I'd be glad of other opinions on this. On this page

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/dalby/extra/SalammboFeast.html

I've put the French text and two English translations of the
Carthaginian Feast which is the first scene in Flaubert's Salammbo
(1862). My questions:

Did Flaubert's research pay off? Is this feast realistic? How well have
the translators managed? Incidentally, does anyone fancy recreating
this scene today?

A few initial comments/queries: I don't know anything about the
force-fed puppies with pink bristles (and I'm not sure if I want to);
does anyone? I suppose that by 'assa foetida' (which is the correct
French spelling, incidentally) Flaubert means silphium? What is
Tamrapanni wood?

Andrew