Marcus Atilius Regulus was a Roman consul and general who was captured by the Carthaginians. The enemy released him to return to Rome so that he could negotiate a prisoner exchange (Rome would release their prisoners and the Carthaginians would release theirs, including Regulus). Regulus returned to Rome, nothing keeping him from running away, and told the Roman Senate not to agree to the exchange – the Carthaginians needed their men freed more than the Romans did. The Senate was convinced, and Regulus took himself back to the enemy’s camp to be imprisoned once again. The Carthaginians punished Regulus by forcing him to stand in a wooden box lined with nails until he died of sleep deprivation.
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