(1) L. Mānliō Vulsōne M. Atīliō Rēgulō cōnsulibus bellum in Āfricam trānslātum est. Contrā Hamilcarem, Carthāginiēnsium ducem, in marī pūgnātum victusque est. Nam perditīs sexāgintā quattuor nāvibus retrō sē recēpit. Rōmānī vīgintī duās āmīsērunt.

(2) Sed cum in Āfricam trānsīssent, prīmam Clypeam, Āfricae cīvitātem in dēditiōnem accēpērunt. Cōnsulēs ūsque ad Carthāginem prōcessērunt, multīsque vāstātīs Mānlius victor Rōmam rediit et vīgintī septem mīlia captīvōrum redūxit, Atīlius Rēgulus in Āfricā remānsit. Is contrā Āfrōs aciem īnstrūxit.

(3) Contrā trēs Carthāginiēnsium ducēs dīmicāns victor fuit, decem et octō mīlia hostium cecīdit, quīnque mīlia cum decem et octō elephantīs cēpit, septuāgintā quattuor cīvitātēs in fidem accēpit.

(4) Tum victī Carthāginiēnsēs pācem ā Rōmānīs petīvērunt. Quam cum Rēgulus nōllet nisi dūrissimīs condiciōnibus dare, Āfrī auxilium ā Lacedaemoniīs petīvērunt. Et duce Xanthippō, quī ā Lacedaemoniīs missus fuerat, Rōmānōrum dux Rēgulus victus est ultimā perniciē.

(5) Nam duo mīlia tantum hominum ex omnī Rōmānō exercitū refūgērunt, quīngentī cum imperātōre Rēgulō captī sunt, trīgintā mīlia occīsa, Rēgulus ipse in catēnās coniectus.

    Invasion of Africa by the Romans, 256 BCE

    (1) L. Mānliō Vulsōne M. Atīliō Rēgulō cōnsulibus: Ablative absolute with form of esse assumed (AG 419.a). Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus and M. Atilius Regulus were consuls in 256 BCE.

    Contrā Hamilcarem, Carthāginiēnsium ducem: This Hamilcar is not the famous Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal

    pūgnātum: supply est, "they fought"; passive form is used impersonally (AG 207.d)

    victusque est: "he [Hamilcar] was conquered" (Hazzard)

    perditīs sexāgintā quattuor nāvibus: ablative absolute using perfect passive participle (AG 419)

    sē recēpit: lit. "he took himself back" = "he withdrew" (Hazzard)

    Rōmānī vīgintī duās āmīsērunt: supply naves. In 256 BCE near Cape Ecnomus off the south coast of Sicily a Roman fleet of 330 ships defeated a slightly smaller Punic fleet, capturing fifty and sinking twenty-four, with the loss of only twenty-four Roman ships (Bird).

    (2) Sed cum in Āfricam trānsīssent: cum here is used circumstantially (AG 542).

    Clypeam, Āfricae cīvitātem: The Romans, now in control of the sea, landed unopposed at Clupea (Aspis) on Cape Bon and captured the city (Bird).

    in dēditiōnem accēpērunt: "they received in surrender" (Hazzard)

    ūsque ad Carthāginem: lit., "even up to" = "as far as" (Hazzard)

    multīsque vāstātīs: supply locīs. Ablative absolute using perfect passive participle (AG 419)

    Rōmam: "to Rome" (AG 427)

    Is: Rēgulus

    contra Āfrōs: i.e., Carthaginians

    (3) Contrā trēs Carthāginiēnsium ducēs dīmicāns victor fuit: Regulus achieved several easy victories, causing the Carthaginians to sue for peace (Bird).

    quīnque mīlia: supply hostium

    cum decem et octō elephantīs: "along with eighteen elephants"

    in fidem accēpit: "received in alliance." This is a mild [euphemistic] way of saying that he made [them] subjects of Rome (Hazzard).

    (4) Quam: connecting relative, referring to pacem

    cum Rēgulus nōllet: In clauses where cum is used causally, use the English “since” (AG 549).

    ā Lacedaemoniīs: The Spartans were called Lacedaemonii from Lacedaemon, another name for Sparta (Hazzard).

    duce Xanthippō: "with Xanthippus as their commander," ablative absolute with form of the verb esse assumed (AG 419.a). By the spring of 255 BCE, the Spartan mercenary general Xanthippus had reorganized and trained the Carthaginian army and he then forced the Romans under Regulus to give battle in the valley of the Bagradas. Here he completely routed the Romans and captured Regulus (Bird).

    missus fueratmissus erat. Eutropius ordinarily uses fueram, etc., for eram in the Pluperfect Passive Indicative (Hazzard)

    ultimā perniciē: "with disastrous losses" (Bird)

    (5) quīngentī: supply mīlitum

    trīgintā mīlia occīsa: supply sunt, refers to milites

    Rēgulus ipse in catēnās coniectus: supply est. Florus tactfully explains,

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    Regulus succeeded at everything he did. His name struck terror in the hearts of the enemy, for he either struck down or enslaved a large number of enemy forces, including its leaders, and he sent back to Rome a huge fleet of ships laden with booty. Now he was making his way to the heart of enemy territory, wanting to besiege the very gates of Carthage itself. But the winds of fortune changed, providing a sizable tragedy to make Roman virtue rise up all the more. For when the Carthaginian enemy sought foreign aid, Lacedaemon sent its leader Xanthippus to them. We were conquered by this cunningly skillful general, and we suffered an abominable tragedy unknown to Rome at that time: our brave general Regulus was captured alive. But Regulus was able to endure such a calamity, and his spirit remained unbroken despite being a prisoner-of-war. (1.18.86–100; Trans. K. Masters)

    Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates

    Mānlius, ī, m.

    the name of a Roman gens

    Vulsō, ōnis, m.

    L. Mānlius Vulsō, consul 256 B.C.

    M.

    M., abbreviation of the praenomen Marcus; M'., abbreviation of the praenomen Manius

    Atīlius, ī, m.

    the name of a Roman gens

    Rēgulus, ī, m.

    (1) M. Atīlius Rēgulus, consul 267 B.C.; (2) M. Atīlius Rēgulus, consul 256 B.C.

    Āfrica, ae, f.

    Africa; often the northern part of the continent, especially the part near Carthage

    trānsferō, ferre, tulī, lātus

    to bear or take over or across; transport, transfer

     
    Hamilcar, aris, m.

    a Carthaginian general in the first Punic war

    Carthāginiēnsis, e, adj.

    Carthaginian; as subst., Carthāginiēnsēs, ium, pl. m., the Carthaginians

     
    retrō, adv. backward, behind  
    Clypea, ae, f.

    a fortified town in the northern part of Africa, near Carthage

     
    dēditiō, ōnis [dēdō], f. a surrender  
    Carthāgō, inis, f.

    (1) Carthage, a city founded by the Phoenicians on the northern coast of Africa; destroyed by the Romans 146 BC; (2) Carthāgō Nova, a city founded by the Carthaginians on the eastern coast of Spain

     
    vāstō, āre, āvī, ātus

    to lay waste, devastate, destroy

    captīvus, a, um [capiō], adj.

    captive; as subst., captīvus, ī, m., captīva, ae, f., captive, prisoner of war

    redūcō, ere, dūxī, ductus

    to lead back; draw back; remove

     
    remaneō, ēre, mānsī to remain behind  
    Āfer, Āfrī, m.

    an African, especially an inhabitant of Carthage

     
    īnstruō, ere, strūxī, strūctus [in + struō, to pile up]

    to build; arrange, draw up or array (troops); make ready, equip, fit out

     
    dīmicō, āre, āvī, ātus to fight  
    Lacedaemoniī, ōrum, pl. m.

    the Lacedaemonians, the inhabitants of Lacedaemon or Sparta

    Xanthippus, ī, m.

    a Lacedaemonian who commanded the Carthaginians against the Romans under Regulus

    perniciēs, ēī [per + nex], f. destruction, ruin
    cōniciō, icere, coniēcī, coniectus

    to throw together, unite; hurl, throw; conjecture

     
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