A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

CHAPTER XXXIII
THE FIRST AND SECOND PUNIC WARS
I. The Story of Regulus
Early in the Sicilian war the Romans sent three hundred Regulus in
and fifty ships to Africa, captured many towns, and left in
command of the army AtiHus Regulus, who took about two
hundred more towns, which gave themselves up to him on
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account of their hatred of the Carthaginians. Continually events lead-
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ing up to this
advancing, the Roman general ravaged the country, invasion, see
Thereupon the Carthaginians, considering their misfortune
due to bad generalship, asked the Lacedaemonians to send
them a commander.
They sent Xanthippus. Regulus, encamped in the hot
season by the side of a lake, marched round it to engage the
enemy.
His soldiers were suffering greatly from the weight
of their arms, from dust, thirst, and fatigue, and were exposed
to missiles from the neighboring hills. Toward evening
he came to a river
*vhich separated the two armies.
This he crossed at once, for he thought in this way to
terrify Xanthippus; but the Lacedaemonian, anticipating
an easy victory over an enemy thus harassed and exhausted,
took advantage of the night to draw up his forces
and make a sudden sally from the camp. The expectation
of Xanthippus was not disappointed. Of the thirty thousand
men led by Regulus, a few only escaped with difficulty
to the city of Aspis.
All the rest were either killed or taken
prisoners; and among the captives was the consul Regulus
himself.
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