The Project Gutenberg EBook of Sonnica, by Vicente Blasco Ibanez

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Title: Sonnica

Author: Vicente Blasco Ibanez

Translator: Frances Douglas

Release Date: March 29, 2010 [EBook #31821]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SONNICA ***

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SONNICA

BY

VICENTE BLASCO IBANEZ

Translated from the Spanish by
FRANCES DOUGLAS

[Illustration]

NEW YORK
DUFFIELD & COMPANY
1919

COPYRIGHT 1912
By DUFFIELD & COMPANY

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. AT APHRODITE'S TEMPLE 3

II. SAGUNTUM 45

III. DANCING GIRLS FROM GADES 95

IV. GREEK AND CELTIBERIAN 143

V. INVASION 174

VI. ASBYTE AND HANNIBAL 200

VII. THE WALLS OF SAGUNTUM 234

VIII. THE ROME OF FABIUS THE DELAYER 258

IX. THE HUNGRY CITY 285

X. THE LAST NIGHT 311

SONNICA

CHAPTER I

AT APHRODITE'S TEMPLE.

When the ship of Polyanthus, the Saguntine pilot, arrived off the port
of his native land, the mariners and fishermen, their vision sharpened
by ever watching the distant horizon, had already recognized his
saffron-dyed sail and the image of Victory, which, with extended wings,
and holding a crown in her right hand, stretched along the prow until it
dipped its feet in the waves.

"It is Polyanthus' ship! It is the Victoriata returning from Gades and
New Carthage!"

To obtain a better view they rushed out upon the stone breakwater
surrounding the three basins of the port of Saguntum, which were
connected with the sea by a long canal.

The low marshy land, overgrown with reeds and tangled aquatic plants,
extended as far as the Gulf of Sucro, which bounded the horizon by its
curving blue belt, and over which the fishermen's smacks skimmed like
dragon flies. The trireme slowly advanced. The colored