Numidiyskomu tsarevichu Massinisse prihoditsya zhit vdali ot svoey rodnoy Massilii, v gorode, kotoryy nazyvayut Stolitsey mira, - v Karfagene. Zdes' mnogie ne rady ego prisutstviyu, a nekotorye i vovse zamyshlyayut ubit naslednika prestola Vostochnoy Numidii.
Odnako sdelat eto neprosto: prirodnaya smekalka i dobroe serdtse, otchayannaya smelost i umenie druzhit pomogayut Massinisse vyhodit iz samyh otchayannyh situatsiy. V kontse kontsov emu otdayut dolzhnoe dazhe ego yavnye vragi. Odnako tsarevich po-prezhnemu ostaetsya pochetnym zalozhnikom Karfagena.
Vprochem, nachinayuschayasya Vtoraya Punicheskaya voyna s Rimom otkryvaet pered Massinissoy novye vozmozhnosti.