REG'ULUS, MAncus Armus. A Roman general. He was consul for the first time in B.C. 267, and, for his successes against the Sallentmi, obtained the honor of a triumph. Chosen a second time (B.C. 256), he was sent along with his colleague, L. Alanlins Vials°, at the head of a navy of 330 ships (with a land army on board) against the Carthaginians, it being the moth year of the First Punic War. and encountering the enemy's fleet off Heraclea :Minor, he totally defeated it. The Romans then landed near where they established their headquar ters, and ravaged the surrounding Carthaginian territory with tire and but Manlius being recalled to Rome with one-half of the land forces, Regulus was left to carry on the war with the remainder. For sonic time he was vielorions iu every encounter, hut at last (s.c. 25.i) suffered a total defeat; 30.000 Romans were loft dead on the field, about 2,000 tied and took shelter in Clypea, and Regulus, with 500 more. was taken prisoner. Regulus remained in captivity for live yeas, but when fresh reverses induced the ('agihasiniaus to peace, he was released on parole and sent to Rouge in company with the Punic envoys. The rest of his history is one of the most favorite of Roman tales. According to these legends. Regulus at
first refused to enter Rome, sinee he wa, longer a citizen; after this conseientious scruple was overcome, he declined to give his opinion in the senate until he was comnianded to he then earnestly dissuaded them from agreeing to ally of the Carthaginian proposals, even to an exchange of prisoners, and after he had suc ceeded, by his earnest appeals, in obtaining the rejection of the Carthaginian offers, he resisted all persuasions to break his parole, though con scious of the fate that awaited !din. and refus ing even to see his flintily. returned with the ambassadors to Carthage. where the rulers put him to death with the most horrible torture,. The common story is that lie was placed in a cask or chest stuck full of nails with the points pro jecting inward, and rolled about till he expired; and on the news of this event reaching Rome, retaliations equally atrocious were committed on two of the noblest Carthaginian prisoners. This story, however, is not mentioned by Polvbius (about B.c. 200), who details at great length the achievements of Regulus.