In which Hamilcar Barca confronts the bitter recriminations of the Carthaginian council, his impassioned pleas and bitter truths stirring both admiration and rancour among the assembled Ancients, while accusations and insults cut deep beneath the temple’s vaulted shadows. The Suffet’s tumultuous presence and solemn vows punctuate a city gripped by fear and discord, glimpsed through the eyes of its divided dignitaries and the restless multitude beyond.