Chapter 24 end

Two weeks after the bloody battle on the banks of the Bradanas, the war against the gladiators was finally over.The thousands of gladiators who survived the massacre all fled to the mountains.However, with no communication between them and no one to command them, coupled with the constant pursuit of Crassus and the army of Pompey who had recently arrived on the battlefield, these sporadic troops were completely wiped out in a few days.About seven thousand warriors were captured, and they were all hanged on both sides of the Via Appius from Capua to Rome. When the Romans buried the bodies of their fallen soldiers in battle on the banks of the Bradanus, they made an effort to find the body of Spartacus.But the search turned out to be in vain.All sorts of conjectures, even very curious ones, were made on this point, but of course they were not in accord with the facts.

This ended a war that lasted almost four years.Gladiators and slaves proved with their bravery in this battle that they were not only men who deserved to be free, but men who could do great things.Spartacus proved in this war that he was one of the most heroic and honorable generals the world has ever seen. The cause for which gladiators and slaves fought was the holiest and most just of all causes that inspired men to rise.Not only did the cause shed much blood then, it will demand much blood in the future.Much blood has been shed for it even in our own time, but the battles for which it is defended often last only a short period, and the achievements are insignificant. It has never been A total victory.

The tyranny of Rome weakened and perished.In its place came many other barbaric tyranny and the dark dominions of the Middle Ages; Feudalism and Catholicism, by deceitful means, fastened the fetters of oppressed nations more firmly; The relentless progress of science, rising like a tidal wave, made possible the French Revolution of 1793 after a hundred years of bloody fighting.This revolution finally established at least legal citizenship and human rights, and recognized that all people in the world are equal; although they are still some abstract principles, they are indisputable and indisputable principles.The laws established in this revolution, such as the relationship between the state and its citizens, and the rights and duties of each citizen to himself and others, are not yet perfect.But we have only to recall the terrible and rapid changes which have rocked society in the last period, and to listen to the faint rumble which, from time to time, reaches our ears and stirs up an apparently peaceful world. Understandable; these sullen rolling thunderclaps are the harbingers of still greater storms to come.

But for now, let's end this novel.We are going to take the reader to a place where you will meet two characters from my novel.And if you forgive me for consoling yourself with such hopes, you probably like those two characters very much, so you will never be uninterested in letting you know something about the lives of these two characters. Three weeks had passed since the bloody battle on the Bradanas ended.At that time, Crassus and Pompey, who were hostile and jealous of each other, had led their armies to the vicinity of Rome.They competed with each other, and they all believed that the credit for putting out the fire of the rebellion should belong to themselves, so they asked the Senate to allow them to be candidates for the consul.At this moment, in the villa of Dusgul, the beautiful Valeria was sitting on a little stool in her closet in her gray mourning gown.

Mesala's daughter was very pale, and on her face the traces of the great grief she had suffered not long ago still remained.Her eyelids were red and swollen with tears; her soft, thick black hair fell like a raven's wing over her graceful shoulders; On the face, there is an expression of indifferent melancholy, indescribable sorrow, and despair that is so deep that it breaks the heart. She sat there, resting her slightly tilted head on the palm of her left hand.The elbow of her right arm was resting on a small cabinet, and she was holding a piece of letter paper in her right hand.Her dark eyes were fixed on an urn.The face of this beautiful woman, lost in deep and silent grief, was exactly like that of Niobe.She seems to be saying: Look, who else in the world suffers more than me!

Adorable, fair-haired little Persian Doumia stood on a stool by the cupboard.She also wears mourning clothes.She had natural beauty, the innocent expression and gentle posture of a little girl.She stroked the portraits, leaves and patterns that should be on the urn with her delicate hands.From time to time she lifted her big, bright, dark eyes to look at her grieving mother, as if she were very sorry for her long silence. Suddenly, Valeria shuddered, brought to her eyes the letter she was always holding with her right hand, and read it again. Here is what the letter said: Holy Valeria.Messala, please accept the greetings and blessings of Spartacus.

Out of love for you, my holy Valeria, I met Marcus.Crassus, and tell him that I am willing to cease fighting.For love to you and to our sweet little Persian Doumia, I was ready to accept all possible terms; but this Sicilian governor and general, proposed to me treason as the price of life and liberty. I would rather be an ungrateful husband to you, and a cruel father to our daughter, than betray my rebellious brother, and put my name in everlasting disgrace. I will probably be dead when you read this letter: the decisive battle is at hand, in which bloody battle I will honorably end my life.

Such was the outline of my doom.Before dying, O my holy Valeria, I feel obliged to ask your forgiveness for the misfortune I have brought you.Please forgive me, and live happily; before I die, I will bless your most strong heart and noble and lovely soul. Live strong; live for your love for me, live for our innocent child, this is the wish and request of the dying. Tears were choking my throat, I was suffocating, and only one thought comforted me, and that was: I will embrace you in Elysium, where I will embrace your immortal soul. Now I kiss you one last time.I will think of you one last time, and my heart will beat for you one last time.

your spartacus Valeria finished reading the letter, pressed it to her lips, and burst into tears. Mom, why are you crying so sadly?the little girl asked sadly. My wretched child!cried Valeria in a voice mixed with weeping, while stroking little Persian Dumiya's head covered with golden curls.Then, looking at her daughter with indescribable tenderness, she said: Nothing!Mom has nothing!Don't be sad, my baby! She drew the little girl to her side, and, weeping, kissed her lovely forehead. You have nothing, why are you still crying?Little Persia Dumiya said to her mother in a reproachful tone: When I cry, you always say that I am not a good child!Well, mom, you're not a good mom now either!

Ah, don't say that, don't say it!cried the poor woman, kissing and fondling her daughter more passionately.Ah, my darling, do you know how your words hurt mother! But when you cry, I feel very sad too! Oh, my dear, how sweet you are, and how cruel to mother; from now on, you are the only one that mother loves! Having said these words, the unfortunate Valeria kissed the letter for a while, hid it in her bosom, and then, fighting back her weeping, took Pusdumia in her arms, and placed her in her lap. on the lap.She kissed and kissed her daughter, stroked her hair and said: You're right my sweetheart, I'm not a good mom but I won't be from now on.From now on, I only think of you alone, and I want to like you very, very much.My good daughter, how much I love you, do you like your mother?

Well, well, I've always liked my mother.I love my mother very much! Persia Dumiya raised her little head, put her cute little arms around her mother's neck, and began to kiss her passionately.Then, the little girl reached out to caress the urn again. The room was very still. Suddenly, Persian Dumiya asked her mother: Tell me, mother, what's in there? Fan Lailiya's eyes were filled with tears.She raised her head in grief and cried to the sky: O my wretched child! After a while, she managed to hold back her tears and said in a trembling voice: In this little urn, poor child, are your father's ashes! She spoke and began to cry again. (End of the book)