This is my adaptation of a scene in Gustave Flaubert’s classic historical-fiction novel Salammbo, which is set in ancient Carthage during the time of the Mercenary War (241-237 BC). In this scene, the titular Carthaginian priestess Salammbo performs a special ritual in which she strips herself nude and dances with a sacred python. It’s been a popular scene for illustrators to adapt ever since the novel’s publication in 1862 (for what should be self-evident reasons), and I wanted to do my own take on it. Of course, I had to put a few skimpy garments on Salammbo rather than making her totally nude to make the piece “safe for work”.