The 1 Punic War

The 1st Punic War 264-241 BC

Carthaginian territory in the 3rd century BC

Carthage, Then and Now

Carthage, then

Carthage, now

First Punic War • • • •

Rome vs. Carthage (N. Africa) Large scale naval battles Failed Roman invasion of Africa Introduction (and disappearance of the corvus) • Sacred Chickens • Hamilcar Barca

Major Events • Roman interests brought her to Sicily and formed a peace with Hiero of Syracuse. • 264-257 BC Sicilian towns were taken by Rome: Carthage strongholds were Panormus (251), Lilybaeum (surrendered 241), Drepana (242) and Agrigentum (262). • Rome invades Africa (Carthage) in 256/55, hoping to end the war. • Naval Battle of Ecnomus en route to Carthage

Sicily

Carthagianian Strongholds

Battle of Ecnomus

Romans take a wrecked quinquireme and adds a corvus to turn a sea battle into a land battle. Records stop mentioning after 255 BC

• 256 BC, as the invasion force to Africa is en route • 330 Carthaginian/350 Roman—Roman victory • Avg 400 crew + soldiers (500 on quinquireme) X 680 ships = 272,000 men • 54 ships sunk total = 21,600 drowned/killed

• Consul, Marcus Atilius Regulus lands 15,000 infantry, 500 cavalry and is outside the walls of Carthage. • Spartan Xanthippus organizes the defense/Battle of Tunis— Carthaginian victory.

Regulus as a Hostage • 2,000 Romans escape, most are slaughtered • Regulus, on his honor, goes back to Rome to ask peace for Carthage. • Regulus asks the Senate to refuse and continue on. • Regulus returns (250) and is executed; put in a spiked barrel and rolled downhill.

1415 Medieval Manuscript Depicting Regulus’ Death

Battle of Drepana, 249 BC • Roman fleet arrives at Drepana in morning, sailing from the East. • Sacred Chickens will not eat the grain; the consul Publius Claudius Pulcher throws them overboard. – ut biberent, quando esse nollent – ‘if they won’t eat, let them drink’

Results of Drepana • As the Romans come in one entrance to the harbor (supposed sneak attack) the Carthaginians go out another entrance. • Pulcher discovers that the enemy is behind him, and in the confusion, looses 93 of the ~120 ships. 93 X 400 = 37,200 men lost • He returns to Rome/tried for being impious to the gods, convicted, exiled, but dies shortly after trial (suicide?).

Hamilcar Barca • Father of Hannibal • Took over supreme command in Sicily in 247 • Guerilla defense from Mt. Eryx—still there when the final battle and peace is signed in 241.

Final Push—Battle of the Aegates Islands • Patricians penny up for one last fleet. • Roman naval victory—Carthage sues for peace, leaves Sicily, pays 2,200 talents over 10 years, and 1,000 talents upfront and in addition. • Carthage deals with a Mercenary War afterwards/Hamilcar crushes it.