A Struggle for Rome, v. 2

by Felix Dahn

  Produced by Charles Bowen, from page scans provided by the Web Archive

  Transcriber's Notes:1. Page scan source: https://www.archive.org/details/astruggleforrom01dahngoog2. The diphthong OE and oe are represented by [OE] and [oe].3. [=e] represents an "e" with a macron above.4. Footnote is at the end of the book.

  A STRUGGLE FOR ROME.

  BY FELIX DAHN.

  _T R A N S L A T E D F R O M T H E G E R M A N_ BY LILY WOLFFSOHN.

  "If there be anything more powerful than Fate, It is the courage which bears it undismayed." GEIBEL.

  IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. II.

  LONDON: RICHARD BENTLEY AND SON. 1878. [_All Rights Reserved._]

  A STRUGGLE FOR ROME.

  BOOK III.--_Continued._

  THEODAHAD.

  CHAPTER X.

  On the evening of the third day after the arrival of the Gothic escortsent by Totila, Valerius had terminated his arrangements and fixed thenext morning for his departure from the villa.

  He was sitting with Valeria and Julius at the evening meal, andspeaking of the prospect of preserving peace, which was no doubtundervalued by the young hero, Totila, who was filled with the ardourof war. The old Roman could not endure the thought of seeing armedGreeks enter his beloved country.

  "I, too, wish for peace," said Valeria reflectively, "and yet----"

  "Well?" asked Valerius.

  "I am certain," continued the girl, "that if war broke out you wouldthen learn to love Totila as he deserves. He would defend me andItaly----

  "Yes," said Julius, "he has an heroic nature, and something stillgreater than that----"

  "I know of nothing greater!" cried Valerius.

  At that moment clattering footsteps were heard in the atrium, andyoung Thorismuth, the leader of the Gothic escort, and Totila'sshield-bearer, entered abruptly.

  "Valerius," he said, "let the carriages be harnessed, the littersbrought out; you must go at once."

  They all started from their seats.

  "What has happened? Have they landed?"

  "Speak," said Julius, "what do you fear?"

  "Nothing for myself," answered the Goth, smiling.

  "I did not wish to startle you sooner than was necessary. But now Idare no longer be silent. Yesterday early, the waves washed a corpseashore----"

  "A corpse!"

  "A Goth, one of our sailors; it was Alb, the steersman of Totila'sship."

  Valeria grew pale, but did not tremble.

  "It may be an accident--the man was drowned."

  "No," said the Goth, "he was not drowned; hi" breast was pierced by anarrow."

  "That means a naval combat, nothing more," said Valerius.

  "But to-day----"

  "To-day?" cried Julius.

  "To-day none of the country people who usually pass on their way fromRegium to Colum, made their appearance, and a trooper, whom I sent toRegium for news, has never returned.

  "That still proves nothing," said Valerius obstinately. His heartrebelled against the thought of a landing of his hated enemies. "Thewaves have often before rendered the way impassable."

  "But just now I have been some distance on the road to Regium, and whenI laid my ear to the ground, I felt it tremble under the tramp of manyhorses approaching in mad haste. You must fly!"

  Valerius and Julius now took down their weapons, which hung upon thepillars of the room. Valeria sighed deeply, and pressed her hand to herheart.

  "What is to be done?" she asked.

  "Man the Pass of Jugum," cried Valerius, "through which the coast-roadruns. It is very narrow, and can be held for some time."

  "Eight of my men are already there; I will join them as soon as you aremounted. The other half of my troop shall escort you on your journey.Haste!"

  But ere they could leave the room, a Gothic soldier, covered with bloodand mire, rushed in.

  "Fly!" he cried, "they are there!"

  "Who is there, Gelaris!" asked Thorismuth.

  "The Greeks! Belisarius! the devil!"

  "Speak," ordered Thorismuth.

  "I got to the pine-wood before Regium without seeing anythingsuspicious, but also without meeting with a soul upon the way. As,looking eagerly forward, I rode past a thick tree, I felt a pull at myneck as if my head would be torn from my shoulders, and the next minuteI lay on the road under my horse."

  "Badly sat, Gelaris," scolded Thorismuth.

  "Oh yes, of course! A noose of horse-hair round his neck, and an arrowwhistling past his head, and a better rider would fall than Gelaris,son of Genzo! Two demons--wood-devils or goblins they seemed tome--rushed out of the bushes and over the ditch, tied me upon my horse,took me between their little shaggy ponies, and ho!----"

  "Those are Belisarius's Huns!" cried Valerius.

  "Away they went with me. When I came to myself again, I was in Regiumin the midst of the enemy, and there I learned everything. TheQueen-regent is murdered, war is declared, the enemy has taken Sicilyby surprise, the whole island has gone over to the Emperor----"

  "And the fortress, Panormus?"

  "Was taken by the fleet, which made its way into the harbour. Themast-heads were higher than the walls of the town. From thence theyshot their arrows, and jumped on to the walls."

  "And Syracusae?" asked Valerius.

  "Fell through the treachery of the Sicilians; the Gothic garrison ismurdered. Belisarius rode into Syracusae amidst a shower of flowers,and--for it was the last days of his consulate--threw gold coins abouthim, amidst the applause of the population."

  "And where is the commodore: where is Totila?"

  "Two of his ships were sent to the bottom by the pointed prows of thetriremes; his own and one other. He sprang into the sea in fullarmour--and is--not yet--fished up again."

  Valeria sank speechless upon a couch.

  "The Greek general," continued the messenger, "landed yesterday, in thedark and stormy night, near Regium. The town received him withacclamation. He will only halt until he has re-ordered his army, andwill then march at once to Neapolis. His vanguard--the yellow-skinnedtroopers who caught me--were to advance at once and take the Pass ofJugum. I was to be their guide. But I led them far away--to thewest--into the sea-swamps--and escaped--in the darkness of evening.But--they shot--arrows after me--and one hit--I can speak--no more----"and he fell clattering to the ground.

  "He is a dead man," cried Valerius, "they carry poisoned arrows! Up!Julius and Thorismuth! take my child to Neapolis. I myself will go tothe pass, and cover your retreat."

  In vain were Valeria's prayers; the face and mien of the old manassumed an expression of iron resolve.

  "Obey!" he cried, "I am the master of this place, and the son of thissoil, and I will ask the Huns of Belisarius what they have to do in myfatherland! No, Julius! I must know that you are with Valeria.Farewell!"

  While Valeria and Julius, with their Gothic escort and most ofthe slaves, fled at full speed on the road to Neapolis, Valeriushurried, at the head of half-a-dozen slaves, out of the garden of thevilla, towards the pass, which--not far from the beginning of hisestates--formed an arch over the road to Regium. The rock on the lefthand, to the north, was inaccessible, and on the right, to the south,it fell abruptly into the sea, whose waves often overflowed the road.But the mouth of the pas
s was so narrow, that two men, standing side byside with their shields, could close it like a door. Thus Valeriusmight hope to keep the pass, even against a much superior force, longenough to afford the swift horses of the fugitives a sufficient start.

  As the old man was hastening through the moonless night along thenarrow path which led between the sea and his vineyards to the pass, heremarked to the right hand, on the sea, at a considerable distance fromthe land, the bright beam of a little light, which unmistakably shonefrom the mast-head of some vessel. Valerius started. Were theByzantines pushing forward to Neapolis by sea? Were they about to landsoldiers at his back? But if so, would not more lights be visible?

  He turned to question the slaves, who, at his order, but with visiblereluctance, had followed him from the villa. In vain; they haddisappeared into the darkness of the night. They had deserted theirmaster as soon as they were unobserved.

  So Valerius arrived alone at the pass, the nether or western end ofwhich was guarded by two Goths, while two more filled the easternentrance towards the enemy, and the other four kept the inner space.

  Scarcely had Valerius joined the two in front, when suddenly the trampof horses was heard close at hand, and soon, round the next turning ofthe road, there appeared two horsemen, advancing at full trot.

  Each carried a torch in his right hand; and these torches alone threwlight upon the midnight scene, for the Goths avoided everything thatcould betray their small number.

  "By Belisarius's beard!" cried the foremost rider, checking his horseto a walk, "this hen-ladder is here so narrow, that an honest horse hasscarcely room in it; and there is a hollow way or---- Halt! What movesthere?"

  He stopped his horse, and bent carefully forward, holding the torch farout before him. In this position, close before the entrance of thepass, he presented an easy aim.

  "Who is there!" he again asked.

  For all reply a Gothic spear pierced through the mail of hisbreast-plate and into his heart.

  "Enemies!" screamed the dying man, and fell backwards from his saddle.

  "Enemies! enemies!" cried the man behind him, and, hurling histreacherous torch far from him, turned his animal and galloped back;while the horse of the fallen man remained quietly standing at hismaster's side.

  Nothing was heard in the stillness of the night but the tramp of thefleeing charger, and the gentle splash of the waves at the foot of therocks.

  The hearts of the men in the pass beat with expectation.

  "Now be cool, men," said Valerius; "let none be tempted out of thepass. You in the first row will press your shields firmly together; wein the middle will throw; you three in the rear will hand us thespears, and be attentive to all that takes place."

  "Sir! sir!" cried the Goth who stood in the road behind the pass, "thelight! the ship approaches ever nearer!"

  "Be wary, and challenge it, if----"

  But the enemy was already at hand. It was a troop of fifty mountedHuns, carrying a few torches. As they turned round the corner of theroad, the scene was illuminated with patches of glaring light,contrasted with deep gloom.

  "It was here, sir!" said the horseman who had escaped. "Be cautious."

  "Take back the dead man and the horse," commanded a rough voice, andthe leader, lifting his torch, rode slowly towards the entrance of thepass.

  "Halt!" cried Valerius in Latin; "who are you, and what do you want?"

  "_I_ have to ask that!" returned the leader of the horsemen in the samelanguage.

  "I am a Roman citizen, and defend my fatherland against all invaders!"cried Valerius.

  Meanwhile the leader had examined the scene by the light of his torch.His practised eye recognised the impossibility of avoiding the pass,either to the right or to the left; and, at the same time, the extremestraitness of its entrance.

  "Then, friend," he said, retreating a little, "we are allies. We areRomans too, and will free Italy from its oppressors. Therefore give wayand let us through."

  Valerius, who wished to gain time by all possible means, spoke again.

  "Who are you, and who sent you?"

  "My name is Johannes. The enemies of Justinian call me 'the bloody,'and I lead Belisarius's light horse. The whole country, from Regiumtill here, has received us with rejoicing; this is the first hindrance.We should have got much farther long ago had not a dog of a Goth led usinto the vilest swamp that ever swallowed up a good horse. Valuabletime was lost. So do not hinder us! Life and property will be spared toyou, and you will receive a rich reward into the bargain, if you will,guide us. Speed is victory! The enemy is bewildered; they must not havetime to recover themselves before we stand before Neapolis, yea, evenbefore Rome. 'Johannes,' said Belisarius to me, 'as I cannot order thestorm-wind to sweep the land before me, I order _you_ to do it!' So getaway and let us through!"

  And he spurred his horse.

  "Tell Belisarius--so long as Cnejus Valerius lives, he shall notadvance one step in Italy! Back, you robbers!"

  "Madman! would you stand by the Goths and oppose us?"

  "By hell, if against you!"

  The leader again cast searching glances to the right and left.

  "Listen," he said; "you can really stop us here for a time. But not forlong. If you yield, you shall live. If not, I will first have youskinned alive, and then impaled!"

  He lifted his torch, looking for a weak point.

  "Back!" cried Valerius; "shoot, friend!"

  "The twang of a bow-string was heard, and an arrow struck the helm ofthe horseman.

  "The devil!" he exclaimed, and spurred his horse back.

  "Dismount!" he ordered, "every man of you!"

  But the Huns did not like to part with their horses.

  "What, sir? Dismount?" asked one of the nearest.

  Johannes struck him in the face. The man did not move.

  "Dismount!" thundered Johannes again. "Would you go into thatmouse-hole on horseback!" and he flung himself out of the saddle. "Sixclimb the trees and shoot from above. Six lie down and creep forward oneach side of this road, shooting as they lie. Ten shoot standing;breast high. Ten guard the horses. You others follow me with the spearas soon as the strings twang. Forwards!"

  He handed his torch to one of the men and took a lance.

  While the Huns were carrying out his orders, Johannes again examinedthe pass as well as he could.

  "Yield!" he cried.

  "Come on!" shouted the Goths.

  Johannes gave a sign and twenty arrows whistled at once.

  A cry, and the foremost Goth on the right fell. He had been struck inthe forehead by one of the men on the trees. Valerius, under shelter ofhis shield, sprang into his place. He came just at the right moment torepulse the furious attack of Johannes, who ran at the gap with hislance in rest. Valerius received the thrust on his shield, and struckat the Byzantine, who stumbled and fell, close to the entrance. TheHuns behind him fell back.

  The Goth who stood at Valerius's side could not resist the temptationto render the leader harmless. He sprang a step forward out of the passwith up-lifted spear. But this was just what Johannes wanted. Up hestarted with lightning swiftness, thrust the surprised Goth over thelow wall of the road on the right of the pass, and the next moment hestood on the exposed side of Valerius--who was defending himselfagainst the renewed attack of the Huns--and stabbed him with all hismight in the groin with his long Persian knife.

  Valerius fell; but the three Goths who stood behind him succeeded inpushing Johannes--who had already pressed forward into the middle ofthe pass--back and out with the beaks of their shields.

  Johannes retired to his men, in order to command a new salvo of arrows.Two of the Goths silently placed themselves in the entrance of thepass; the third held the bleeding Valerius in his arms.

  Just then the guard at the rear of the pass rushed in: "The ship, sir!the ship! They have landed! they take us in the rear! Fly! we willcarry you--a hiding-place in the rocks----"

  "No," said Valerius, raising himself, "I will d
ie here; rest my swordagainst the wall and----"

  But a loud flourish of Gothic horns was heard in the rear. Torchesshone, and a troop of thirty Goths hurried into the pass, Totila attheir head. His first glance fell upon Valerius.

  "Too late! too late!" he cried in deep grief. "Revenge! Follow me!Forwards!" And he rushed furiously through the pass, followed by hisspear-bearing foot-soldiers.

  Fearful was the shock of meeting upon the narrow road between sea androcks. The torches were extinguished in the skirmish; and the dawningday gave but a faint grey light.

  The Huns, although superior in numbers to their bold adversaries, werecompletely taken by surprise. They thought that a whole army of Gothswas on the march. They hastened to join their horses and fly. But theGoths reached the place where the animals stood at the same moment astheir owners, and, in confused heaps, men and horses were driven offthe road into the sea. In vain Johannes himself struck at his flyingpeople; their rush threw him to the ground; he sprang up immediatelyand attacked the nearest Goth. But he had fallen into bad hands. It wasTotila; he recognised him.

  "Cursed Flax-head!" he cried, "so you are not drowned?"

  "No, as you see!" cried Totila, and struck a blow at the other's helm,which cleft it through and entered slightly into his skull, so that hestaggered and fell.

  With this all resistance was at an end. The nearest of the horsemenjust managed to lift Johannes into a saddle, and galloped off with him.

  The scene of action was deserted.

  Totila hurried back to the pass. He found Valerius, pale, with closedeyes, his head resting on his shield. He threw himself on his kneesbeside him, and pressed his stiffening hand to his heart.

  "Valerius!" he cried, "father! do not, do not leave me so. Speak to meonce more!"

  The dying man faintly opened his eyes.

  "Where are they?" he asked.

  "Beaten and fled!"

  "Ah! victory!" cried Valerius, breathing anew. "I die happy! AndValeria--my child--is she saved?"

  "She is. Escaped from the naval combat, and from the sea itself, Ihastened to warn Neapolis and save you. I had landed near the high-roadbetween your house and Neapolis; there I met Valeria and learned yourdanger. One of my boats received her and her companions on board totake them to Neapolis; with the other I came here to save you--oh! onlyto revenge you!" and he laid his head upon the breast of the dying man.

  "Do not weep for me; I die victorious! And to you, my son, I owe it."

  He stroked the long fair locks of the sorrowing youth.

  "And Valeria's safety too! Oh! to you also, I hope, I shall owe thesalvation of Italy. You are hero enough to save this country--in spiteof Belisarius and Narses! You can--and you will--and your reward is thehand of my beloved child."

  "Valerius! my father!"

  "She is yours! But swear to me"--and Valerius raised himself with aneffort and looked into Totila's eyes--"swear to me by the genius ofValeria that she shall not become your wife until Italy is free, andnot a sod of her sacred soil is pressed by the foot of a Byzantine."

  "I swear it," cried Totila, enthusiastically pressing Valerius's hand,"by the genius of Valeria I swear it!"

  "Thanks, thanks, my son. Now I can die in peace--greet Valeria--in yourhand is her fate--and that of Italia!"

  He laid his head back upon his shield, crossed his arms over hisbreast, and expired.

  Totila silently laid his hand upon the dead man's heart, and remainedin this position for some time.

  A dazzling light suddenly roused him from his sad reverie; it was thesun, whose golden disk rose gloriously over the summit of the rocks.

  Totila stood up, and looked at the rising luminary. The sea glitteredin the bright rays, and a golden light spread over the land.

  "By the genius of Valeria!" repeated Totila in a low voice, andstretched out his hand towards the glorious sun.

  Like the dead man he felt strengthened and comforted by his weightyoath; the sense of having a noble duty to perform elevated hisfeelings. He turned back, and ordered that the corpse should be carriedto his ship, that it might be taken and deposited in the tomb of theValerians at Neapolis.