Year (BC)
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Sicily / At Sea |
North Africa |
Commentary |
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Since
288 Messana (Messina), Sicily, has been in the hands of the Mamertini
(Mamertines). Hieron (Hiero) II 'Tyrant' of Syracuse had been elected
strategos of Syracuse in 275. |
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| 265 |
Hiero wins a great pitched battle near the Longanus River and was elected king. |
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265-264 Roman intervention to suppress unrest at Volsinii. |
| 264 |
First
Punic War (264-241) begins with the Crisis at Messana, when Hiero II
attacks the Mamertines. Appius Claudius Caudex sent to Sicily to
protect Messana from the Carthaginians. The Romans finally move on
Messana. By the end of the year, Carthage and Syracuse had been
expelled from the neighbourhood of Messana, and Hiero was shut up in
Syracuse.There was no triumph for Claudius upon his return to Rome |
|
The
Carthaginian strategy: hold impregnable defensive points, control the
sea, allow Rome to exhaust itself. Fortune will eventually secure
victory. |
| 262 |
The
struggle for Agrigentum (262-261): A Carthaginian relief force was
beaten off. Romans realize that the war has widened significantly and
to win it they must drive Carthage out of Sicily. To do so, they must
have sea power. |
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| 261 |
Carthaginians
within the city withdrew and the Romans finally took the city.
Agrigentum sacked, people sold as slaves. Their action aroused more
hatred than fear. Carthage no longer willing to meet Romans in the
field.The Romans now began to attack Greek cities allied with the
Carthaginians. Carthage made better progress in Sicily on anti-Roman
sentiment, sent in Hamilcar.
Punic naval squadrons raid the Italian coast. Rome decides to develop a
navy 100 quinquiremes and 20 triremes equipped ships with new "secret
weapon" the corvus, (�raven� or �crow�) a spiked boarding bridge, which
converts a sea battle into a land battle. |
|
Polybius says the Romans used a beached Carthaginian ship as a model. |
| 260 |
First Naval Engagements. Carthaginian navy defeated a Roman naval squadron at Lipara Islands and Scipio 'Asina' captured.. |
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Sea
battle at Mylae the Roman admiral Gaius Duilius defeated a Carthaginian
squadron of more maneuverable ships by grappling and boarding. The
Roman fleet is using the corvus.143 Roman ships defeated 130
Carthaginian ones, capturing 31 and sinking 14. Relieved Segesta
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Great celebration at Rome. Duilius built a victory monument in the Roman forum, fragments of which are preserved today. |
| 259 |
Consul
L. Cornelius Scipio captures Corsica, but attack on Sardinia fails.
Corsica and Sardinia - stalemate but it did not suffice to loosen their
grasp on Sicily. Scipio wins a triumph. Carthage gains in Sicily --
Aquillius left there as proconsul.
Another Roman naval victory. |
Carthage
reduced to three strong points all in the extreme west of Sicily, but
continues her war strategy. Victory at Thermae. |
The Carthaginians crucified their unsuccessful commander Hannibal |
| 258 |
C.
Sulpicius defeats a Punic fleet off Sulci; wins a triumph. In Sicily,
Atilius Regulus attacks Panormus and captures Mytistratus. |
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|
| 257 |
A
third Roman naval victory, off Tyndaris. Atilius celebrates a naval
triumph. The Romans decide that an invasion of the Carthaginian
homeland in Africa was necessary to end the war. |
Sardinia abandoned by Rome. C. Atilius Regulus raids Malta and sinks 18 enemy vessels. |
|
| 256 |
Roman
fleet increased to 250 warships plus 80 transports. Carthaginian fleet
grows to slightly smaller number. L. Manlius Vulso and M. Atilius
Regulus in action off Sicily capture 50 vessels, sink 30 more, losing
24. Battle of Ecnomus: A large Roman fleet led by both consuls sailed
out in and repelled the entire Carthaginian fleet off Cape Ecnomus (off
south Sicily, near modern Licata) by using the corvus again. |
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Invasion of Africa Carthage besieged. Before the winter one consul returns to Italy with part of the troops. |
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|
| 255 |
After
one campaign the Carthaginians were ready to sue for peace. The terms
offered by the Roman consul Marcus Atilius Regulus were intolerably
harsh. |
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Carthage
fights back and they rejected the terms. A Spartan general, Xanthippus,
and mercenaries defeat Regulus at the Battle of Bagradas. |
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The
Carthaginians were to show on several occasions that when forced into a
corner, they would fight back with great determination. |
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Roman
fleet of 250 defeats Carthaginian fleet of 200 off Cape Hermaeum. A
Roman naval disaster - storm on the way home off Pachynus destroyed all
but 80 of the Roman fleet - Regulus� army is lost at sea. Rome rebuilds
navy |
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Last invasion of Italy by the Gauls. |
| 254 |
Carthage
recapture Agrigentum. Roman fleet is rebuilt to 220 ships. The Romans
capture the important fortress port of Panormus (Palermo) falls --
Carthage reduced to minor holdings. of in northeastern Sicily, but when
Carthage moved reinforcements onto the island, the war again came to a
standstill. |
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|
| 253 |
Stalemate in Sicily Carthage at war with Numidia. Hanno the Great II expands territory in North Africa.
The Roman fleet Made a fruitless cruise of the African coast, missing
the tide, beached the fleet and then were wrecked in another gale at
Cape Palinurus (Lucania) and lost 150 ships. |
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| 252 |
For
fear of the elephants brought to Sicily by the Carthaginians and the
lack of ships there was little activity. Romans capture more towns in
Sicily, including Lipara and Thermae. |
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|
| 251 |
Late in the year, after Gaius Furius had gone back to Rome, Lucius Metellus won a victory capturing 100 elelphants |
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251 or 250 BC. the Romans rebuild their fleet yet again, 50 new ships managing 120 vessels. |
| 250 |
Carthaginian
defeat at Panormus, followed by a siege of Lilybaeum (Marsala) City of
Lilybaeum holds, however, during an 8 year siege. The Carthaginians
asked for peace, but the Romans again refused. Carthaginians again
destroy Selinunte. Hasdrubal is later recalled and executed. |
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Regulus sent to Rome to negotiate an exchange of prisoners. |
| 249 |
Major naval defeat of the Roman fleet at Drepanum.
Remaining Roman fleet under L. Junius Pullus shipwrecked near Camarina.
Junius marches ashore on Sicily and takes a strategic crossroads at Mt.
Eryx. |
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| 248 |
Sieges of Lilybaeum and Drepana continue. Hiero's treaty expired Rome gave him friendship for all time |
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| 247 |
Sieges
continue. Hamilcar raids South Italian coast. Rome abandons sea
ventures. Rome and its allies continued the was but were exhausted and
nearly bankrupt. |
In
in one of the most incomprehensible decisions of antiquity, Carthage
decided to lay up its fleet and concentrate on seizing control of the
North African interior to the southwest of Carthage.
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Hannibal (the grace of Baal), the son of Hamilcar Barca, born |
|
| 247-243 |
Hamilcar
Barca arrives in Sicily, assumes control of the Carthaginian forces and
renews the attack. The Italian coast is raided frequently. By 244
Hamilcar is active on Mr Eryx in guerrilla-type warfare. The Romans
made no more progress than Hamilcar Barca. Mt. Eryx is finally taken by
Hamilcar (under siege since 249) |
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244: Brundisium founded. |
| 242 |
Rome
builds 200 war ships. Successful ground and naval assaults are launched
against Carthaginian fortresses at Lilybaeum and Drepanum in Sicily. |
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The Gallic allies of Carthage defect to Rome. |
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Carthaginian
home government told Hamilcar to negotiate peace The last Carthaginian
fortresses surrender. The Carthaginians crucified the naval commander
Hanno. |
Sicily is organized as a province by the Lutatii, Gaius and Quintus. |
Construction of the Via Aurelia from Rome to Pisa. |
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Roman
victory The Roman victor, the consul C. Lutatius Catulus, settled
initial peace terms, after Rome increased the harshness of the
terms.This officially ended the First Punic War. |
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Roman intervention by Torquatus to suppress unrest at Falerii. |
Before the First Punic War | First Punic War | Between the First and Second Punic Wars | Second Punic War | Between the Second and Third Punic Wars | The Third Punic War and after (until the death of Scipio Aemilianus)
Beginning of the First Punic War | Battles of the First Punic War | Roman motives for starting the war | Limitations of the historical sources | Consequences of the war | Reasons for Roman Victory| |
