Xanthippus was a Spartan who fortunately arrived in Carthage at just the right time to buck them up. He proceeded to make no secret of his disdain for Punic generalship. Put up or shut up, he was told. He was given command of the army. He trained it and restored its morale. It goes without saying that it became much more disciplined. Xanthippus took his army out for a test drive by marching onto the plain in front of the Roman camp. Regulus should have waited for expected reinforcements, but there was no reason to fear a Carthaginian army at this point. Plus, his term as consul was set to expire and his replacement would get the glory when Carthage inevitably gave up. He was not about to be a spectator at a triumph that he had earned. Once again Rome’s ridiculous system of making its consuls military commanders and then giving them only one year to win reared its ugly head.
The Battle of Bagradas was fought in 255 B.C. Xanthippus formed his army with the citizen militia on the left and center and his mercenaries on the right. His cavalry was in front of both wings. He spread his 100 elephants across the front. Finally, someone who knew elephants were best at attacking, instead of defending or being held in reserve. Regulus arranged his army deeper than normal, which left his flanks open to flanking. He apparently felt a denser formation was the way to deal with an elephant charge. Exactly the opposite of what you want to do. His men were told to clash their swords on their shields and to yell to frighten the elephants. (You can imagine the plummet in morale when the elephants were not phased by the clamor. They were more afraid of Xanthippus.) Regulus’ plan was to push back the enemy center before his flanks were exposed to attack. It was a gamble he lost. His small cavalry was on his wings. When the battle opened, the more numerous and superior Punic cavalry (4,000 versus 500) ran off the Roman horsemen and then turned in on the Roman flanks. (Normally, cavalry would have chased their opposites, but undoubtedly the fear of facing Xanthippus caused them to do the right thing.) Surprisingly, on his left, Regulus’ men avoided the elephants, routed the mercenaries and continued on to the Carthaginian camp. In the center, Regulus pushed past the elephants, but was blocked by the Punic phalanx. Maniples were surrounded and destroyed as the Punic cavalry swooped around loosing missile weapons and the elephants rampaged. The Romans lost about 13,000 killed. Regulus and 500 of the survivors were captured. The Carthaginian losses were much lower. Carthage had won its only significant land battle of the war. The 2,000 men who had fought their way to the Carthaginian camp were eventually picked up by a Roman fleet, which was then destroyed in a storm. This was a harbinger of future fleet disasters.
In the famous post script, Regulus was brought before the Carthaginian assembly. We do not know if he offered to sweeten his previous terms. In a classic shoe meet other foot scenario, he was ordered to return to Rome to offer their terms this time. He was put under the honor system to return with the Senate’s answer. When he stood before his colleagues, he recited the Carthaginian terms and then proceeded to advise the Romans to decline. And then, spurning his family’s pleas to break his word, he returned to his captors and a tortuous death. (In one version, he was put standing in a box that had nails pointing inward on all sides so he could not lean without great pain.) Regulus’ fidelity to his promise became bedtime story-worthy and was passed on to future Roman generations. Alas, it is most likely not true. He probably died a natural death in captivity.
- from The Scipios in Spain
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