The Young Carthaginian 17

Study Guide Questions for Ch. 17 “The Escape”

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Grammar Questions: (The Information of the Text)

1. Who located Malchus in his prison and how did he find him?

2. Under what pretense was Malchus charged with a crime worthy of the death penalty?

3. By what means was Malchus extracted from his prison cell?

4. What was determined to be the best hiding place for Malchus?

5. What signals were devised to communicate if Malchus was safe or in danger while in his hiding place?

6. What plan does Nessus come up with to get Malchus out of the heavily guarded citadel?

7. For what reason did the Mahout, who was “a crafty fellow”, teach his elephant the tricks which were useful to help Malchus escape?

8. How did Nessus manage to survive the attack previously made upon him while on board the ship to Carthage?

9. What system had been put into place after Malchus’ escape to make sure no one left the citadel who wasn’t supposed to?

Logic Questions: (Interpreting, Comparing/Contrasting, Reasoning)

1. Why would Hanno charge Malchus with conspiracy against his country when he had previously been cleared of wrongdoing in the situation with Giscon?

2. Why were the underground water reservoirs so critical for Carthage in the case of a siege? In other words, what does a siege involve which makes this reserve necessary?

3. Why was Hanno “moving heaven and earth” to find Malchus? Why was it so important to him that Malchus be found?

Rhetoric Questions: (The Analysis of Ideas in the Text)

1. Is Nessus a good man? Why or why not?

2. Malchus spent a long time waiting to escape from his hiding place with very little to do. Have you ever had a situation where you were stuck waiting for a very long time? What was it that caused you to be in that holding pattern and how did you pass the time? What ought we to do with times like that to make the most of it?

Theological Analysis: (Sola Scriptura)

1. Read Psalm 37. What does this Psalm teach us about waiting in times of trouble? How should the believer behave during turbulent and troubled times?