Salammb‪ô‬

Salammbô is a historical novel by Gustave Flaubert set in ancient Carthage after the First Punic War. The story follows Salammbô, the daughter of the Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca, and Matho, a mercenary leader who becomes obsessed with her. Against a background of rebellion, warfare, political intrigue, religious ritual, and social unrest, their lives become bound together by passion and conflict. Flaubert combines extensive historical detail with vivid descriptions of ancient customs, battles, and ceremonies. The novel explores desire, power, violence, loyalty, and fate while presenting a dramatic and richly imagined portrait of the ancient Mediterranean world.