Marcus Atilius Regulus (Consul 267 BC)

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Marcus Atilius Regulus († around 250 BC) was a Roman politician and general during the First Punic War .

Regulus was consul in 267 BC. BC, defeated the Sallentines in southern Italy and conquered Brundisium ( Brindisi ). During the war between Rome and Carthage he was killed in 256 BC. Re- elected to the (suffect) consul and crossed a fleet to North Africa to threaten the Carthaginians in their homeland. He and his fellow consul Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus defeated a Carthaginian fleet that got in his way in the battle of Cape Ecnomus off the coast of Sicily. In Africa, Regulus was able to achieve some successes against the Carthaginians until they crushed his army with the help of the Spartan Xanthippus . Regulus has been captured.

Several ancient authors (especially Marcus Tullius Cicero and Titus Livius ) report that Regulus was released on his word of honor and sent to Rome as a negotiator ; there, contrary to his mandate, he asked the Senate to continue the fight, dutifully returned to Carthage and was killed there. It can hardly be determined whether this really happened. Other authors (e.g. Diodorus ) only mention that Regulus died in captivity and that his widow Marcia took revenge on Carthaginian prisoners. In the version by Cicero and Livius, Regulus appears as the embodiment of classical Roman virtues, because he placed the res publica above his personal well-being.

Aftermath

The English painter William Turner made a painting in 1828 that he painted from the perspective of the blind Regulus. This goes back to one version of the story that the Carthaginians removed Regulus' eyelids.

literature

  • Matthias Riedl: Marcus Atilius Regulus - The civil virtue in person . In: Karl-Heinz Nusser, Matthias Riedl, Theresia Ritter (eds.): Politics - From the element of the personal in politics. Festschrift for Tilo Schabert on his 65th birthday . Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-428-12356-8 , pp. 327-350.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Regulus at tate.org.uk, accessed February 9, 2011.
personal data
SURNAME Atilius Regulus, Marcus
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Regulus, Marcus Atilius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Roman politician and general
DATE OF BIRTH 4th century BC BC or 3rd century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH around 250 BC Chr.