The Listening Grove · Fifty Famous Stories Retold
Chapter 25: The Story of Regulus
A Charlotte Mason read-aloud lesson. Press play, with the lesson.
What is Fifty Famous Stories Retold Chapter 25, The Story of Regulus, about?Parent review
Fifty Famous Stories Retold Chapter 25, The Story of Regulus, is about a Roman general who kept his word at great cost. During Rome's long war with the city of Carthage, Regulus was captured and held prisoner. Carthage sent him home to Rome to ask for peace, on his promise that he would come back if Rome refused. In Rome he did the opposite of what his captors hoped: he urged his countrymen to keep fighting. Then, though he knew what waited for him, he said farewell to his wife and children and returned to Carthage and to prison. It is a story that honors keeping a promise and putting duty to one's country first.
Say what you remember!
Tell what you remember from the last chapter.
What happened in Fifty Famous Stories Retold Chapter 24, The Story of Cincinnatus?Have a look
In the last chapter, The Story of Cincinnatus, a Roman farmer who had once held the highest office was called from his plow to save his city. A fierce mountain tribe had trapped the Roman army in a narrow pass, so the lawmakers of Rome made Cincinnatus ruler with complete power. He armed the guards and boys who remained, marched out, and defeated the enemy, setting the trapped army free. Then, instead of keeping his great power, he gave it back and returned quietly to his farm after only sixteen days. He was remembered ever after as a man who did his duty and did not cling to power.
Read the previous lesson: The Story of Cincinnatus →Show what you know!
Use your printable Lesson Guide. Fill in the vocabulary you know, then click to check your work and learn some new words today.
What are the difficult or advanced vocabulary words in Fifty Famous Stories Retold Chapter 25, The Story of Regulus?prisoner, persuade, duty, farewellHave a look
- prisoner: someone kept locked up and not free
- persuade: to talk someone into believing or doing something
- duty: something you ought to do
- farewell: a goodbye said at parting
Locate it on the map!
Use your printable Lesson Guide. Use an atlas and fill in the blank map if you can find the geographic location, then click to check your work.
What important geographic location connects with Fifty Famous Stories Retold Chapter 25, The Story of Regulus?
- Find Carthage (Tunis, Tunisia): the great city across the sea that was Rome's enemy
See it on the mapHave a look
This matches the map in your Lesson Guide.
The Books come Alive!
Read or listen to Chapter 25 of Fifty Famous Stories Retold, the Kindred Thicket Enhanced Edition, read by Laura Caldwell.
Read by Laura Caldwell for LibriVox (public domain), professionally adjusted and trimmed by Kindred Thicket.
What do the Teacher’s Notes tell us about Chapter 25 of Fifty Famous Stories Retold?Parent review
This is a Kindred Thicket Enhanced Edition. Baldwin’s 1896 words are read exactly as he wrote them, and we add Teacher’s Notes with historical and literary context.
- About the whole bookFifty Famous Stories Retold gathers real history together with well-loved legends and traditions. These notes tell you, story by story, which is which.
- This chapterRegulus was a real Roman general, captured by Carthage in the First Punic War. His famous return to keep his word is a beloved tradition; the earliest histories do not record it, so it is best shared as a story of honor.
Memory becomes Action!
Use the Response Resource* to remember and spell tricky names. Choose one way to narrate.
*Materials in the Lesson Guide.
What is the list of names, people, characters, and places that are important in Chapter 25 of Fifty Famous Stories Retold?Regulus, Carthage, Rome, The rulers of Carthage, The white-haired Fathers, Regulus's wife and childrenHave a look
- Regulus: A real Roman general, Marcus Atilius Regulus, of whom it was said that he never broke his word.
- Carthage: A real great city across the sea from Rome, its enemy in the long war we now call the First Punic War.
- Rome: Regulus's home and the city whose duty he puts before his own.
- The rulers of Carthage: The Carthaginian leaders who send Regulus to Rome on his promise to return.
- The white-haired Fathers: The lawmakers of Rome, that is, the Roman Senate.
- Regulus's wife and children: The family far beyond the sea whom he comes home to bid farewell.
Chapter 25 Q & A
This is a Kindred Thicket Enhanced Edition. Baldwin’s stories mingle real history with beloved legend, and here is what to know about this one.
Is the story of Regulus true history or a legend?
Regulus was a real Roman general, captured by Carthage in the First Punic War. His famous return to keep his word is a beloved tradition; the earliest histories do not record it, so it is best shared as a story of honor. The man and the war are history, while his noble return is treasured tradition.
What war is this story set in?
It belongs to the long struggle between Rome and the great city of Carthage, which we now call the First Punic War. Baldwin does not name the war in the story; he simply says Rome and Carthage had fought for many years. Regulus was captured during this war and later sent home to ask Rome for peace.
Why is Regulus remembered as a hero?
He is honored above all for keeping his word. Sent to Rome on his promise to return, he urged his countrymen to keep fighting rather than accept an unfair peace, then went back to Carthage as he had sworn, though he expected to die. The story celebrates his courage and does not describe his death.
Where was Carthage?
Carthage was a real and powerful city across the sea from Rome, on the coast of North Africa near what is now Tunis in Tunisia. It was Rome's great rival for many years. On our Key Places map, Carthage is the location marked for this chapter, helping children picture the sea voyage Regulus made to return to his enemies.