A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

644 REGULUS. REGULUS.
geon, and-then suddenly exposed to the full rays of a sent the consuls to Sicily with an army of four
burning sun. When the news of the barbarous legions and two hundred ships. Regulus and his
death of Regulus reached Rome, the senate is said colleague undertook the siege of Lilybaeum, the
to have given Hamilcar and Bostar, two of the most important possession of the Carthaginians in
noblest Carthaginian prisoners, to the family'of Sicily; but they were foiled in their attempts to
Regulus, who revenged themselves by putting carry the place by storm, and after losing a great
them to death with cruel torments. (Liv. Epit. 18; number of men, were obliged to turn the siege
Gell. vi. 4; Diod. xxiv. p. 566, ed. Wesseling; into a blockade. (Polyb. i. 39, 41-48; Zonar.
Appian, Sic. 2, Pun. 4; Dion Cass. Fraym. p. 62, viii. 1.5; Ores. iv. 10; Died. Fragm. xxiv.)
ed. Reimarus, p.541, ed. Maii; Zonar. viii. 15; Val. This Regulus is the first Atilius who bears the
Max. i. I. ~ 14, ix. 2. ext. 1; Aurel. Vict. de Vir. Ill. surname Serranus, which afterwards became the
40; Flor. ii. 2; Cic. de 0.f: iii. 26, pro Sext. 59, name of a distinct family in the gens. The origin
Cat. 20, in ]Pison. 19, de Fin. v. 27, 29, et alibi; of this name is spoken of under SERRANUS.
Hor. Caren. iii. 5; Sil. Ital. vi. 299, &c.) 5. M. ATILIITS M. F. M. N. REGULUS, son of
This celebrated tale, however, has not been the Regulus who perished in Africa [No. 3], was
allowed to pass without question in modern times. consul for the first time in B. c. 227, with P. VaEven as early as the sixteenth century Palmerius lerius Flaccus, in which year no event of importance
declared it to be a fable, and supposed that it was is recorded (Fasti; Gell. iv. 3). He was elected
invented in order to excuse the cruelties perpetrated consul a second time in B. c. 217, to supply the
by the family of Regulus on the Carthaginian pri- place of C. Flaminius, who had fallen in the battle.soners committed to their custody. (Seethe remarks of the Trasimene lake. He carried on the war
of Palmerius, in Schweighiiuser's Appian, vol. iii. against Hannibal together with his colleague Serp. 394.) This opinion has been adopted by many vilius Geminus, on the principles of the dictator
modern writers; but their chief argument is the Fabius. At the end of their year of office their
silence of Polybius respecting it. Niebuhr believes imperium was prolonged, as the new consuls had
(Hist. of Rome, vol. iii. p. 599) that Regulus died a not yet been elected; but when Aemilius Paulus
natural death; but since all the ancient authorities and Terentius Varro were at length appointed, and
agree in stating that he was put to death by the took the field, Regulus was allowed to return to
Carthaginians, we see no reason for disbelieving Rome on account of his age, and his colleague Serthis fact, though the account of his barbarous treat- vilius remained with the army (Liv. xxii. 25, 32,
ment is probably only one of those calumnies which 34, 40). Polybius, on the contrary, says (iii. 114,
the Romans constantly indulged in against their 11 6) that Regulus remained with the new consuls,
hated rivals. The pride and arrogance with which and fell at the battle of Cannae, where he comhe treated the Carthaginians in the hour of his landed, with Servilius, the centre of the line. This
success must have deeply exasperated the people statement, however, is erroneous, and we must for
against him; and it is therefore not surprising once follow Livy in preference to Polybius, since it
that he fell a victim to their vengeance when is certain that the same Regulus was censor two
nothing was any longer to be gained from his life. years after the battle of Cannae. (Comp. PerizoThe question of the death of Regulus is discussed nius, Animadv. Hist. c. 1, sub fin.; and Schweigat length by Halthaus ((4eschiclste Roes imZeitalter hbuser, ad Polyb. iii. 114.)
der Punisclen Kriege, Leipzig, 1846, pp. 356- After the battle of Cannae, B. C. 216, Regulus
369), who maintains the truth of the common was one of the triumviri mensarii, who were apaccount. pointed on account of the scarcity of money. In
Regulus was one of the favourite characters of B. C. 214 he was censor with P. Furius Philus.
early Roman story. Not only was he celebrated on These censors punished with severity all persons
account of his heroism in giving the senate advice who had failed in their duty to the state during
which secured him a martyr's death, but also on the great calamities which Rome had lately expeaccount of his frugality and simplicity of life. Like rienced. All those who had formed the project of
Fabricius and Curius he lived on his hereditary leaving Italy after the battle of Cannae, and all
farm which he cultivated with his own hands; those who had been taken prisoners by Hannibal,
and subsequent ages loved to tell how he petitioned and when sent as ambassadors to Rome on the prothe senate for his recall from Africa when he was mise of returning to the Carthaginian camp, had not
in the full career of victory, as his farm was going redeemed their word, were reduced to the condition
to ruin in his absence, and his family was suffering of aerarians. The same punishment was inflicted
from want. (Comp. Liv. Epit. 18; Val. Max. iv. on all the citizens who had neglected to serve in
4. ~ 6.) the army for four years without having a valid
4. C. ATILIUS M. F. M. N. REGULUS SERRA- ground of excuse. Towards the end of the year,
NUS, was consul for the first time in B. C. 257, with when the new tribunes of the people entered upon
Cn. Cornelius Blasio, and prosecuted the war against their duties, one of their number, Metellus, who
the Carthaginians. He defeated the Carthaginian had been reduced to the condition of an aerarian by
fleet off the Liparaean islands, though not without the censors, attempted to bring these magistrates
considerable loss; obtained possession of the islands to trial before the people, but was prevented by
of Lipara and Melite, which he laid waste with fire the other tribunes from prosecuting such an unand sword, and received the honour of a naval precedented course [METELLUS, No. 2]. As Futriumph on his return to Rome (Polyb. i. 25; rius Philus died at the beginning of the following
Zonar. viii. 12; Oros. iv. 8; Fasti Capitol.). Re- year, before the solemn purification (lustrum) of
gulus was consul a second time in B. C. 250, with the people had been performed, Regulus, as was
L. Manlius Vulso. In this year the Romans usual in such cases, resigned his office. (Liv. xxiii.
gained a brilliant victory at Panormus, under the 21, xxiv. 11, 18, 43; Val. Max. ii. 9. ~ 8.)
proconsul Metellus, and thinking that the time had 6. C. ATILIUS M. F. M. N. REGULUS, probably
now come to bring the war to a conclusion, they a brother of No. 5, consul a. c. 225, with L.