Context:

Flaubert's novel about ancient Carthage is referenced multiple times throughout the episode. Extended passages are quoted describing the character Hamilcar and the Libyan mercenary Matho, including the graphic torture scene at the novel's climax. One host mentions studying it at university.

Context:

The episode opens with a passage from this 1862 novel about ancient Carthage, describing child sacrifice to Moloch. Explicitly identified as a book by the author of Madame Bovary.