A Struggle for Rome, v. 2

by Felix Dahn

  CHAPTER III.

  It was at this time that Miriam experienced the greatest joy and thekeenest sorrow that she had ever known.

  She could sun herself more frequently than ever in the presence of theman she loved, for the Porta Capuana was an important point of thefortifications, and Totila was obliged to visit it often. He daily heldconferences with Earl Uliaris in old Isaac's tower.

  At such times Miriam, when she had greeted the guests, and served thesimple meal of fruit and wine, used to slip into the narrow littlegarden which lay close under the walls of the tower.

  This place had been, originally, a small court belonging to an ancientTemple of Minerva, the "wall-protectress," to whom altars had beengratefully erected at the principal gates of various towns.

  The altar had disappeared centuries ago, but the gigantic olive-tree,which had once shaded the statue dedicated to the goddess, stillstretched its boughs aloft, while flowers, cherished by Miriam's lovinghand, and which she had often plucked for the bride of the man whom shehopelessly loved, filled the air with perfume.

  Exactly opposite the tree, whose knotted roots protruded from theearth, disclosing a dark opening in the ground-floor of the old temple,there had been placed a large black cross, and below it a littlepraying stool, which was made out of one of the marble steps of thetemple.

  The Christians loved to subject the remains of the ancient worship tothe service of the new, and to drive out the old gods, now becomedemons, by the symbols of their victorious faith.

  The beautiful Jewess often sat for hours under this cross with oldArria, the half-blind widow of the under doorkeeper, who, after theearly death of Isaac's wife, had, with motherly love, watched littleMiriam bloom together with her flowers amid the desolate ruins of theold walls.

  Twice a day did Uliaris and Totila thus meet; reporting their losses orsuccesses and examining the probability of saving the city.

  But on the tenth day of the siege, before dawn, Uliaris hastened onboard Totila's "admiral" ship, a rotten fishing-boat, and found thecommander sleeping on deck, covered by a ragged sail.

  "What is it!" cried Totila, starting up and still dreaming; "the enemy?where?"

  "No, my boy; this time it is again Uliaris, and not Belisarius, whoawakens thee. But, by the Thunderer! this cannot last much longer!"

  "Uliaris, thou bleedest! thy head is bandaged!"

  "Bah! 'twas but a stray arrow! Fortunately no poisoned one. I got itlast night. Thou must know that things are at a bad pass; much worsethan ever before. The bloody Johannes--may God slay him!--digs underour Castle Tiberius like a badger, and if he gets _that_--thenfarewell, Neapolis! Yester even he finished a battery upon the hillabove us, and now he throws burning arrows upon our heads. I tried lastnight to drive him out of his works, but it was no use. They were sevento one against us, and I gained nothing by it but this wound on my greyhead."

  "The battery must come down," said Totila reflectively.

  "The devil it must! but it will not! I have still more to tell. Thecitizens begin to get unruly. Belisarius daily shoots a hundred bluntarrows into the city, to which is tied the inscription: 'Rebel forfreedom!' They have more effect than a thousand pointed darts. Already,here and there, stones are cast from the roofs upon my poor fellows. Ifthis goes on--we cannot, with a thousand men, keep off forty thousandGreeks outside and thirty thousand Neapolitans inside. Therefore Ithink--" and his eyes looked very gloomy.

  "What thinkest thou?"

  "We will burn down a portion of the city--at least the suburbs----"

  "So that the inhabitants may like us all the better? No, Uliaris, theyshall not have cause to call us 'barbarians.' I know of bettermeans--they are starving; yesterday I brought in four shiploads of oil,com, and wine; this I will divide amongst them."

  "Oil and corn if thou wilt! But not the wine! That I claim for myGoths. They have drunk cistern-water long enough, the nasty stuff!"

  "Good, thirsty hero, you shall have the wine for yourselves."

  "Well? and still no news from Ravenna, or from Rome?"

  "None! Yesterday I sent off my fifth messenger."

  "May God destroy our King! Listen, Totila, I don't believe we shallever get alive out of these worm-eaten walls."

  "Nor I either," said Totila quietly, and offered his guest a cup ofwine.

  Uliaris looked at him; then he drank and said:

  "Dear fellow! thou art pure as gold, and thy Caecubian too. And if Imust die here, like an old bear amongst the dogs--I am at least gladthat I have learned to know thee so well; thee and thy Caecubian."

  With this rough but friendly speech the grey old Goth left the ship.

  Totila sent corn and wine to the garrison in the castle, with which thesoldiers regaled themselves far into the night.

  But the next morning, when Uliaris looked forth from the tower of thecastle, he rubbed his eyes. For on the battery upon the hill waved theblue flag of the Goths.

  Totila had landed in the night in the rear of the enemy, and had takenthe works by storm.

  But this new act of audacity only increased the anger of Belisarius. Heswore to make an end of the troublesome boats at any price. To hisgreat joy the four triremes from Sicily just then appeared in theoffing. Belisarius ordered that they should at once force their wayinto the harbour of Neapolis, and spoil the handiwork of "thosepirates." On the evening of the same day the four immense ships castanchor at the entrance of the harbour. Belisarius himself visited thecoast with his followers, and rejoiced at the sight of the sails,gilded by the evening sun.

  "The rising sun shall see them inside the harbour, in spite of thatbold youth," he said to Antonina, who accompanied him, and turned hisdappled-greys back to the camp.

  The next morning he had not yet left his camp-bed--Procopius wasstanding near him, reading the sketch of a report to Justinian--whenChanaranzes, the Persian, the leader of the body-guard, entered thetent, and cried: "The ships, general! the ships are taken!"

  Belisarius sprang from his couch in a rage.

  "He dies who says it!"

  "It would be better," observed Procopius, "that he should die who didit!"

  "Who was it?"

  "Oh, sir, the young Goth with the sparkling eyes and shining hair!"

  "Totila!" exclaimed Belisarius, "Totila, again!"

  "The crew were lying, partly on shore with my outposts, partly on deck,sound asleep. Suddenly, at midnight, all around became as lively as ifa hundred ships had risen out of the sea."

  "A hundred ships! Ten nutshells!"

  "In a moment, long before we could come to their help from the shore,the ships were boarded, the crews taken prisoners, one of the triremes,whose cable could not be cut quickly enough, set on fire, and theothers towed off to Neapolis!"

  "Your ships have entered the harbour sooner than you expected, OBelisarius," observed Procopius.

  But Belisarius had recovered his self-control.

  "Now that the bold boy has ships of war, he will become unbearable!There must be an end to this."

  He pressed his helmet upon his majestic head.

  "I would willingly have spared the city and the Roman inhabitants; butI can wait no longer. Procopius, go and summon the generals; Magnus,Demetrius and Constantinus, Bessas and Ennes, and Martinus, the masterof artillery; I will give them enough to do. The barbarians shall notrejoice in their victory; they shall learn to know Belisarius."

  Shortly there appeared in the tent of the commander a man who, in spiteof the breast-plate which he wore, had more the air of a scholar thanof a warrior.

  Martinus, the great mathematician, was of a gentle, peaceful nature,which had long found its sole happiness in the quiet study of Euclid.He could not bear to see blood flow, and was even sorry to pluck aflower. But his mathematical and mechanical studies had one dayaccidentally led him to invent a new projectile of fearful power. Heshowed the plan to Belisarius, and he, delighted, would not let himalone, but dragged him before the Emperor, and
obliged him to become"master of artillery to the _magister militum_, for the East"--namely,the assistant of Belisarius himself. He received a splendid salary, andwas obliged by contract to invent one new machine of war yearly.

  Then the gentle mathematician, with many sighs, invented those terribletools of destruction which overthrew the walls of fortresses, shatteredthe gates of castles, hurled inextinguishable fire into the towns ofJustinian's enemies, and destroyed human lives by thousands.

  Every year Martinus delighted in the mathematical problems which he sethimself to do; but as soon as the riddle was solved and the workcompleted, he thought with horror of the effects of his inventions.Therefore he now appeared before Belisarius with a sorrowfulcountenance.

  "Martinus! circle-turner!" cried Belisarius as he entered, "now showyour art! How many catapults, balistae, and sling-machines have we inall?"

  "Three hundred and fifty, general."

  "'Tis well! Divide them along our whole line of siege. In the north,before the Porta Capuana and the castle, set the rams against thewalls; down they must come, were they made of diamonds! From thecentral camp direct the projectiles in a curve, so that they may fallinto the streets of the city. Make every effort; do not cease a momentfor twenty-four hours; let the troops relieve each other; let all themachines play!"

  "All, general?" asked Martinus. "The new ones too? The pyrobalistae, thehot projectiles?"

  "Those too; those most of all!"

  "General, they are horrible! You do not yet know their effect."

  "Well, I shall now see what it is, and put them to the proof."

  "Upon this splendid city? On the Emperor's city? Will you win forJustinian a heap of ashes?"

  Belisarius had a great and noble soul. He was angry with himself, withMartinus, and with the Goths.

  "Can I do otherwise?" he asked impatiently. "These stiff-necked Goths,this foolhardy Totila, force me to it. Five times have I offeredcapitulation. It is madness! Not three thousand men stand behind thesewalls! By the head of Justinian! why do not the fifty thousandNeapolitans rise and disarm the barbarians?"

  "No doubt they fear your Huns more than their Goths," observedProcopius.

  "They are bad patriots! Forward, Martinus! In an hour Neapolis mustburn!"

  "In a shorter time," sighed the mathematician, "if it must be so. Ihave brought with me a man who is well-informed; who can help us much,and simplify the work. He is a living plan of the city. May I bring himin?"

  Belisarius nodded, and the sentry called in a little Jewish-lookingman.

  "Ah! Jochem, the architect!" said Belisarius. "I knew you at Byzantium.You were to rebuild the church of St. Sophia. What became of thatproject?"

  "By your leave, general, nothing."

  "Why not?"

  "My plan only amounted to a million centenaria of gold; that was toolittle for his Imperial Majesty. For the more a Christian church costs,the more holy and pleasing to God. A Christian asked double the amount,and got the order."

  "But still I saw you building in Byzantium?"

  "Yes, general, my plan pleased the Emperor. I changed it a little, tookout the altar-place, and afterwards built from it a riding-school."

  "You know Neapolis thoroughly--outside and inside?"

  "Outside and inside--as well as my moneybag."

  "'Tis well. You will direct the machines for the strategist against thewalls and into the city. The houses of the friends of the Goths mustcome down first. Forward! Mind and do your business well, or else youwill be impaled! Away!"

  "The poor city!" sighed Martinus. "But you will see, Jochem, how exactare the pyrobalistae; and they work so easily, a child could managethem. And they act so splendidly!"

  And now in all the camp began a monstrous and danger-pregnant activity.

  The Gothic sentinels upon the ramparts saw how the heavy machines,drawn by twenty to thirty horses, camels, asses, or oxen, were broughtbefore the walls, and divided along the whole line.

  Totila and Uliaris went anxiously to the walls and tried to meet thisnew danger with effectual means of defence.

  Sacks filled with earth were let down before the places threatened bythe rams; firebrands were laid ready to set the machines on fire asthey approached; boiling water, arrows, and stones were to be directedagainst the teams and drivers; and already the Goths laughed at thecowardly enemy when they noticed that the machines halted far out ofthe usual range of shot, and completely out of the reach of thebesieged.

  But Totila did not laugh.

  He was alarmed to see the Byzantines quietly unharness the teams andarrange their machines. Not a projectile had yet been hurled.

  "Well," mocked young Agila, who stood near Totila, "do they mean toshoot at us from _that_ distance? They had better do it at once fromByzantium, across the sea! That would be still safer!"

  He had not ceased to speak, when a forty-pound stone knocked him, and aportion of the rampart upon which he stood, to pieces.

  Martinus had increased the range threefold.

  Totila saw that they were completely without defence against theseterrible projectiles.

  The Goths sprang horrified from the walls, and sought shelter in thestreets, houses, and churches. In vain! Thousands and thousands ofarrows, spears, heavy beams, and stones hurtled and hissed ininfallible curves upon their heads; whole blocks of rock came flyingthrough the air, and fell crashing through the woodwork and slabs ofthe strongest roofs; while in the north the rams thundered unceasinglyagainst the castle with ponderous strokes.

  While the thick hail of projectiles literally darkened the air, thenoise of breaking beams, the rattling fall of stones, the shattering ofthe ramparts, and the cries of the wounded deafened the ear.

  The trembling inhabitants fled terrified into the cellars and vaults oftheir houses, cursing both Belisarius and the Goths.

  But the horrified city had not yet experienced the worst.

  In the market-place, the Forum of Trajan, near the harbour, stood anuncovered building, a sort of ship's arsenal, heaped up with old,well-dried timber, tow, flax, tar, and other combustible materials.Into this building came, hissing and steaming, a strange projectile,and immediately a flame shot high into the air, and, fed by theinflammable materials, spread with the speed of the wind.

  The besiegers outside greeted the pillars of smoke which now arose withcries of exultation, and directed arrows and darts upon the place, toprevent the inhabitants from extinguishing the fire.

  Belisarius rode up to Martinus.

  "Capital, man of the circle!" he cried. "Capital! Who aimed the shot?"

  "I," said Jochem. "Oh! you will be satisfied with me, general. Now, payattention. Do you see that large house with the statues upon the flatroof, to the right of the fire? That is the house of the Valerians, thegreatest enemies of the people of Edom. Attention! It shall burn."

  The fiery projectile flew hissing through the air, and immediately asecond flame rose out of the city.

  Just then Procopius galloped up and cried:

  "Belisarius, your general, Johannes, greets you. The Castle of Tiberiusburns, and the first wall is down!"

  And such was the fact; and soon, in all parts of the city, four, six,ten houses were in flames.

  "Water!" cried Totila, galloping through a burning street near theharbour. "Come out, you citizens of Neapolis! Extinguish your houses! Ican spare no Goths from the walls. Get barrels of water from theharbour into all the streets! The women into the houses!--What do youwant, girl? leave me.--Is it you, Miriam? You here--among the flamesand arrows? Away! whom do you seek?"

  "You," said the girl. "Do not be alarmed. Her house burns, but she issaved."

  "Valeria! For God's sake, where is she?"

  "With me. In our strong tower--there she is safe. I saw the flames. Ihastened to the house. Your friend with the soft voice was carrying herout of the ruins; he wanted to take her into the church. I called tohim, and persuaded him to bring her to the tower. She bleeds. A stonewounded her upon the shoulder
, but there is no danger. She wishes tosee you, and I came to seek you!"

  "Thanks, child! But come, come away;" and he took hold of her arm, andswung her up to his saddle.

  Trembling, she wound both arms about his neck. He held his broad shieldover her head with his left hand, and galloped off with her through thesmoking streets to the Porta Capuana.

  "Oh! would that I might die now," murmured Miriam to herself; "now,upon his breast, if not with him!"

  In the tower Totila found Valeria, stretched upon Miriam's bed, underthe care of Julius and her female slaves. She was pale and weak fromloss of blood, but composed and quiet.

  Totila flew to her side. Miriam stood at the window with a beatingheart, and looked silently at the burning city.

  Totila had scarcely convinced himself that the wound was very slight,than he again sprang up and cried:

  "You must go! Immediately! This very moment! In another hour Belisariusmay storm the city. I have once more filled my ships with fugitives.They will take you to Cajeta, and thence to Rome. Afterwards you musthasten to Taginae to your estate. Julius will accompany you."

  "Yes," said Julius, "for we go the same way."

  "The same way? Whither art thou bound?"

  "To Gaul, to my home. I cannot bear to see this terrible struggleany longer. You know well that all Italy has risen against you. Myfellow-countrymen fight under Belisarius. Shall I raise my hand againstthem, or against you? I will go."

  Totila turned silently to Valeria.

  "My friend," she said, "it seems to me that our star has set for ever!Scarcely has my father gone to lay your oath at the throne of God, thanNeapolis, the third city of the realm, falls."

  "So you have no faith in our swords?"

  "I have faith in your swords, but not in your good fortune! With thefalling rafters of my father's house fall all my hopes. Farewell, for along, long time! I obey you; I will go to Taginae."

  Totila and Julius now went out with the slaves to secure places in oneof the triremes.

  Valeria rose from the bed; Miriam hurried to her to fasten the shiningsandals upon her feet.

  "Let it alone, maiden; you must not serve me!" said Valeria.

  "I do it gladly," whispered Miriam; "but permit me a question." Hersparkling eyes were fixed upon Valeria's composed features. "You arebeautiful and clever and proud--but tell me, do you love him? You areable to leave him at such a moment. Do you love him with devouring,irresistible ardour? do you love him with such a love as----"

  "As yours?" Valeria pressed the lovely girl's glowing face to herbosom, as if in protection. "No, my sweet sister! Do not be startled. Iguessed it long ago from his accounts of you. And I saw it at once inyour first look at him to-day. Do not be anxious; your secret is safewith me. No one shall learn it. Do not weep, do not tremble, you sweetchild. I love you the better for the sake of your love. I quiteunderstand it. He is happy who, like you, can indulge his feelings atsuch a moment. But an inimical God has bestowed upon me a mind thatever looks forward, and so I see before us unknown pain and a long darkpath which ends not in light. But I cannot allow you to think your lovethe more noble because it is hopeless. My hopes, too, are ashes!Perhaps it would have been happier for him had he discovered thescented rose of your love--for Valeria, I fear, will never be his! Butfarewell, Miriam. They come. Remember our meeting! Remember me as asister, and take my warmest thanks. Thanks for your faithful love!"

  Miriam had trembled like a child found out in a fault, and would havegladly run out of Valeria's sight, who seemed to see througheverything. But these noble sentiments overcame her timidity, and tearsflowed plentifully over her glowing cheeks. Trembling with shame andweeping, she leaned her head upon her new friend's breast. They heardJulius coming to call Valeria. They were obliged to part.

  Miriam cast a rapid glance at the face of the Roman lady; and then shethrew herself on the ground before her, embraced her knees, pressed aburning kiss upon her cold hand, and disappeared into the next room.

  Valeria rose as if from a dream, and looked about her. In a vase on thewindow-sill stood a dark-red rose. Valeria kissed it, and put it intothe bosom of her dress, blessed, with the motion of her hand, the placewhich had afforded her an asylum, and then followed Julius, who tookher in a closed litter to the harbour, where she had time to take ashort leave of Totila, before she went on board with Julius. Shortlyafterwards the ship set sail, and moved proudly out of the harbour.

  Totila looked after it. He saw Valeria's white hand signing a farewell.He looked and looked at the lessening sail, little heeding theprojectiles which now began to fall thicker into the harbour. He leanedagainst a pillar, and, for a moment, forgot the burning town andeverything around him.

  Thorismuth roused him from his reverie.

  "Come, commodore!" he cried. "I have been seeking thee everywhere.Uliaris wishes to speak to thee.--Come, why dost thou stand here,gazing at the sea among all these whizzing arrows?"

  Totila slowly raised himself.

  "Seest thou," he said, "seest thou yonder ship? There they leaveme----"

  "Who?" asked Thorismuth.

  "My good-fortune and my youth," said Totila, and turned to seekUliaris.

  Uliaris told him that, in order to gain time, he had proposed anarmistice of three hours, which Belisarius, who wished for a parley,had accepted.

  "I will never capitulate! But we must have time to repair andstrengthen our walls. Will reinforcements never come? Hast thou stillno news from the King by sea?"

  "None."

  "The devil! Above six hundred of my Goths have fallen under thesehellish projectiles. I cannot even fill the most important posts. If Ihad but four hundred men more!"

  "Well," said Totila, reflecting, "I think I can procure thee these. Inthe Castellum Aurelium, on the road to Rome, lie four hundred and fiftymen. Until now they have declared that they received from KingTheodahad the unreasonable but strict order, on no account to aid indefending Neapolis. But in this, great necessity--I will go myself,during the armistice, and do all I can to bring them."

  "Do not go! The truce will have ended before thy return, and then theroad will be no longer safe. Thou canst not get through."

  "I will get through by force or by cunning. Only keep firm until I amback. Up! Thorismuth, to horse!"

  While Totila, with Thorismuth and a few horsemen, galloped out of thePorta Capuana, old Isaac, who had remained bravely on the walls withouttiring, took advantage of the armistice to return to his house, see hisdaughter, and refresh himself with meat and wine.

  As Miriam was bringing these, and anxiously listening to Isaac's reportof the progress of the siege, a hasty and unsteady foot was heard uponthe steps, and Jochem appeared before the astonished pair.

  "Son of Rachel, whence comest thou in an evil hour, like a raven beforemisfortune? How couldst thou enter? By what door?"

  "That is my affair. I come, Father Isaac, once more to demand thydaughter's hand--for the last time in my life."

  "Is this a time for wooing and wedding?" asked Isaac indignantly. "Thecity burns, and the streets are full of corpses."

  "Why does the city burn? Why are the streets full of corpses? Becausethe people of Neapolis hold by the people of Edom. Yes, this _is_ thetime to woo. Give me thy child. Father Isaac, and I will save thee andher. I alone can do so."

  And he attempted to take Miriam's hand.

  "Thou save _me_!" she cried, starting back in disgust. "Rather would Idie!"

  "Ha, proud girl!" cried the angry wooer; "thou wouldst be saved by thefair-haired Christian? Let us see if he can save thee--the cursedfellow!--from Belisarius and me. Ha! I will drag him through thestreets by his long yellow hair, and spit in his pale face!"

  "Get thee away, son of Rachel!" said Isaac, rising and taking up hisspear. "I see thou art a friend of those who lie outside--the hornsounds the recall; I must go down. But this I tell thee: many amongstyou will fall back dead before they can climb over these rotten walls."

  "Perhaps," growled Joc
hem, "we shall fly over them, like the birds ofthe air. For the last time, Miriam, I ask thee: Wilt thou leave thisold man and the cursed Christian? I tell thee the ruins of these wallswill soon cover them. I know that thou hast taken the Goth to thyheart; but that I will forgive thee if only thou wilt be my wife."

  And again he tried to take her hand.

  "Thou wilt forgive me my love? Forgive what stands as high above theeas the sun above the creeping worm? Should I be worthy to look upon hisface if I could become thy wife? Away! begone!"

  "Ha!" cried Jochem, "too much! too much! My wife! Never shalt thou bemy wife; but thou shalt struggle in my arms, and I will tear theChristian out of thy bleeding heart as it withers in despair! Thoushalt see me again!"

  And he left the room, and soon disappeared from the precincts of thecity.

  Miriam, oppressed by anxious thoughts, hurried into the open air. Shefelt that she must pray; but not in the close synagogue. She would prayfor _him_, and she would pray to _his_ God. She shyly ventured into theneighbouring Basilica of St. Maria, whence, in peaceful times, theJewess had often been driven with curses.

  But now the Christians had no time to curse.

  She crouched in a dark corner of the chancel, and soon forgot herself,the city, and the world, in fervent prayer.

  She was alone with _him_ and with God.

  Meanwhile, the last hour of the armistice was drawing to a close. Thesun already declined to the surface of the sea.

  The Goths repaired and filled up the breaches of the walls with alldiligence, carried away the rubbish and the dead, and extinguished thefires.

  For the third time the sands of the hour-glass ran out, whileBelisarius, in front of his tent and surrounded by his generals, wasawaiting the signal of capitulation from the Castle of Tiberius.

  "I don't believe in it," whispered Johannes to Procopius. "He who givessuch blows as I have seen given by that old man will never surrender.And it is better so; then there will be a famous storming, andafterwards a famous plundering."

  Earl Uliaris now appeared upon the ramparts of the castle, and hurledhis spear defiantly among the waiting sentries.

  Belisarius sprang up.

  "The fools desire their own destruction! Well, they shall be gratified.Up, generals! to the attack! Whoever is the first to plant our standardon the walls shall have a tenth part of the booty!"

  The leaders hurried away on all sides, spurred by avarice and ambition.

  Johannes was just turning the ruined arch of an aqueduct, whichBelisarius had destroyed in order to deprive the besieged of water,when he heard a low voice calling his name.

  It was already so dark that he with difficulty recognised the man whohad spoken.

  "What do you want, Jew!" asked Johannes. "I have no time to lose. Thereis hard work to be done. I must be the first into the city."

  "That you shall be, and without hard work, if you will follow me."

  "Follow you? Do you know a way through the air over the walls?"

  "No; but through the earth _under_ the walls. And I will show it you ifyou give me a thousand solidi, and promise me a certain girl as booty."

  Johannes stood still.

  "You shall have what you like! Where is this way?"

  "Here!" said Jochem, and struck the masonry with his hand.

  "What? The aqueduct? How do you know?"

  "I built it. A man can creep through it; there is no more water in it.I have just come this way out of the city. The passage leads into anold temple at the Porta Capuana. Take thirty men and follow me!"

  Johannes looked sharply at him.

  "And if you deceive me?"

  "I will walk between your drawn swords. If I lie, kill me."

  "Wait," cried Johannes, and hurried away.