But Rome won at Zama. And as Roman historians gravely assure us that it was better for all subsequent civilization that Rome should win, why we gratefully acquiesce5; feeling, indeed, dully content that fate should, at all past times and crises, have shown herself as wisely beneficent to the winning cause as she is today. But however superior Rome may have been to Carthage, and however Roman valor6, Roman dogged endurance, Roman integrity, (Romana Fides) may have surpassed Carthaginian—yet Hannibal, favorite of Baal, towered mountain-high over all Romans of his day, and for a time, even over all Rome.
Hannibal’s personality thrills thro’ the centuries. The school-boy with the good wonder-flush of admiration7 at the revealing vistas8 of the past, understands Hannibal. That eternal enmity to Rome in the son of Hamilcar; that youthful vow9 at the altar of Baal and its life and death fulfilment; that Herculean crossing of the Alps; Ticino, Trebia, Thrasymenus, Cann?—Capua; Metaurus, Zama: exile, suicide—why the school-boy understands it all: and Hannibal, hunted victim of the past, is victor of the passing hour. Glamour10 of the historic page, generous youth, poets in prose, dreamers of dreams—and the Smoky City classroom[28] is all aglow11 with white-light from the Alps as Hannibal crosses; with red light from the bloody12 waters of Lake Thrasymenus; with gold-glow from the rings severed13 from the cold dead hands of Roman knights14 at dread15 Cann?; with mocking death-light as Hannibal defiantly16 dies!
Capua.
And after the great victory at Cann? Hannibal led his troops into winter quarters at Capua. Here his soldiers, relaxed from the severe discipline of war and wildly delighting in the genial17 climate of southern Italy, gave themselves up unrestrainedly to luxuries and pleasures. And just here at Capua, in the midst of those luxuries and pleasures, lay potentially the defeat at Zama.
For the Romans, gaining courage from despair, grimly faced the fatal losses of Cann?, and never were the Roman people more royally Roman than when they voted thanks to the consul19, Terrentius Varro the runaway20 loser of Cann?,—“because he had not despaired concerning the Republic” (quod de republica non desperasset). Every day spent by Hannibal and his army at Capua trebly weakened his fighting force and cause as it trebly strengthened the fighting force and cause of the Romans. Capua lost Metaurus, Zama, Carthage, and Semitic dominance in Europe. Ave Capua!
Defeat.
The Roman senate determined21 to carry the war into the enemy’s country hoping that thereby22 Carthage would be constrained23 to summon Hannibal and his army from Rome in order to defend the Carthaginian capital. Nor was this hope vain. Hannibal’s eight years’ success in Italy was negatived by this call from Carthage and his reluctant compliance24.
[29]
Rome’s ablest general, Scipio, with a well equipped army awaited Hannibal on his disheartened return into Africa. They met at Zama.
History or story relates that a personal interview between Scipio and Hannibal took place before the battle. Each stood in awe25 and admiration of the other: each felt mutually the charm of bravery, integrity, excellence26; as men they were friends, as leaders of hostile armies, they were enemies. The interview proved futile27. After a proudly lingering farewell they parted with dignity; and riding back to their respective armies prepared for immediate28 battle.
When the fight was fiercest and success seemed to favor the Carthaginians, suddenly the sun ceased to shine and darkness enveloped29 the contending hosts. It was an eclipse of the sun for which the Romans were, in great measure, prepared; the Carthaginians, wholly unprepared. Panic fear and superstitious30 terror seized upon Hannibal’s veterans; they who had crossed the Alps, and stood knee deep in blood at Lake Trasymene and at Cann?, yet quailed31 in this midday darkness.
With the slow and ghastly return of the light of the sun, Rome’s bull-dogs were again ferociously33 at slaughter34; but the Semitic heart had been smitten35 with awe of the unknown God; he would pray, not fight; he would fall prone36 in adoration37 of the awful Deity38 of darkness and of light. In vain did Hannibal strive to rouse his terror-stricken legions, in vain did he himself perform prodigies39 of valor: the hour of conquering Rome had come and on her way to world-conquest lay Zama. The Juggernaut of destiny rolled on, and Zama-Carthage fell to rise no more.
And After.
“It is not in the storm or in the strife40
We feel benumbed and wish to be no more;
But in the after silence on the shore—
When all is lost except a little life.”—Byron.
[30]
Hannibal was only forty-five when he lost Zama. That flame of hatred41 toward Rome, kindled42 at the altar of Baal when he was a boy of only nine years, still raged within him inextinguishably. He had lost his right eye in the Roman campaign. His brave brothers, Mago, hero of Trebia, and Hasdrubal, hero of Metaurus, had fallen in battle. The second Punic War, the war of Rome against Hannibal, or rather of Hannibal against Rome, had after phenomenal successes, ended in the disastrous43 defeat at Zama and in the most humiliating conditions of peace imposed upon Carthage by world-conquering Rome. All, indeed, seemed lost except a little life; yet in this dull defeat-peace, this wearily sullen44 after-storm, the old hate fires insatiably raged.
Hannibal, unsupported and unappreciated by his own country, passed over into Asia. He wandered from Asiatic court to court ever striving to arouse enmity towards Rome or to incite45 the nations to battle against her. Rome steadily46 pursued her inveterate47 foe48. From court to court he passed, and from country to country passed too, the paid assassins whose sole object in life was to bring Hannibal dead or alive to Rome.
And at the court of Prusias, king of Bythinia, Hannibal was at last hopelessly trapped. Hatefully grinning faces glared in upon him from corridors, doors, windows: Rome had won.
Hannibal’s presence of mind and proud dignity did not desert him even in that crucial hour, even when he toyed with death. Whilst adjusting his military robes in full presence of the leering faces at corridors, doors, and windows, he took from his finger a ring whose hollow setting contained a most potent18 poison. This he drank. And before any one of that self-gratulating victor-gang realized what was taking place, Hannibal fell forward dead.
The Catholic Church condemns49 suicide. The divine command Thou shalt not kill has as its complete predicate either thyself or[31] another. No man can escape from God. Death only shifts the scene.
Stoicism advocated suicide; and many philosophies of the past taught that a man ought not to outlive honor.
When one considers not only the chagrin51 and humiliations and mental agonies, but also the rank physical tortures inflicted52 upon the vanquished53 in times past, the full meaning of Vae Victis (Woe to the vanquished!) is brought forcibly to the mind. Those were wild-beast times and the jungle-fights are ferocious32. Plutarch speaking of the proscription54 list at the close of the civil war between C?sar and Anthony says: “The terms of their mutual1 concessions55 were these: that C?sar should desert Cicero, Lepidus his brother Paulus, and Anthony, Lucius C?sar, his uncle by his mother’s side. Thus they let their anger and fury take from them the sense of humanity, and demonstrated that no beast is more savage57 than man, when possessed58 with power answerable to his rage.” And we read in Marlowe’s “Tamburlaine” that this mighty59 despot, conqueror60 of many Asiatic kings, made use of these one time monarchs61 to draw him in his chariot: and that bridled62 and with bits in their mouths they fumed63 forward under the swishing wire-lash, while galling64 insults goaded65 on their pangs66.
“Forward, ye jades67!
Now crouch68, ye kings of greater Asia!
* * * * *
Thro’ the streets with troops of conquered kings,
I’ll ride in golden armor like the sun,
And in my helm a triple plume69 shall spring
Spangled with diamonds, dancing in the air,
To note me emperor of the threefold world.”
Whether this be only “Marlowe’s mighty line”, or whether it be the somewhat fantastic presentation of a dread reality—need not be known. The thoughtful student of history knows only too well just where to turn for human jungle-scenes. And[32] there are many. From Assyrian cruelty boasting of pyramids of severed ears, lips, noses, and the deft70 art of flaying71 alive—down to Balkan-Turkish atrocities72 and Mexican murders the forest-way is long and dark and dreary73. We hope light will yet shine upon this way. We dream that the black hags of war and of demon56 cruelty will not dare disport74 their hideousness75 in the future white-light. We would suspend judgment76 as to the past; we would not condemn50 Hannibal; we would play on the one-string lyre of hope—forlorn tho’ it be as Watts’ allegorical “Hope”—and we would wait kindly77 content with God’s plan for this world and for a better world to come.
点击收听单词发音
1 mutual | |
adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的 | |
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2 antagonistic | |
adj.敌对的 | |
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3 influentially | |
adv.有影响地;有力地 | |
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4 amity | |
n.友好关系 | |
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5 acquiesce | |
vi.默许,顺从,同意 | |
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6 valor | |
n.勇气,英勇 | |
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7 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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8 vistas | |
长条形景色( vista的名词复数 ); 回顾; 展望; (未来可能发生的)一系列情景 | |
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9 vow | |
n.誓(言),誓约;v.起誓,立誓 | |
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10 glamour | |
n.魔力,魅力;vt.迷住 | |
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11 aglow | |
adj.发亮的;发红的;adv.发亮地 | |
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12 bloody | |
adj.非常的的;流血的;残忍的;adv.很;vt.血染 | |
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13 severed | |
v.切断,断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 );断,裂 | |
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14 knights | |
骑士; (中古时代的)武士( knight的名词复数 ); 骑士; 爵士; (国际象棋中)马 | |
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15 dread | |
vt.担忧,忧虑;惧怕,不敢;n.担忧,畏惧 | |
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16 defiantly | |
adv.挑战地,大胆对抗地 | |
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17 genial | |
adj.亲切的,和蔼的,愉快的,脾气好的 | |
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18 potent | |
adj.强有力的,有权势的;有效力的 | |
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19 consul | |
n.领事;执政官 | |
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20 runaway | |
n.逃走的人,逃亡,亡命者;adj.逃亡的,逃走的 | |
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21 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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22 thereby | |
adv.因此,从而 | |
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23 constrained | |
adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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24 compliance | |
n.顺从;服从;附和;屈从 | |
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25 awe | |
n.敬畏,惊惧;vt.使敬畏,使惊惧 | |
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26 excellence | |
n.优秀,杰出,(pl.)优点,美德 | |
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27 futile | |
adj.无效的,无用的,无希望的 | |
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28 immediate | |
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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29 enveloped | |
v.包围,笼罩,包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30 superstitious | |
adj.迷信的 | |
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31 quailed | |
害怕,发抖,畏缩( quail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32 ferocious | |
adj.凶猛的,残暴的,极度的,十分强烈的 | |
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33 ferociously | |
野蛮地,残忍地 | |
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34 slaughter | |
n.屠杀,屠宰;vt.屠杀,宰杀 | |
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35 smitten | |
猛打,重击,打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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36 prone | |
adj.(to)易于…的,很可能…的;俯卧的 | |
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37 adoration | |
n.爱慕,崇拜 | |
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38 deity | |
n.神,神性;被奉若神明的人(或物) | |
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39 prodigies | |
n.奇才,天才(尤指神童)( prodigy的名词复数 ) | |
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40 strife | |
n.争吵,冲突,倾轧,竞争 | |
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41 hatred | |
n.憎恶,憎恨,仇恨 | |
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42 kindled | |
(使某物)燃烧,着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 ); 激起(感情等); 发亮,放光 | |
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43 disastrous | |
adj.灾难性的,造成灾害的;极坏的,很糟的 | |
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44 sullen | |
adj.愠怒的,闷闷不乐的,(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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45 incite | |
v.引起,激动,煽动 | |
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46 steadily | |
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地 | |
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47 inveterate | |
adj.积习已深的,根深蒂固的 | |
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48 foe | |
n.敌人,仇敌 | |
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49 condemns | |
v.(通常因道义上的原因而)谴责( condemn的第三人称单数 );宣判;宣布…不能使用;迫使…陷于不幸的境地 | |
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50 condemn | |
vt.谴责,指责;宣判(罪犯),判刑 | |
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51 chagrin | |
n.懊恼;气愤;委屈 | |
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52 inflicted | |
把…强加给,使承受,遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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53 vanquished | |
v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 );战胜;克服;抑制 | |
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54 proscription | |
n.禁止,剥夺权利 | |
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55 concessions | |
n.(尤指由政府或雇主给予的)特许权( concession的名词复数 );承认;减价;(在某地的)特许经营权 | |
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56 demon | |
n.魔鬼,恶魔 | |
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57 savage | |
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
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58 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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59 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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60 conqueror | |
n.征服者,胜利者 | |
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61 monarchs | |
君主,帝王( monarch的名词复数 ) | |
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62 bridled | |
给…套龙头( bridle的过去式和过去分词 ); 控制; 昂首表示轻蔑(或怨忿等); 动怒,生气 | |
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63 fumed | |
愤怒( fume的过去式和过去分词 ); 大怒; 发怒; 冒烟 | |
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64 galling | |
adj.难堪的,使烦恼的,使焦躁的 | |
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65 goaded | |
v.刺激( goad的过去式和过去分词 );激励;(用尖棒)驱赶;驱使(或怂恿、刺激)某人 | |
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66 pangs | |
突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 ); 悲痛 | |
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67 jades | |
n.玉,翡翠(jade的复数形式)v.(使)疲(jade的第三人称单数形式) | |
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68 crouch | |
v.蹲伏,蜷缩,低头弯腰;n.蹲伏 | |
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69 plume | |
n.羽毛;v.整理羽毛,骚首弄姿,用羽毛装饰 | |
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70 deft | |
adj.灵巧的,熟练的(a deft hand 能手) | |
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71 flaying | |
v.痛打( flay的现在分词 );把…打得皮开肉绽;剥(通常指动物)的皮;严厉批评 | |
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72 atrocities | |
n.邪恶,暴行( atrocity的名词复数 );滔天大罪 | |
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73 dreary | |
adj.令人沮丧的,沉闷的,单调乏味的 | |
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74 disport | |
v.嬉戏,玩 | |
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75 hideousness | |
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76 judgment | |
n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见 | |
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77 kindly | |
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 | |
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