Marcus Atilius Regulus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Marcus Atilius Regulus is the name of several statesmen of the Roman Republic.

The most notable by far was Marcus Atilius Regulus (died c. 250 BC), a general and consul (for the second time) in the ninth year of the First Punic War (256 BC). Regulus defeated the Salentini and captured Brundisium (now Brindisi) during his first term as consul in 267 BC.

He was one of the commanders in the Roman naval expedition that shattered the Carthaginian fleet at Cape Ecnomus, and landed an army on Carthaginian territory. The invaders were so successful that the other consul, Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus, was recalled to Rome, leaving Regulus behind to finish the war.

After a severe defeat at Adys near Carthage, the Carthaginians were inclined towards peace, but the terms proposed by Regulus were so harsh that they resolved to continue the war. The Cathaginians replaced the outmatched general Hamilcar (Drepanum) with new leadership and in 255 BC, Regulus was completely defeated at the Battle of Tunis. He was taken prisoner by the Spartan mercenary general Xanthippus along with 500 of his men.

There is no further trustworthy information about him. According to tradition, he remained in captivity until 250 BC, when after the defeat of the Carthaginians at the Battle of Panormus he was sent to Rome on parole to negotiate a peace or exchange of prisoners. On his arrival he strongly urged the Roman Senate to refuse both proposals, and honored his parole by returning to Carthage where he was tortured to death (Horace, Odes, iii. 5). This story made Regulus an example of heroic endurance to later Romans; most historians, however, regard this account as insufficiently attested, as Polybius does not mention it. The tale may have been invented by the annalists to excuse cruel treatment of the Carthaginian prisoners by the Romans.

[edit] References

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

Preceded by: Publius Sempronius Sophus and Appius Claudius Russus	Consul of the Roman Republic with Lucius Iulius Libo 267 BC	Succeeded by: Decimus Iunius Pera and Numerius Fabius Pictor
Preceded by: Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus and Quintus Caedicius	Consul (Suffect) of the Roman Republic with Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus 256 BC	Succeeded by: Marcus Aemilius Paullus and Servius Fulvius Paetinus Nobilior