts announced the entrance of thecircensian procession. In the brief pause before the appearance of thechariots Modigisel plucked the bridegroom lightly by his panther-skin.

  "Listen," he whispered, "my Astarte is fairly devouring you with hereyes. I believe she likes you far better than she does me. I suppose Iought to kill her, out of jealousy. But--ugh!--it's too hot for eitherjealousy or beating."

  "I believe she is no longer your slave," replied Thrasaric.

  "I freed her, but retained the obligation of obedience, the obsequium.Pshaw! I would kill her for that very reason, if it weren't so hot. Buthow would it do if we--I am tired of her, and I've taken a fancy toyour slender little Eugenia, perhaps on account of the contrast--howwould it do if we should--exchange?"

  Thrasaric had no time to answer. The tuba blared again, and thechariots entered in a stately procession. Five of the Blues rolledslowly in from the right gate, five of the Greens from the left; thechariots themselves, the reins and trappings of the horses, and thetunics of the charioteers were respectively leek-green and light-blue.The first three chariots of each party were drawn by four horses, theusual number; but when the fourth appeared with five, and the last onboth sides actually had seven steeds, lo
ud shouts of surprise andapproval rang from the upper seats, to which, though many better onesstood empty, the Vandal directors had sent the middle and lower classesof the Roman citizens.

  "Just look, Victor," Laurus whispered to his neighbor. "Those are thecolors of the two parties in Constantinople."

  "Certainly. The Barbarians imitate everything."

  "But like apes playing the flute!"

  "No one should attend the Circus except in a toga."

  "As we do," said Victor, complacently. "But these people!--some incoats of mail, the majority in garments as thin as spider-webs."

  "Of course they will never be true residents of the south; onlydegenerate northern Barbarians."

  "But just look: the magnificence, the lavishness. The wheels, the veryfellies, are silvered and then twined with blue or green ribbons."

  "And the bodies of the chariots! They glisten like sapphires andemeralds."

  "Where did Thrasaric get all this treasure?"

  "Stolen, friend, stolen from us all. I've often told you so. But not hehimself; this generation has grown almost too lazy even for stealingand robbing. It was his father Thrasamer and especially hisgrandfather, Thrasafred. He was Genseric's right hand. And what thatmeans in pillaging as well as fighting cannot be imagined."

  "Magnificent horses, the five reddish-brown ones! They are notAfrican."

  "Yes, but of the Spanish stock, reared in Cyrene. They are the best."

  "Yes, if there is a strain of Moorish blood. You know, like the Moorishchief Cabaon's famous stallion. A Vandal is said to have him now."

  "Impossible! No Moor sells such a horse."

  "The procession is over; they are moving side by side, to the whiterope. Now!"

  "No, not yet. See, each Green and Blue is approaching the hermulae onthe right and left, to which the rope is fastened. Hark! What isMercury shouting?"

  "The prizes for the victors. Just listen: fifteen thousand sestertii,the second prize for the team of four; twenty-five thousand the first;forty thousand for the victorious five-span; and sixty thousand--that'sunprecedented--for the seven."

  "Look, how the seven horses harnessed to the green chariot are pawingthe sand! That is Hercules, the charioteer. He has five medalsalready."

  "But see! His opponent is the Moor Chalches. He wears seven medals.Look, he is throwing down his whip; he is challenging Hercules to drivewithout one, too. But he will not dare."

  "Yes; he is tossing the whip on the sand. I'll bet on Hercules! I sidewith the Greens!" shouted Victor, excitedly.

  "And I with the Blues. It ought--but stop! We--Roman citizens--bettingon the games of our tyrants?"

  "Oh, nonsense! you have no courage! Or no money!"

  "More than you--of both! How much? Ten sestertii?"

  "Twelve!"

  "For aught I care. Done!"

  "Look, the rope has fallen!"

  "Now they are rushing forward!"

  "Bravo, Green, at the first meta already--and nearest--past."

  "On, Chalches! There, Blue! Forward! Hi! at the second meta Chalcheswas nearest."

  "Faster, Hercules! Faster, you lazy snail! Keep more to the right--theright! or--O, Heaven!"

  "Yes, Saint Cyprian! Triumph! There lies the proud Green! Flat on hisbelly, like a crushed frog! Triumph! The Blue is at the goal. Pay up,friend! Where is my money?"

  "That isn't fair. I won't pay. The Blue intentionally struck the horseon the left with his pole. That's cheating!"

  "What? Do you insult my color? And won't pay either?"

  "Not a pebble."

  "Indeed? Well, you rascal, I'll pay _you_."

  A blow fell; it sounded like a slap on a fat cheek.

  "Keep quiet up there, you dwellers in the clouds," shouted Mercury. "Itis nothing, fair bride, except two Roman citizens cuffing each other.Friend Wandalar, go; turn them out. Both! There! Now on with the games.Carry the Green out through the Libitinensis. Is he dead? Yes. Go on.The prizes will be awarded at the end. We are in a hurry. If the Kingshould return from Hippo before the time he named--woe betide us!"