The Young Carthaginian

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PREFACE.

MY DEAR LADS,

When I was a boy at school, if I remember rightly, our sympathies
were generally with the Carthaginians as against the Romans.
Why they were so, except that one generally sympathizes with the
unfortunate, I do not quite know; certainly we had but a hazy
idea as to the merits of the struggle and knew but little of its
events, for the Latin and Greek authors, which serve as the ordinary
textbooks in schools, do not treat of the Punic wars. That it
was a struggle for empire at first, and latterly one for existence
on the part of Carthage, that Hannibal was a great and skilful
general, that he defeated the Romans at Trebia, Lake Trasimenus,
and Cannae, and all but took Rome, and that the Romans behaved
with bad faith and great cruelty at the capture of Carthage,
represents, I think, pretty nearly the sum total of our knowledge.

I am sure I should have liked to know a great deal more about this
struggle for the empire of the world, and as I think that most of
you would also like to do so, I have chosen this subject for my
story. Fortunately there is no lack of authentic material from
which to glean the incidents of the struggle. Polybius visited
all the passes of the Alps some forty years after the event,
and conversed with tribesmen who had witnessed the passage of
Hannibal, and there can be no doubt that his descriptions are far
more accurate than those of Livy, who wrote somewhat later and had
no personal knowledge of the affair. Numbers of books have been
written as to the identity of the passes traversed by Hannibal.
The whole of these have been discussed and summarized by Mr. W. J.
Law, and as it appears to me that his arguments are quite conclusive
I have adopted the line which he lays down as that followed by
Hannibal.

In regard to the general history of the expedition, and of
the manners, customs, religion, and politics of Carthage, I have
followed M. Hennebert in his most exhaustive and important work on
the subject. I think that when you have read to the end you will
perceive that although our sympathies may remain with Hannibal and
the Carthaginians, it was nevertheless for the good of the world
that Rome was the conqueror in the great struggle for empire. At
the time the war began Carthage was already corrupt to the core,
and although she might have enslaved many nations she would never
have civilized them. Rome gave free institutions to the people
she conquered, she subdued but she never enslaved them, but rather
strove to plant her civilization among them and to raise them to
her own level. Carthage, on the contrary, was from the first a
cruel mistress to the people she conquered. Consequently while all
the peoples of Italy rallied round Rome in the days of her distress,
the tribes subject to Carthage rose in insurrection against her as
soon as the presence of a Roman army gave them a hope of escape
from their bondage.

Had Carthage conquered Rome in the struggle she could never have
extended her power over the known world as Rome afterwards did,
but would have fallen to pieces again from the weakness of her
institutions and the corruption of her people. Thus then, although
we may feel sympathy for the failure and fate of the noble and
chivalrous Hannibal himself, we cannot regret that Rome came out
conqueror in the strife, and was left free to carry out her great
work of civilization.

Yours sincerely,

G. A. Henty

CHAPTER I: THE CAMP IN THE DESERT

It is afternoon, but the sun's rays still pour down with great power
upon rock and sand. How great the heat has been at midday may be
seen by the quivering of the air as it rises from the ground and
blurs all distant objects. It is seen, too, in the attitudes and
appearance of a large body of soldiers encamped in a grove. Their
arms are thrown aside, the greater portion of their clothing has
been dispensed with. Some lie stretched on the ground in slumber,
their faces protected from any chance rays which may find their
way through the foliage above by little shelters composed of their
clothing hung on two bows or javelins. Some, lately awakened, are
sitting up or leaning against the trunks of the trees, but scarce
one has energy to move.

The day has indeed been a hot one even for the southern edge of
the Libyan desert. The cream coloured oxen stand with their heads
down, lazily whisking away with their tails the flies that torment
them. The horses standing near suffer more; the lather stands on
their sides, their flanks heave, and from time to time they stretch
out their extended nostrils in the direction from which, when the
sun sinks a little lower, the breeze will begin to blow.

The occupants of the grove are men of varied races, and, although
there is no attempt at military order, it is clear at once that
they are divided into three parties. One is composed of men more
swarthy than the others. They are lithe and active in figure,
inured to hardship, accustomed to the burning sun. Light shields
hang against the trees with bows and gaily painted quivers full of
arrows, and near each man are three or four light short javelins.
They wear round caps of metal, with a band of the skin of the
lion or other wild animal, in which are stuck feathers dyed with
some bright colour. They are naked to the waist, save for a light
breastplate of brass. A cloth of bright colours is wound round
their waist and drops to the knees, and they wear belts of leather
embossed with brass plates; on their feet are sandals. They are
the light armed Numidian horse.

Near them are a party of men lighter in hue, taller and stouter in
stature. Their garb is more irregular, their arms are bare, but
they wear a sort of shirt, open at the neck and reaching to the
knees, and confined at the waist by a leather strap, from which
hangs a pouch of the same material. Their shirts, which are of
roughly made flannel, are dyed a colour which was originally a
deep purple, but which has faded, under the heat of the sun, to
lilac. They are a company of Iberian slingers, enlisted among the
tribes conquered in Spain by the Carthaginians. By them lie the
heavy swords which they use in close quarters.

The third body of men are more heavily armed. On the ground near
the sleepers lie helmets and massive shields. They have tightly
fitting jerkins of well-tanned leather, their arms are spears and
battleaxes. They are the heavy infantry of Carthage. Very various
is their nationality; fair skinned Greeks lie side by side with
swarthy negroes from Nubia. Sardinia, the islands of the Aegean,
Crete and Egypt, Libya and Phoenicia are all represented there.

They are recruited alike from the lower orders of the great city
and from the tribes and people who own her sway.

Near the large grove in which the troops are encamped is a smaller
one. A space in the centre has been cleared of trees, and in this
a large tent has been erected. Around this numerous slaves are
moving to and fro.

A Roman cook, captured in a sea fight in which his master, a wealthy
tribune, was killed, is watching three Greeks, who are under his
superintendence, preparing a repast. Some Libyan grooms are rubbing
down the coats of four horses of the purest breed of the desert,
while two Nubians are feeding, with large flat cakes, three elephants,
who, chained by the leg to trees, stand rocking themselves from
side to side.

The exterior of the tent is made of coarse white canvas; this is
thickly lined by fold after fold of a thin material, dyed a dark
blue, to keep out the heat of the sun, while the interior is hung
with silk, purple and white. The curtains at each end are looped
back with gold cord to allow a free passage of the air.

A carpet from the looms of Syria covers the ground, and on it are
spread four couches, on which, in a position half sitting half
reclining, repose the principal personages of the party. The elder
of these is a man some fifty years of age, of commanding figure,
and features which express energy and resolution. His body is bare
to the waist, save for a light short sleeved tunic of the finest
muslin embroidered round the neck and sleeves with gold.

A gold belt encircles his waist, below it hangs a garment resembling
the modern kilt, but reaching halfway between the knee and the
ankle. It is dyed a rich purple, and three bands of gold embroidery
run round the lower edge. On his feet he wears sandals with broad
leather lacings covered with gold. His toga, also of purple heavily
embroidered with gold, lies on the couch beside him; from one of
the poles of the tent hang his arms, a short heavy sword, with a
handle of solid gold in a scabbard incrusted with the same metal,
and a baldrick, covered with plates of gold beautifully worked
and lined with the softest leather, by which it is suspended over
his shoulder.

Two of his companions are young men of three or four and twenty,
both fair like himself, with features of almost Greek regularity
of outline. Their dress is similar to his in fashion, but the
colours are gayer. The fourth member of the party is a lad of some
fifteen years old. His figure, which is naked to the waist, is of
a pure Grecian model, the muscles, showing up clearly beneath the
skin, testify to hard exercise and a life of activity.

Powerful as Carthage was, the events of the last few years had shown
that a life and death struggle with her great rival in Italy was
approaching. For many years she had been a conquering nation. Her
aristocracy were soldiers as well as traders, ready at once to
embark on the most distant and adventurous voyages, to lead the
troops of Carthage on toilsome expeditions against insurgent tribes
of Numidia and Libya, or to launch their triremes to engage the
fleets of Rome.

The severe checks which they had lately suffered at the hands
of the newly formed Roman navy, and the certainty that ere long
a tremendous struggle between the two powers must take place, had
redoubled the military ardour of the nobles. Their training to
arms began from their very childhood, and the sons of the noblest
houses were taught, at the earliest age, the use of arms and the
endurance of fatigue and hardship.

Malchus, the son of Hamilcar, the leader of the expedition in the
desert, had been, from his early childhood, trained by his father
in the use of arms. When he was ten years old Hamilcar had taken him
with him on a campaign in Spain; there, by a rigourous training,
he had learned to endure cold and hardships.

In the depth of winter his father had made him pass the nights
uncovered and almost without clothing in the cold. He had bathed
in the icy water of the torrents from the snow clad hills, and had
been forced to keep up with the rapid march of the light armed
troops in pursuit of the Iberians. He was taught to endure long
abstinence from food and to bear pain without flinching, to be
cheerful under the greatest hardships, to wear a smiling face when
even veteran soldiers were worn out and disheartened.

"It is incumbent upon us, the rulers and aristocracy of this great
city, my son, to show ourselves superior to the common herd. They
must recognize that we are not only richer and of better blood,
but that we are stronger, wiser, and more courageous than they.
So, only, can we expect them to obey us, and to make the sacrifices
which war entails upon them. It is not enough that we are of pure
Phoenician blood, that we come of the most enterprising race the
world has ever seen, while they are but a mixed breed of many people
who have either submitted to our rule or have been enslaved by
us.

"This was well enough in the early days of the colony when it was
Phoenician arms alone that won our battles and subdued our rivals.
In our days we are few and the populace are many. Our armies are
composed not of Phoenicians, but of the races conquered by us. Libya
and Numidia, Sicily, Sardinia, and Spain, all in turn conquered
by us, now furnish us with troops.

"Carthage is a mighty city, but it is no longer a city of Phoenicians.
We form but a small proportion of the population. It is true
that all power rests in our hands, that from our ranks the senate
is chosen, the army officered, and the laws administered, but the
expenses of the state are vast. The conquered people fret under
the heavy tributes which they have to pay, and the vile populace
murmur at the taxes.

"In Italy, Rome looms greater and more powerful year by year. Her
people are hardy and trained to arms, and some day the struggle
between us and her will have to be fought out to the death. Therefore,
my son, it behooves us to use every effort to make ourselves worthy
of our position. Set before yourself the example of your cousin
Hannibal, who, young as he is, is already viewed as the greatest
man in Carthage. Grudge no hardship or suffering to harden your
frame and strengthen your arms.

"Some day you too may lead armies in the field, and, believe me,
they will follow you all the better and more cheerfully if they
know that in strength and endurance, as well as in position, their
commander is the foremost man in his army."

Malchus had been an apt pupil, and had done justice to the pains
which his father had bestowed upon him and to the training he had
undergone. He could wield the arms of a man, could swim the coldest
river, endure hardship and want of food, traverse long distances
at the top of his speed, could throw a javelin with unerring aim,
and send an arrow to the mark as truly as the best of the Libyan
archers.

"The sun is going down fast, father," the lad said, "the shadows
are lengthening and the heat is declining."

"We have only your word for the decline of the heat, Malchus," one
of the younger men laughed; "I feel hotter than ever. This is the
fifteenth time that you have been to the door of the tent during
the last half hour. Your restlessness is enough to give one the
fever."

"I believe that you are just as eager as I am, Adherbal," the boy
replied laughing. "It's your first lion hunt as well as mine, and
I am sure you are longing to see whether the assault of the king
of beasts is more trying to the nerves than that of the Iberian
tribesmen."

"I am looking forward to it, Malchus, certainly," the young man
replied; "but as I know the lions will not quit their coverts
until after nightfall, and as no efforts on my part will hasten
the approach of that hour, I am well content to lie quiet and to
keep myself as cool as may be."

"Your cousin is right," the general said, "and impatience is
a fault, Malchus. We must make allowances for your impatience on
the present occasion, for the lion is a foe not to be despised,
and he is truly as formidable an antagonist when brought to bay
as the Iberians on the banks of the Ebro -- far more so than the
revolted tribesmen we have been hunting for the past three weeks."

"Giscon says nothing," Adherbal remarked; "he has a soul above
even the hunting of lions. I warrant that during the five hours
we have been reclining here his thoughts have never once turned
towards the hunt we are going to have tonight."

"That is true enough," Giscon said, speaking for the first time.
"I own that my thoughts have been of Carthage, and of the troubles
that threaten her owing to the corruption and misgovernment which
are sapping her strength."

"It were best not to think too much on the subject, Giscon," the
general said; "still better not to speak of it. You know that
I lament, as you do, the misgovernment of Carthage, and mourn for
the disasters which have been brought upon her by it. But the
subject is a dangerous one; the council have spies everywhere, and
to be denounced as one hostile to the established state of things
is to be lost."

"I know the danger," the young man said passionately. "I know that
hitherto all who have ventured to raise their voices against the
authority of these tyrants have died by torture -- that murmuring
has been stamped out in blood. Yet were the danger ten times
as great," and the speaker had risen now from his couch and was
walking up and down the tent, "I could not keep silent. What have
our tyrants brought us to? Their extravagance, their corruption,
have wasted the public funds and have paralyzed our arms. Sicily
and Sardinia have been lost; our allies in Africa have been goaded
by their exactions again and again into rebellion, and Carthage
has more than once lately been obliged to fight hard for her very
existence. The lower classes in the city are utterly disaffected;
their earnings are wrung from them by the tax gatherers. Justice
is denied them by the judges, who are the mere creatures of the
committee of five. The suffetes are mere puppets in their hands.
Our vessels lie unmanned in our harbours, because the funds which
should pay the sailors are appropriated by our tyrants to their
own purposes. How can a Carthaginian who loves his country remain
silent?"

"All you say is true, Giscon," the general said gravely, "though
I should be pressed to death were it whispered in Carthage that I
said so; but at present we can do nothing. Had the great Hamilcar
Barca lived I believe that he would have set himself to work to
clear out this Augean stable, a task greater than that accomplished
by our great hero, the demigod Hercules; but no less a hand can
accomplish it. You know how every attempt at revolt has failed;
how terrible a vengeance fell on Matho and the mercenaries; how
the down trodden tribes have again and again, when victory seemed
in their hands, been crushed into the dust.

"No, Giscon, we must suffer the terrible ills which you speak
of until some hero arises -- some hero whose victories will bind
not only the army to him, but will cause all the common people of
Carthage -- all her allies and tributaries -- to look upon him as
their leader and deliverer.

"I have hopes, great hopes, that such a hero may be found in my
nephew, Hannibal, who seems to possess all the genius, the wisdom,
and the talent of his father. Should the dream which he cherished,
and of which I was but now speaking to you, that of leading
a Carthaginian army across the Ebro, over the Apennines, through
the plains of lower Gaul, and over the Alps into Italy, there to
give battle to the cohorts of Rome on their own ground, -- should
this dream be verified I say, should success attend him, and Rome
be humbled to the dust, then Hannibal would be in a position to
become the dictator of Carthage, to overthrow the corrupt council,
to destroy this tyranny -- misnamed a republic -- and to establish
a monarchy, of which he should be the first sovereign, and under
which Carthage, again the queen of the world, should be worthy of
herself and her people. And now let us speak of it no more. The
very walls have ears, and I doubt not but even among my attendants
there are men who are spies in the pay of the council. I see and
lament as much as any man the ruin of my country; but, until I
see a fair hope of deliverance, I am content to do the best I can
against her enemies, to fight her battles as a simple soldier."

There was silence in the tent. Malchus had thrown himself down on
his couch, and for a time forgot even the approaching lion hunt
in the conversation to which he had listened.

The government of Carthage was indeed detestable, and was the chief
cause both of the misfortunes which had befallen her in the past,
and of the disasters which were in the future to be hers. The scheme
of government was not in itself bad, and in earlier and simpler
times had acted well. Originally it had consisted of three estates,
which answered to the king, lords, and commons. At the head of
affairs were two suffetes chosen for life. Below them was the
senate, a very numerous body, comprising all the aristocracy of
Carthage. Below this was the democracy, the great mass of the
people, whose vote was necessary to ratify any law passed by the
senate.

In time, however, all authority passed from the suffetes, the
general body of the senate and the democracy, into the hands of
a committee of the senate, one hundred in number, who were called
the council, the real power being invested in the hands of an inner
council, consisting of from twenty to thirty of the members. The
deliberations of this body were secret, their power absolute. They
were masters of the life and property of every man in Carthage,
as afterwards were the council of ten in the republic of Venice.
For a man to be denounced by his secret enemy to them as being
hostile to their authority was to ensure his destruction and the
confiscation of his property.

The council of a hundred was divided into twenty subcommittees, each
containing five members. Each of these committees was charged with
the control of a department -- the army, the navy, the finances, the
roads and communications, agriculture, religion, and the relations
with the various subject tribes, the more important departments
being entirely in the hands of the members of the inner council of
thirty.

The judges were a hundred in number. These were appointed by the
council, and were ever ready to carry out their behest, consequently
justice in Carthage was a mockery. Interest and intrigue were
paramount in the law courts, as in every department of state.
Every prominent citizen, every successful general, every man who
seemed likely, by his ability or his wealth, to become a popular
personage with the masses, fell under the ban of the council,
and sooner or later was certain to be disgraced. The resources
of the state were devoted not to the needs of the country but to
aggrandizement and enriching of the members of the committee.

Heavy as were the imposts which were laid upon the tributary peoples
of Africa for the purposes of the state, enormous burdens were
added by the tax gatherers to satisfy the cupidity of their patrons
in the council. Under such circumstances it was not to be wondered
at that Carthage, decaying, corrupt, ill governed, had suffered
terrible reverses at the hands of her young and energetic rival
Rome, who was herself some day, when she attained the apex of her
power, to suffer from abuses no less flagrant and general than
those which had sapped the strength of Carthage.

With the impetuosity of youth Malchus naturally inclined rather
to the aspirations of his kinsman Giscon than to the more sober
counsels of his father. He had burned with shame and anger as he
heard the tale of the disasters which had befallen his country,
because she had made money her god, had suffered her army and her
navy to be regarded as secondary objects, and had permitted the
command of the sea to be wrested from her by her wiser and more
far seeing rival.

As evening closed in the stir in the neighbouring camp aroused
Malchus from his thoughts, and the anticipation of the lion hunt,
in which he was about to take part, again became foremost.

The camp was situated twenty days' march from Carthage at the foot
of some hills in which lions and other beasts of prey were known
to abound, and there was no doubt that they would be found that
evening.

The expedition had been despatched under the command of Hamilcar
to chastise a small tribe which had attacked and plundered some
of the Carthaginian caravans on their way to Ethiopia, then a rich
and prosperous country, wherein were many flourishing colonies,
which had been sent out by Carthage.

The object of the expedition had been but partly successful. The
lightly clad tribesmen had taken refuge far among the hills, and,
although by dint of long and fatiguing marches several parties had
been surprised and slain, the main body had evaded all the efforts
of the Carthaginian general.

The expedition had arrived at its present camping place on the
previous evening. During the night the deep roaring of lions had
been heard continuously among the hills, and so bold and numerous
were they that they had come down in such proximity to the camp
that the troops had been obliged to rise and light great fires to
scare them from making an attack upon the horses.

The general had therefore consented, upon the entreaties of his
nephew Adherbal, and his son, to organize a hunt upon the following
night. As soon as the sun set the troops, who had already received
their orders, fell into their ranks. The full moon rose as soon
as the sun dipped below the horizon, and her light was ample for
the object they had in view.

The Numidian horse were to take their station on the plain; the
infantry in two columns, a mile apart, were to enter the mountains,
and having marched some distance, leaving detachments behind them,
they were to move along the crest of the hills until they met;
then, forming a great semicircle, they were to light torches, which
they had prepared during the day, and to advance towards the plain
shouting and dashing their arms, so as to drive all the wild
animals inclosed in the arc down into the plain.

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