CHAPTER XXV.
A REFUGE IN THE STORM.
"You have the necessary means, I understand," said the physician toCleanor, when the two were seated together safe from interruption. "Nowfor my plan. The only safe hiding-place will be one of the temples. Now,there are three temples which would answer our purpose, I mean threethat would be specially suitable on account of the number of privateapartments which are attached to them. There is Æsculapius in thecitadel, Apollo in the arsenal, and Baal Hammon in the Upper City; butthat, of course, you know. On the whole, I am inclined to Apollo in thearsenal, and I will tell you why. Æsculapius is the strongest place inCarthage, and it is there that the last stand will be made. There aresome desperate men who will hold on to the last extremity, and perishrather than surrender. There are some of the old nobles who are tooproud to live under the rule of Rome, and there are the deserters, whoknow that pardon is impossible. Hasdrubal himself gives out that heintends to cast in his lot with them, but I doubt him; he is a cur. Now,I know as a matter of fact that preparations have been made for holdingÆsculapius as long as possible. And when it becomes impossible, then itwill be destroyed. I know these Carthaginians. Drive them toextremities, and they will behave as the scorpion between two fires.Clearly, then, Æsculapius is not the place for non-combatants. Then atBaal Hammon there are too many priests, and they are a bad lot. Thatfellow whom you bribed about the little boy was very useful to you, butthen he is a great scoundrel. In that matter you could trust him,because he had put his own neck in the noose; but in this you could not.You see he might easily make double gain out of it--a heavy sum from youfor keeping your friends safe, and another sum for selling them to theRomans. No, you had better have nothing to do with Baal Hammon and itscrew. Then there remains Apollo in the arsenal. There are only twopriests there. There's the old man, who is almost in his dotage, and theson, who is a decent fellow with a really excellent wife. He is notabove taking money, but he will not be extortionate. She--poor woman,she has just lost her only child--would take in your friends out ofpure kindness. Anyhow, she will do her best for them. You had betterleave the matter to me, for the less you are seen the better. Now, whatdo you say?"
"I am only too glad," said Cleanor, "to leave the matter in your hands.How much money will be wanted, do you think?"
"It can hardly be less than two hundred gold pieces," replied thephysician.
"These," said Cleanor, as he produced some rubies and emeralds, with arose diamond, small, but of peculiarly brilliant lustre, "have beenvalued at a talent[51] by a very good judge. Your friend the priest willget, if he wishes it, another opinion as to their value, but I feel surethat the price is not too high. That is what was actually offered me asa first bid by Raphael, the first jeweller in Alexandria, and, as youknow, a man does not offer his highest price in his first bid."
"A talent!" said the physician, who was himself something of aconnoisseur in precious stones, and had been examining them with obviousadmiration. "A talent, indeed! Unconscionable scoundrel! He ought tohave said three. This diamond alone is worth a talent, and more too.Well, I will see to the affair at once, for there is no time to be lost.You stop here, and make yourself at home."
About noon the physician reappeared. "Everything is settled," he said."I have saved your diamond for you. It was really too much to give. Therubies and emeralds were quite sufficient. Mago--that is the youngerpriest's name--is a good judge of jewels, and was quite satisfied. Youare to meet him to-night at the upper end of the street where yourfriends live, and take him to their house, and introduce him. He willtake the women in charge, and conduct them to the temple. He has themeans of getting them through one of the arsenal gates without anyquestions being asked. I am to hand over the price to-morrow, when thefirst part of the business shall have been finished. For the rest youmust trust him. Indeed, you have no other choice; but he is not a badfellow, and, as I said, his wife is absolutely loyal."
By midnight Theoxena and Daphne were safely lodged in a little chamberadjoining that occupied by the priest and his wife.
The change was not effected a day too soon. Early on the followingmorning the Roman armies were seen to be in motion, and peremptoryorders were issued that the Lower City was to be evacuated. Many of theinhabitants had anticipated it, and had found such shelter as they couldin the Upper City. But thousands had lingered behind, hoping againsthope that the change might be avoided, or simply paralysed by despair.Destitute as many of them were, both of means and friends, they stayedonly because it was easier to stay than to move.
Even now some doggedly remained behind. The troops had instructions todrive them out by force, and they attempted for a time to carry out thisorder. But they were met with a passive resistance that baffled them.Some would not, some could not be stirred from the homes to which theywere accustomed, and which at least afforded them a present shelter.
Still, there was an overpowering rush of panic-stricken fugitives. Thestreets leading to the Upper City were crowded up to and beyond theutmost limit of their capacity. At the gates the press was somethingterrible. All night long the human stream flowed ceaselessly on; whenthe morning broke it was still dense and strong. Scipio, fully awarethat the helpless crowd would be a source of weakness rather thanstrength to the besieged, had strictly forbidden pursuit. But for thisfact, any number might have been killed or captured.
Still, the arsenal itself was not to remain long undisturbed. To abandonit to the besiegers was to acknowledge that the fall of the whole citywas only a question of time, for this sufficient reason, if for noother, that no fresh supplies could possibly be introduced. Up to thistime a certain amount of food had been brought in, as we have seen inthe case of the _Sea-mew_. The supply was small and irregular, but ithad been sufficient to replenish the stores of the garrison. Now andthen something had been spared for the wants of the general population.All this would come to an end when the port fell into the hands of theenemy.
But Hasdrubal had really no choice. He could not hope to defend thefortifications of the arsenal with the forces at his command. He had toconcentrate his strength within the smaller compass of the Upper City.Accordingly, in the night following the abandonment of the Lower City,the arsenal was evacuated by its garrison. The last detachment to leavewas instructed to set the stores on fire. Nor was this done an hour toosoon. The necessity which constrained the Carthaginian commander to thiscourse of action had not escaped the notice of Scipio. Lælius, theablest of his lieutenants, was making his way into the arsenal--which hefound, somewhat to his surprise, undefended--at the very time when thegarrison was leaving it at the opposite end.
The physician was too busy with his work to pay much attention tomilitary affairs, and Cleanor having accomplished, as far as waspossible for the present, the purpose for which he had returned toCarthage, did not risk recognition and capture by venturing out ofdoors. It was with surprise, therefore, as well as dismay, that helearned what had happened. The first thing that he saw on looking out ofhis window the following morning was the area of the arsenal swarmingwith Roman soldiers. Some were endeavouring, under the direction oftheir officers, to quench the flames in the storehouses; not a few, itwas easy to see, were busy in collecting plunder; the Temple of Apollowas evidently one of the chief objects of attraction.
It was an anxious moment for Cleanor, but if he could have seen what wasgoing on in the temple, he would almost have despaired of the safety ofTheoxena and her daughter. The fact was that the Roman soldiery, for allthe strictness of discipline to which it had been habituated by Scipio,was for the time completely out of hand. The siege had been long andtedious, and the perils, so far, out of all proportion to the prizes.And now, almost for the first time for three years, these men, starving,so to speak, for booty, found themselves within reach of what seemedenormous wealth.
In the centre of the temple stood a figure of Apollo, about double thesize of life. It had the appearance of being of gold; in truth, it wasof wood, covered with massive plates of gold
. The throne on which it wasseated, the lattice-work on either side, and the canopy above its headwere of the same metal, and these were absolutely solid. The weight ofthe whole was afterwards reckoned at about two hundred and fifty of ourtons. Possibly this was an exaggeration; but the treasure wasunquestionably very large. So large, indeed, was it that the firstimpression of the soldiers when they burst into the shrine was that thewhole was of some base metal gilded.
Then the discovery was made. A Roman in mere mischief aimed a blow withhis sword at the trellis-work which surrounded the statue. Picking upthe fragment which he had thus lopped off, more in curiosity than withany definite expectation of finding treasure, he was astonished by itsweight. Then the truth dawned upon him.
"By Pollux!" he cried, "it must be gold."
The scene which followed was one new to Roman experience. All Rome, itmight almost be said all Italy, hardly contained so much treasure. Sincethe day when the soldiers of Alexander burst into the treasury ofPersepolis, and saw what the wealthiest monarchy of the world had beenaccumulating for centuries, such a sight had never met human eyes. Itoverpowered the solid strength of Roman discipline; with a frantic crythe men precipitated themselves on the spoil. The centurions, who withthe instinct of command endeavoured to keep them back, were thrustroughly aside. One of them, who ventured to use the vine cudgel which hecarried by way of enforcing his orders, was levelled to the ground by ablow of the fist. The tribune in command of the detachment, when heventured to interfere, met with no more respect. In less than half anhour the statue was stripped of its costly covering, and the shrine washacked to pieces.
Then the strange passion of destruction, which seems always to followclose after any great mutinous outbreak, seized upon the men. Possiblythey were carried away by a frantic desire to abolish the very scene oftheir offence. Anyhow, the temple was for a few minutes in the mostimminent danger of being burned. A soldier thrust a torch into the firewhich was burning near the great central altar, and threw it all blazingamong the curtains which covered one of the walls.
At this critical moment Scipio himself appeared upon the scene. Hispresence seemed to recall the frantic soldiery to themselves. His firstcare was to see that the fire was extinguished. With the plunder he didnot at the moment attempt to deal; he reserved that matter for a coolermoment. It was one of the secrets of his success that he never strainedhis power. But order was restored and firmly enforced. A guard was putin charge of the building. This was to be changed at fixed intervals. Itwas to have, meanwhile, its full share of all prize-money that might beearned on exactly the same scale as actual combatants. After this thetemple and its inmates were as safe as any place or persons could be atsuch a time.
FOOTNOTE:
51: An Attic talent, worth, by weight of silver, about £225.
Lords of the World: A story of the fall of Carthage and Corinth Page 27
