Summary of Book XVIII
ATILIUS REGULUS in Africa slew a serpent of portentous
size with the loss of many of his soldiers. having fought
several successful battles with the Carthaginians, and
finding that owing to his good fortune in the prosecution
of the war the senate was not disposed to send anyone
to succeed him, he wrote to the senate and complained
of this very thing, alleging, amongst other reasons for
desiring a successor, that his little farm had been deserted
by the labourers hired to work it. afterwards, on
Fortune's seeking to exhibit in the case of Regulus an
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example of both extremes, the Carthaginians sent for
Xanthippus, a general of the Lacedaemonians, who
defeated Regulus in battle and made him prisoner. after
that all the Roman generals gained victories on land and
sea; but these were marred by the wreck of fleets.
Tiberius Coruncanius was the first to be chosen pontifex
maximus from the plebs. manius Valerius Maximus and
Publius Sempronius Sophus, when as censors they were
passing on the senate, removed sixteen from that order.
they closed the lustrum and the number of citizens
returned was 297,797. Regulus being sent by the Carthaginians to the senate to treat for peace, or, failing that,
for an exchange of prisoners, and being bound by an
oath to return to Carthage, if the Romans would not
exchange, advised the senate to grant neither request,
and having loyally returned, was tortured to death by
the Carthaginians.
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