eloquence against his private interest, and could conclude upon a measure which was to terminate in his own ruin. 9.  But he soon relieved their embarrassment by breaking off the treaty, and by rising, in order to return to his bonds and his confinement. 10.  In vain did the senate and his dearest friends entreat his stay; he still repressed their solicitations.  Marcia, his wife, with her children, vainly entreated to be permitted to see him:  he still obstinately persisted in keeping his promise; and though sufficiently apprised of the tortures that awaited his return, without embracing his family, or taking leave of his friends, he departed with the ambassadors for Carthage.

11.  Nothing could equal the fury and the disappointment of the Carthagin’ians, when they, were informed by their ambassadors that Regulus, instead of hastening a peace, had given his opinion for continuing the war. 12.  They accordingly prepared to punish his conduct with the most studied tortures.  His eye-lids were cut off, and he was remanded to prison.  After some days, he was again brought out from his dark and dismal dungeon, and exposed with, his face opposite the burning sun.  At last, when malice was fatigued studying all the arts of torture, he was put into a sort of barrel, stuck full of spikes, and in this painful position he continued till he died.

13.  Both sides now took up arms with more than former animosity.  At length, Roman perseverance was crowned with success; and one victory followed on the back of another.  Fa’bius Bu’teo, the consul, once more showed them the way to naval victory, by defeating a large squadron of the enemy’s ships; but Luta’tius Cat’ulus gained a victory still more complete, in which the power of Carthage seemed totally destroyed at sea, by the loss of a hundred and twenty ships. 14.  This loss compelled the Carthagin’ians again to sue for peace, which Rome thought proper to grant; but still inflexible in its demands, exacted the same conditions which Reg’ulus had formerly offered at the gates of Carthage. 15.  These were, that they should lay down a thousand talents of silver, to defray the charge of the war, and should pay two thousand two hundred more within ten years; that they should quit Sicily, with all such islands as they possessed near it; that they should never make war against the allies of Rome, nor come with any vessels of war within the Roman dominions; and lastly, that all their prisoners and deserters should be delivered up without ransom.

[Sidenote:  U.C. 513.]

16.  To these hard conditions, the Carthagin’ians, now exhausted, readily subscribed; and thus ended the first Punic war, which had lasted twenty-four years; and, in some measure, had drained both nations of their resources.

Questions for Examination.

1.  What were the Carthaginians now desirous of obtaining?

2.  Was Regulus employed for this purpose?

3.  How was Regulus received by the Romans?