第 42 页

approved and ratified by the senate of Rome, that, in the first place,

the garments and armour of which we were deprived when captured, shall

be restored to us, and that we shall then be conveyed in the ship to

Rome, there to remain as prisoners of war until exchanged, being sent

nowhere else, and suffering no pains or penalties whatever for what has

taken place on this island."

The Roman general was surprised and pleased with the moderation of

the demand. He had feared that Malchus would have insisted upon being

restored with his companions to the Carthaginian army in Italy. Such

a proposition he would have been unwilling to forward to Rome, for it

would have been a confession that all the Roman force in the island was

incapable of overcoming this handful of desperate men, and he did not

think that the demand if made would have been agreed to by the senate.

The present proposition was vastly more acceptable. He could report

without humiliation that the Carthaginian slaves had broken loose

and taken to the mountains, where there would be great difficulty in

pursuing them, and they would serve as a nucleus round which would

assemble all the disaffected in the island; and could recommend that,

as they only demanded to be sent to Rome as prisoners of war, instead

of being kept in the island, the terms should be agreed to. After a

moment's delay, therefore, he replied:

"I agree to your terms, sir, as far as I am concerned, and own they

appear to me as moderate and reasonable. I will draw out a document,

setting them forth and my acceptance of them, and will send it at once

to the prefect, praying him to sign it, and to forward it to Rome for

the approval of the senate. Pending an answer I trust that you will

abstain from any further attacks upon the villages."

"It may be a fortnight before the answer returns," Malchus replied;

"but if you will send up to this point a supply of cattle and flour

sufficient for our wants till the answer comes, I will promise to

abstain from all further action."

To this the Roman readily agreed, and for a fortnight Malchus and

his friends amused themselves by hunting deer and wild boar among the

mountains. After a week had passed a man had been sent each day to the

spot agreed upon to see if any answer had been received from Rome. It

was nearly three weeks before he brought a message to Malchus that the

terms had been accepted, and that the Roman commander would meet him

there on the following day with the document. The interview took place

as arranged, and the Roman handed to Malchus the document agreeing to

the terms proposed, signed by himself and the prefect, and ratified by

the senate. He said that if Malchus with his party would descend into

the road on the following morning three miles below Metalla they would

find an escort of Roman soldiers awaiting them, and that a vessel would

be ready at the port for them to embark upon their arrival.

Next day, accordingly, Malchus with his companions left the forest, and

marched down to the valley in military order. At the appointed spot

they found twenty Roman soldiers under an officer. The latter saluted

Malchus, and informed him that his orders were to escort them to the

port, and to see that they suffered no molestation or interference at

the hands of the natives on their march. Two days' journey took them to

Caralis, and in good order and with proud bearing they marched through

the Roman soldiers, who assembled in the streets to view so strange a

spectacle. Arrived at the port they embarked on board the ship prepared

for them, and there piled their arms on deck. A Roman officer received

them, and handed over, in accordance with the terms of the agreement,

the whole of the clothing and armour of which they had been deprived.

A guard of soldiers then marched on board, and an hour later the sails

were hoisted and the vessel started for her destination.

Anxiously Malchus and his companions gazed round the horizon in hopes

that some galleys of Capua or Carthage might appear in sight, although

indeed they had but small hopes of seeing them, for no Carthaginian ship

would be likely to be found so near the coast of Italy, except indeed if

bound with arms for the use of the insurgents in the northern mountains

of Sardinia. However, no sail appeared in sight until the ship entered

the mouth of the Tiber. As they ascended the river, and the walls and

towers of Rome were seen in the distance, the prisoners forgot their own

position in the interest excited by the appearance of the great rival of

Carthage.

At that time Rome possessed but little of the magnificence which

distinguished her buildings in the days of the emperors. Everything was

massive and plain, with but slight attempt at architectural adornment.

The temples of the gods rose in stately majesty above the mass of

buildings, but even these were far inferior in size and beauty to those

of Carthage, while the size of the city was small indeed in comparison

to the wide spreading extent of its African rival.

The vessel anchored in the stream until the officer in command landed

to report his arrival with the prisoners and to receive instructions.

An hour later he returned, the prisoners were landed and received by a

strong guard of spearmen at the water gate. The news had spread rapidly

through the city. A crowd of people thronged the streets, while at the

windows and on the roofs were gathered numbers of ladies of the upper

classes. A party of soldiers led the way, pushing back the crowd as they

advanced. A line of spearmen marched on either side of the captives, and

a strong guard brought up the rear to prevent the crowd from pressing

in there. Malchus walked at the head of the prisoners, followed by his

officers, after whom came the soldiers walking two and two.

There was no air of dejection in the bearing of the captives, and they

faced the regards of the hostile crowd with the air rather of conquerors

than of prisoners. They remembered that it was but by accident that they

had fallen into the hands of the Romans, that in the battlefield they

had proved themselves over and over again more than a match for the

soldiers of Rome, and that it was the walls of the city alone which had

prevented their marching through her streets as triumphant conquerors.

It was no novel sight in Rome for Carthaginian prisoners to march

through the streets, for in the previous campaigns large numbers of

Carthaginians had been captured; but since Hannibal crossed the Alps and

carried his victorious army through Italy, scarce a prisoner had been

brought to Rome, while tens of thousands of Romans had fallen into the

hands of Hannibal. The lower class of the population of Rome were at all

times rough and brutal, and the captives were assailed with shouts of

exultation, with groans and menaces, and with bitter curses by those

whose friends and relatives had fallen in the wars.

The better classes at the windows and from the housetops abstained

from any demonstration, but watched the captives as they passed with

a critical eye, and with expressions of admiration at their fearless

bearing and haughty mien.

"Truly, that youth who marches at their head might pose for a

Carthaginian Apollo, Sempronius," a Roman matron said as she sat at the

balcony of a large mansion at the entrance to the Forum. "I have seldom

seen a finer face. See what strength his limbs show, although he walks

as lightly as a girl. I have a fancy to have him as a slave; he would

look well to walk behind me and carry my mantle when I go abroad. See to

it, Sempronius; as your father is the military praetor, you can manage

this for me without trouble."

"I will do my best, Lady Flavia," the young Roman said; "but there may

be difficulties."

"What difficulties?" Flavia demanded imperiously. "I suppose the

Carthaginians will as usual be handed over as slaves; and who should

have a better right to choose one among them than I, whose husband,

Tiberius Gracchus, is Consul of Rome?"

"None assuredly," Sempronius replied. "It was only because, as I hear,

that youth is a cousin of Hannibal himself, and, young as he is, the

captain of his bodyguard, and I thought that my father might intend to

confine him in the prison for better security."

Flavia waved her hand imperiously.

"When did you ever hear of a slave escaping from Rome, Sempronius? Are

not the walls high and strong, and the sentries numerous? And even did

they pass these, would not the badge of slavery betray them at once to

the first who met them without, and they would be captured and brought

back? No, I have set my mind upon having him as a slave. He will go well

with that Gaulish maiden whom Postumius sent me from the banks of the

Po last autumn. I like my slaves to be as handsome as my other

surroundings, and I see no reason why I should be baulked of my fancy."

"I will do my best to carry out your wishes, Lady Flavia," Sempronius

replied deferentially, for the wife of the consul was an important

personage in Rome. Her family was one of the most noble and powerful in

the city, and she herself--wealthy, luxurious, and strong willed--was

regarded as a leader of society at Rome.

Sempronius deemed it essential for his future advancement to keep on

good terms with her. At the same time he was ill pleased at this last

fancy of hers. In the first place, he was a suitor for the hand of her

daughter Julia. In the second, he greatly admired the northern beauty

of the Gaulish slave girl whom she had spoken of, and had fully intended

that when Flavia became tired of her--and her fancies seldom lasted

long--he would get his mother to offer to exchange a horse, or a hawk,

or something else upon which Flavia might set her mind, for the slave

girl, in which case she would, of course, be in his power. He did not,

therefore, approve of Flavia's intention of introducing this handsome

young Carthaginian as a slave into her household. It was true that he

was but a slave at present, but he was a Carthaginian noble of rank as

high as that of Flavia.

That he was brave was certain, or he would not be the captain of

Hannibal's bodyguard. Julia was fully as capricious as her mother, and

might take as warm a fancy for Malchus as Flavia had done, while, now

the idea of setting this Gaulish girl and the Carthaginian together had

seized Flavia, it would render more distant the time when the Roman lady

might be reasonably expected to tire of the girl. However, he felt that

Flavia's wishes must be carried out; whatever the danger might be, it

was less serious than the certainty of losing that lady's favour unless

he humoured her whims.

His family was far less distinguished than hers, and her approval of his

suit with Julia was an unexpected piece of good fortune which he owed,

as he knew, principally to the fact that Gracchus wished to marry

his daughter to Julius Marcius, who had deeply offended Flavia by an

outspoken expression of opinion, that the Roman ladies mingled too much

in public affairs, and that they ought to be content to stay at home and

rule their households and slaves.

He knew that he would have no difficulty with his father. The praetor

was most anxious that his son should make an alliance with the house

of Gracchus, and it was the custom that such prisoners taken in war,

as were not sacrificed to the gods, should be given as slaves to the

nobles. As yet the great contests in the arena, which cost the lives

of such vast numbers of prisoners taken in war, were not instituted.

Occasional combats, indeed, took place, but these were on a small scale,

and were regarded rather as a sacrifice to Mars than as an amusement for

the people.

Sempronius accordingly took his way moodily home. The praetor had just

returned, having seen Malchus and the officers lodged in prison, while

the men were set to work on the fortifications. Sempronius stated

Flavia's request. The praetor looked doubtful.

"I had intended," he said, "to have kept the officers in prison until

the senate decided what should be done with them; but, of course, if

Flavia has set her mind on it I must strain a point. After all there

is no special reason why the prisoners should be treated differently to

others. Of course I cannot send the leader of the party to Flavia and

let the others remain in prison. As there are two of them I will send

them as presents to two of the principal families in Rome, so that

if any question arises upon the subject I shall at once have powerful

defenders; at any rate, it will not do to offend Flavia."

Malchus, as he was led through the streets of Rome, had been making

comparisons by no means to the favour of Carthage. The greater

simplicity of dress, the absence of the luxury which was so unbridled at

Carthage, the plainness of the architecture of the houses, the free and

manly bearing of the citizens, all impressed him. Rough as was the crowd

who jeered and hooted him and his companions, there was a power and

a vigour among them which was altogether lacking at home. Under the

influence of excitement the populace there was capable of rising

and asserting themselves, but their general demeanour was that of

subservience to the wealthy and powerful.

The tyranny of the senate weighed on the people, the numerous secret

denunciations and arrests inspired each man with a mistrust of his

neighbour, for none could say that he was safe from the action of secret

enemies. The Romans, on the other hand, were no respecters of persons.

Every free citizen deemed himself the equal of the best; the plebeians

held their own against the patricians, and could always return one of

the consuls, generally selecting the man who had most distinguished

himself by his hostility to the patricians.

The tribunes, whose power in Rome was nearly equal to that of the

consuls, were almost always the representatives and champions of the

plebeians, and their power balanced that of the senate, which was