76 STORY OF THE ROMAN PEOPLE
they must have been rather clumsy, and even the rowing practice can hardly have made very skillful sailors .
Probably the Carthaginians laughed scornfully when they had their first view of the enemy's fleet. Probably , too, they wondered why the ignorant Romans came out to battle without lowering their masts, as the custom was , and what could be the use of a queer contrivance shaped like a draw bridge and held up to the masts by ropes running over pulleys. They found out before long ; for as soon as a Ro man vessel was brought near a Car thaginian galley, down fell the draw bridge, and a heavy spike
at the end pierced the enemy's deck , holding the two ships together . Over the drawbridge rushed the fierce Roman sol diers. It was not long before they had taken nearly half the Carthaginian fleet. The rest had fled.
Then the Romans began to dream of a time when the
A SEA FIGHT
HOW THE ROMANS CONQUERED CARTHAGE 77
Mediterranean should be , not a Carthaginian , but a Roman lake. Du -il'li - us, the consul who had won this battle , was most highly honored . The senate decreed that a pillar adorned with the beaks of the ships which he had captured should be set up in the forum in memory of his victory ; and that as long as he lived he should be escorted home from evening visits to his friends by torches and music .
The Romans won another great naval victory ; then the consul Reg'u - lus led them to the coast of Africa . There they burned and robbed and destroyed . If it had not been for the wisdom of a Greek who was in Africa, Carthage might have been conquered at once . You have cavalry and elephants , ' he said to the Carthaginians , but you try to use them on the hills . Choose a level battlefield and you will win . They begged him to lead them . He did so and won . Regulus was taken prisoner
Meantime the war was going on in Sicily . The Romans had learned to meet the charge of elephants , and now they not only won a victory by repulsing the animals , but captured them and carried them to Rome . A number of Carthaginian nobles were taken captive in this same battle , and the Cartha ginians sent Regulus to Rome to propose an exchange of pris oners and to offer terms of peace . They thought this would surely be brought about because they had made him promise to return if the Romans refused their offers. They did not know how brave and unselfish he was . He did not think it would be for the gain of Rome to exchange prisoners, or to make a treaty with Carthage , and he persuaded the sen ate not to consent to it . Then he took his last look at his
a
78 STORY OF THE ROMAN PEOPLE
beloved home city , kept his word , and went back to the tor ture and death that he knew were awaiting him in Carthage. For twenty - four years the war went on . Then peace was made . The Carthagin ians paid Rome a large sum of mo ney, surren dered their prisoners , and gave up all claim to Sicily. Both nations were exhausted , and they were glad to have the war come to an end for a time , but neither expected the peace to last for many years. The first question for Rome to settle was how to govern Sicily . Up to this time she had used two methods of govern ment for conquered peoples . The Latins she treated almost like equals . She gave them some of the rights of citizens and also the hope that if they were faithful to her , they should some time become full citizens . The other tribes of Italy she allowed to govern their own cities , but required them to be
Beale REGULUS LEAVING ROME FOR CARTHAGE