Salammbô · Chapter
V: Tanith explained
Matho and Spendius infiltrate the temple of Tanith in Carthage to steal the sacred zaïmph, a divine veil that grants power to Carthage.
What happens
Matho and Spendius infiltrate the temple of Tanith in Carthage to steal the sacred zaïmph, a divine veil that grants power to Carthage. Matho hesitates due to sacrilege but is persuaded by Spendius's arguments of revenge and invincibility. After seizing the veil, Matho flees through the city amid chaos and curses from Salammbô, ultimately escaping to the Barbarian camp.
Themes in this chapter
Religious Fanaticism and Sacrifice
The theft of the zaïmph is framed as a sacrilege that could bring divine retribution, yet Matho is driven by a desperate longing for power and revenge.
Power and Corruption
Spendius argues that possessing the veil grants invincibility and divine power, corrupting Matho into committing the theft despite his initial horror.
Fate and Divine Retribution
Salammbô's curses and the city's terror reflect the belief that the theft will bring catastrophe, and Matho's flight is shadowed by impending doom.
Characters to notice
- Matho
Consumed by longing and terror, Matho steals the zaïmph despite his horror of sacrilege, then flees through Carthage bearing the veil.
- Spendius
The cunning former slave who persuades Matho to steal the zaïmph, guiding him through the temple and escaping via the cliff and sea.
- Salammbô
Confronts Matho after the theft, cursing him and the veil, and her imprecations echo through the city as he flees.
Key passages
“It is itself divine, for it forms part of her. The gods reside where their images are. It is because Carthage possesses it that Carthage is powerful.”
The veil is divine because it is part of the goddess; the gods dwell in their images, and Carthage's power stems from possessing it.
Spendius explains the theological significance of the zaïmph to Matho.
“A curse upon you, you who have plundered Tanith! Hatred, vengeance, massacre, and grief! May Gurzil, god of battles, rend you! may Mastiman, god of the dead, stifle you! and may the Other—he who may not be named—burn you!”
Salammbô curses Matho for stealing the veil, invoking gods of war, death, and an unnamed deity to bring destruction upon him.
Salammbô's imprecation underscores the religious horror of the theft.