Regulus
sailed from Economus, not far from Agrigentum, with three hundred and
thirty vessels and one hundred thousand men, but his progress was soon
interrupted by the Carthaginian fleet, commanded by Hamilcar. After one
of the greatest sea-fights of all time, in which the Carthaginians lost
nearly a hundred ships and many men, the Romans gained the victory, and
found nothing to hinder their progress to the African shore. The enemy
hastened with the remainder of their fleet to protect Carthage, and the
conflict was transferred to Africa. Regulus prosecuted the war with
vigor, and, owing to the incompetence of the generals opposed to him,
was successful to an extraordinary degree. Both he and the senate
became intoxicated to such an extent, that when the Carthaginians made
overtures for peace, only intolerable terms were offered them. This
resulted in prolonging the war, for the Carthaginians called to their
aid Xanthippus, a Spartan general, who showed them the weakness of
their officers, and, finally, when his army had been well drilled,
offered battle to Regulus on level ground, where the dreaded African
elephants were of service, instead of among the mountains. The Roman
army was almost annihilated, and Regulus himself was taken prisoner
(B.
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