Thus Moloch was in possession of Carthage; he clasped the ramparts, he rolled through the streets, he devoured the very corpses.
Men wearing cloaks made of collected rags in token of despair, stationed themselves at the corners of the cross-ways.

They declaimed against the Ancients and against Hamilcar, predicted complete ruin to the people, and invited them to universal destruction and license.

The most dangerous were the henbane-drinkers; in their crisis they believed themselves wild beasts, and leaped upon the passers-by to rend them.
Mobs formed around them, and the defence of Carthage was forgotten.

The Suffet devised the payment of others to support his policy.
In order to retain the genius of the gods within the town their images had been covered with chains.

Black veils were placed upon the Pataec gods, and hair-cloths around the altars; and attempts were made to excite the pride and jealousy of the Baals by singing in their ears: "Thou art about to suffer thyself to be vanquished! Are the others perchance more strong?
Show thyself! aid us! that the peoples may not say: 'Where are now their gods ?'" The colleges of the pontiffs were agitated by unceasing anxiety.