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