“Another hundred on the Jew!” shouted Sanballat. Nobody appeared to hear him. The situation below was too absorbing, and they were too busy shouting, “Messala! Messala! Jove with us!”
While the spectators were shivering at the Athenian’s mishap, and the Sidonian, Byzantine, and Corinthian were striving to avoid involvement in the ruin, Ben-Hur drew head to the right,[788] and, with all the speed of his Arabs, darted[789] across the trails of his opponents, and took the course[790] neck and neck with Messala, though on the outside. And now, racing together, side by side, a narrow interval between them, the two neared the second goal. Making the turn here was considered the most telling test of a charioteer. A hush[791] fell over the circus. Then, it would seem, Messala observed Ben-Hur
and recognized him, and at once the audacity of the man flamed out.
“Down, Eros![792] up, Mars!”[793] he shouted, whirling his lash. “Down, Eros! up, Mars!” he repeated, and gave the Arab steeds of Ben-Hur a cut, the like of which they had never known.
The blow was seen in every quarter. The silence deepened and the boldest held his breath.[794] The affrighted four sprang forward[795] as with one impulse, and forward leaped[796] the car. The car trembled with a dizzy lurch, but Ben-Hur kept his place and gave the horses free rein, and called to them in a soothing voice, trying to guide them round[797] the dangerous turn, and before the fever of the people began to abate he had back the mastery. Nor that only; on approaching the first goal he was again side by side with Messala, bearing with him the sympathy and admiration of every one[798] not a Roman. Even Messala, with all his boldness, felt it unsafe to trifle further.
On[799] whirled the cars. Three rounds were concluded; still Messala held the inside position; still Ben-Hur moved with him side by side; still the other competitors followed as before. The contest began to have the appearance of a double race, Messala and Ben-Hur in the first, the Corinthian, Sidonian, and Byzantine in the second. In the fifth round the Sidonian succeeded in getting a place outside Ben-Hur, but lost it directly. The sixth round was entered upon without change of relative position. Gradually the speed had been quickened; men and beasts seemed to know alike that the final crisis was near. The interest, which from the beginning
had centred chiefly in the struggle between the Roman and the Jew, with an intense general sympathy for the latter, was fast changing to anxiety on his account. On all the benches the spectators bent forward, motionless.
“A hundred sestertii on the Jew!”[800] cried Sanballat to the Romans.
There was no reply.
“A talent, or five talents, or ten;[801] choose ye!”