In which the gallant trireme bearing Hamilcar, the Suffet, returns to Carthage amidst a mixture of wonder and unease, as he surveys the diminished fleet and contemplates the weight of his past campaigns and the prospects ahead. He then retreats to the secretive assembly of the Ancients in the temple of Moloch, where a gathering of grave and cunning men convenes under flickering torches and the watchful presence of an imposing idol, wrapping the city in an atmosphere of mystery and solemn purpose.