La battaglia “di Tunisi”(anno 255 a. C.): per un riesame della tradizione

The article aims to re-examine the ancient sources on the battle of Tunis (255 BC), during which the Roman army, commanded by Marcus Atilius Regulus, was defeated in Africa by the Carthaginian army led by the Greek general Xanthippus. The complexity of the ancient tradition regarding the course of this battle has so far received little attention in modern studies on the First Punic War, since the version handed down by Polybius, who gives us a precise and detailed account of the battle, is unanimously accepted by scholars. There are, however, several other versions regarding the course of this decisive battle, often discordant with that of Polybius, whose examination can provide new interpretative scenarios.