First Punic War
History -- Military History -- WarThe First Punic War was fought between Carthage and Rome from 264 BC to 241 BC. It was the first of three major wars fought between Carthage and the Roman Republic.
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2 Chronology 3 Notable Leaders 4 Results |
Background
The First Punic War broke out when the Romans intervened in the affairs the cities of Sicily. In the city of Messana (present-day
Messina), there was a revolt against the Romans. Some factions of citizens were asking for aid from the Carthaginians while others sought help from the Romans, with the war they were waging against the city of Siracusa. Both the Romans and the Carthaginians desired to possess Sicily for themeselves.
Chronology
265: Beginning in 288 BC Messana (Messina), Sicily, has been under the control of the Mamertini (Mamertines). Hieron (Hiero) II 'Tyrant' of Syracuse is elected strategos of Syracuse in 275 BC. Hiero is victorious in battle near the Longanus River and as a result is elected king (Hiero II). During the next two years Rome acts to intervene and control the turmoil at Volsinii.
264: Rome and Carthage are drawn into a war between Messana and Syracuse on the island of Sicily at Messana, when Hiero II attacks the Mamertines. The Marertines plead for assistance from Rome. Rome does not respond. So, the Mamertines turn to Carthage for help and receive it. The Roman Senate refuses to deal with the matter so the matter is passed to the Assembly. The Carthaginians arrive in Sicily, occupying Messana and begin reconciliation efforts with Hiero. Many Mamertines fell this was a mistake, and request Roman assistance against the Carthaginians. The Mamertines send a diplomatic mission to Rome, requesting aid in removing the now established Carthaginian garrison. Part of their appeal to the Romans is they are fellow countrymen.
While Mamertines are not Greeks, they can be of assistance to Carthage, the traditional enemy of Greece. But, they are of Italian origin, which meant they could be protected by Rome. The Mamertines offered themselves and their Sicilian city to the Romans and thereby brought Rome itself into a long concatenation of events which play out over the next two decades.
The Senate failing to act, the Roman Assembly votes to accept a new alliance with Messana and move an army to Sicily. Appius Claudius Caudex is dispatched to Sicily to guard Messana from the Carthaginians. After the initial Roman vitory against Carthage and Syracuse, the latter changes sides in the war. It took until the end of the year for Carthage and Syracuse to be removed from around Messana.
262: During this year two new consuls M'. Valerius and M'. Otacilius land with 40,000 men and march on Messana. Along the way, several Carthaginian towns fall to the Romans. Valerius marched on to Syracuse, and was poised to threaten the city.
Hiero had to decide whether to side with Rome or Carthage. To aid the Carthaginians was to lend aid to the eastern Greeks. However, with Roman protection, Syracuse and all western Greeks would now be safe. A Roman victory would mean the removal of the Phoenicians from Sicily.
Hiero offered the Romans the possession of Messana and a subsidy of one hundred talents annually for fifteen years on condition they guaranteed his 'kingship' of Syracuse. This sum was not too large a price to pay for the security of Sicily. For the Romans the deal was agreeable. As a result of Hiero's switch of allegiance, several other Greek cities in Sicily switched allegiance to the Romans. The Romans were victorious through Sicily. Consul Valerius received cognomen "Messalla" for his diplomatic success and was voted a triumph.
262: The Romans overwhelm the Carthaginians in battle at Messana. The Romans besieged and captured the Carthaginian base at Agrigentum on the southern coast of Sicily.
261: The Romans conquer Sicily as far as the Agrigentum. The Romans determine they need a fleet and rapidly construct one. In order to compensate for their lack of naval combat experience, they used a cunning new device called a corvus ("crow" in Latin). The corvus was a raised gangplank attached to the bow of the ship with a large spike afixed underneath. The carvus was then lowered onto an enemy ship, and the spike would catch and hold it in place. This tactic would then allow the Romans to board the ship and use their superior land tactics against the enemy. This proved to be a very successfull tactic, as Rome won every major naval engagement of the First Punic War.
260: The Romans win the naval battle of Mylae using new ships based on a Punic design. During Mylae (Milazzo), off the northern Sicilian coast, the Roman admiral Gaius Duilius defeated a Carthaginian squadron of more maneuverable ships by employing the corvus. This is the first time the Carthage fleet had been defeated in battle by the Romans.
257: The Romans invasion of Africa was necessary to end the war, and gathered a large task force of 230 warships and 100 transports. After defeating the Carthaginian fleet in Sicily they moved into Africa. The Romans arrived late in the summer. The Romans could not win an all out victory over Cartage. The Carthaginians sued for peace, but M. Atilius Regulus, insisted upon overly harsh surrender terms. The Carthaginians rejected peace and continue to battle against the Romans. With the onset of winter the Romans split their forces with one half resturning to Rome. The remaning forces were under the command of Regulus.
256: Following a victory at Cape Ecnomus, the Romans land in Africa and advance on Carthage.
255: The Carthaginians defeat the Romans at Tunis and the Roman survivors are shipwrecked on their way back to Sicily.
The Carthaginians employ a Spartan general, Xanthippus, to organize their defenses. In the spring of 255 he engaged the Romans in battle with a force equak to theirs. Regulus mistakenly places his soldiers in tight ranks. The Carthaginian elephants broke through the Roman ranks, and the Roman army was decimated. 500 soldiers were captured along with Regulus, 3000 more escaped, and the remainder killed.
A Roman fleet later arrives with reinforcements and defeats the Carthaginian fleet and rescues the survivors. During the return trip home, the fleet is caught in a terrible storm, and 184 of the 264 ships are destroyed on the rocks near Camarina in southern Sicily. Many tens of thousands of Romans were drowned. Polybius calls it the greatest naval disaster known to him.
254: The Romans win a victory at Panormus on Sicily, but fail to make any further progress in the war.
During the winter the Romans construct another 140 ships. The Romans also raise a considerable army. The Carthaginians failed to keep up with Romans construction efforts. Later in the year the Romans capture the strategic Carthaginian port of Panormus in northeastern Sicily. Carthaginian prestige was weakened around Panormus and resulted in the defection of five Greek cities from Cartage to Rome.
253: The Romans then pursued a policy of raiding the African coast east of Carthage. After an unsuccessful year the fleet head for home. During the return to Italy the Romans are again caught in a storm and lose 150 ships.
251: The Romans again win at Panormus over the Carthaginians. The Carthaginians are lead by Hasdrubal. The Roman military are lead by Lucius Caecilius Metellus. As a result of the diminshed threat in Northern Africa, Carthage manages to strengthen its garrisons in Sicily and recapture Agrigentum.
A Carthaginian army attempted to retake Panormus Caecilius defeats the Carthaginian army Panormus, resulting in the death or capture 20,000 of the 30,000 Carthaginians as well as elephants. Hasdrubal is later summoned back to Carthage and executed for his failure.
249: During the siege of Lilybaeum, at Drepanum the Carthaginians win a naval victory over the Romans. The Carthaginians are lead by Ad Herbal. The Romans by Publius Claudius Pulcher who commanded 123 galleys in the Roman fleet. Claudius was defeated, resultign in the loss of 93 ships, 8,000 soldiers killed and 20,000 soldiers captured by the enemy. The Carthaginians lost no ships.
246: Hannibal is born
241: On March 10, 241 BC at the Battle of Aegates Islands (Battle of Aegusa) off the coast of Sicily the Romans destroy the Carthaginian fleet, effectively ending the war.
The Roman fleet consisited of 200 quinquiremes under the command of Gaius Lutatius Catulus. The fleet was sent to restart the blockade of Lilybaeum. The Romans appeared off the coast of Sicily durng the summer months and so surprised the Carthaginian fleet that it was forced to sail for Carthage. This allowed the Romans to capture the harbor at Drepana.
The Carthaginians mustered their fleet and managed to send 170 ships to aide Hamilcar's troops in Eryx. The commander of the Punic fleet, Hanno, had intended to covertly enter Eryx, unload supplies and load the mercenaries of Hamilcar Barca and then pursue the Roman fleet.
Lutatius' spies intercepted the information. Acting with foreknowledge Lutatius set sail towards the island of Aegusa (Aegates Islands) close by Lilybaeum to engage the Punic fleet. Shortly after dawn, Lutatius saw that the winds favoured Carthage and the seas were rough. Upon seeing the enemy at full sail, he put to sea immediately, maneuvering his fleet into a single column facing towards the enemy.
After seeing the Romans formation, the Carthaginians lowered their masts and closed ranks. The Romans ships were lighter and had better training while the Carthaginian galleys became difficult to maneuver and their marines were mere novices. The end result was the Carthaginian ships were soundly defeated. Fifty of their galleys were sunk outright and another seventy were captured. The rest fled the battle after a change in winds. The Romans had captured almost 100,000 prisoners, effectively ending the war and after 24 years Carthage is forced to settle for peace.
The historian Polybius comments that the First Punix War was the most destructive war in terms of casualties in the history of warfare, including the battles of Alexander the Great.
Rome
Notable Leaders
CarthageResults
