[15] Rēgulus deinde in Āfricam prīmus[6] Rōmānōrum ducum trāiēcit.
Clypeam urbem et trecenta[7] castella expūgnāvit, neque[8]
cum hominibus tantum, sed etiam cum mōnstrīs dīmicāvit. Nam
cum ad flūmen Bagradam castra habēret, anguis mīrā māgnitūdine
exercitum Rōmānōrum vexābat; multōs mīlitēs ingentī ōre corripuit;
[20] plūrēs caudae verbere ēlīsit[9]; nōnnūllōs ipsō pēstilentis
hālitūs adflātū exanimāvit. Neque is tēlōrum īctū perforārī
poterat, dūrissimā[10] squāmārum lōrīcā omnia tēla facile repellente.
Cōnfugiendum[11] fuit ad māchinās advectīsque ballistīs[12]
et catapultīs, velut[13] arx quaedam mūnīta, dēiciendus hostis fuit.
[25] Tandem saxōrum pondere oppressus[14] iacuit, sed cruōre suō flūmen
corporisque pēstiferō adflātū vīcīna loca īnfēcit Rōmānōsque castra
inde submovēre coēgit.[15] Corium bēluae, centum et vīgintī pedēs[16]
longum, Rōmam mīsit Rēgulus.
Huīc ob rēs[17] bene gestās imperium in annum proximum prōrogātum
[30] est. Quod ubi cōgnōvit Rēgulus, scrīpsit senātuī vīlicum
suum in agellō, quem septem iūgerum[1] habēbat, mortuum esse et
servum, occāsiōnem nactum,[2] aufūgisse ablātō īnstrūmentō[3]
rūsticō ideōque petere sē ut sibi[4] successor in Āfricam mitterētur,
nē, dēsertō agrō, nōn esset unde[5] uxor et līberī alerentur.[6]
[35] Senātus, acceptīs litterīs, rēs quās Rēgulus āmīserat pūblicā pecūniā
redimī iussit, agellum colendum[7] locāvit, alimenta[8] coniugī ac
līberīs praebuit. Rēgulus deinde multīs proeliīs Carthāginiēnsium
opēs contudit[9] eōsque pācem petere coēgit. Quam cum
Rēgulus nōllet nisi dūrissimīs condiciōnibus[10] dare, ā
[40] Lacedaemoniīs illī auxilium petiērunt.
Lacedaemoniī Xanthippum, virum bellī perītissimum, Carthāginiēnsibus
mīsērunt, ā quō Rēgulus victus est ūltimā perniciē[10]:
nam duo tantum mīlia hominum ex omnī Rōmānō
exercitū refūgērunt et Rēgulus ipse captus et in carcerem
B.C.
251 [45] coniectus est. Inde Rōmam dē permūtandīs captīvīs missus
est datō iūreiūrandō. ut,[11] sī nōn impetrāsset,[12] redīret ipse
Carthāginem. Quī cum Rōmam vēnisset, inductus in senātum
mandāta exposuit; sententiam[13] nē dīceret recūsāvit; quamdiū[14]
iūreiūrandō hostium tenērētur, sē nōn esse senātōrem. Iūssus
[50] tamen sententiam dīcere, negāvit[15] esse ūtile captīvōs Poenōs
reddī, illōs enim adulēscentēs esse et bonōs ducēs, sē iam
cōnfectum[1] senectūte. Cūius cum[2] valuisset auctōritās, captīvī
retentī sunt, ipse, cum retinērētur ā propinquīs et amīcīs, tamen
Carthāginem rediit: neque vērō tunc īgnōrābat sē ad crūdēlissimum
[55] hostem et ad exquīsīta supplicia proficīscī, sed iūsiūrandum
cōnservandum[3] putāvit. Reversum[4] Carthāginiēnsēs omnī
cruciātū necāvērunt: palpebrīs enim resectīs aliquamdiū in locō
tenebricōsō tenuērunt: deinde cum sōl esset ārdentissimus, repente
ēductum intuērī caelum coēgērunt; postrēmō in arcam līgneam,
[60] undique clāvīs praeacūtīs horrentem et tam angustam, ut ērēctus
perpetuō manēre cōgerētur, inclūsērunt. Ita dum fessum corpus,
quōcumque inclīnābat, stimulīs ferreīs cōnfoditur, vigiliīs et dolōre
continuō interēmptus est. Hīc fuit Atīliī Rēgulī exitus, ipsā vītā
clārior et inlūstrior.
Skip to [next selection].
[39.7] clāde adfēcisset = ‘had inflicted defeat upon.’ Cf. eō genere . . . adficiēbātur, XVI, 31. The reference is to the naval victory off Ecnomus, in Sicily.
[39.8] Note carefully the two ways of expressing purpose, the future participle being exactly equivalent to ut with the subjunctive. See [p. xviii], E 5; quasi = ‘as if,’ and is contrasted with rē vērā, ‘in reality.’
[39.9] The subjunctive in reality expresses purpose. See also [p. xx], G 3.
[39.10] exorior.
[39.11] idem . . . esse: ‘the same thing ought to be done to him.’ The gerundive with esse denotes either physical necessity (‘must’), or moral obligation (‘ought’).
[39.12] abl. of the measure of difference: H 479 (423): M 655: A 250: G 403: B 223. paucīs annīs is a sort of temporal adverb with ante.