FIRST PUNIC WAR 264-241 BC

First fleet constructed in 60 days from trees to 130 ships in 263 BC; use of crows (corvus).

256 BC, M. Atilius Regulus invaded Carthage; 330 ships, 140,000 men, disaster (Xanthippus of Sparta), Battle of Aspis, on return the fleet destroyed at sea off Sicily 255 BC.

Rome built 220 more ships in 3 mos. 253 BC, storm off Sicily 150 ships were lost; Roman offensive was restricted to land operations, seizure of Panormus by L. Metellus in 250 – 104 elephants brought back to Rome by raft.

Rome built 200 ships in 250 BC, 249 siege of Lilybaum, P. Claudius Pulcher, Battle of Drepana, Claudius threw the sacred chickens into the sea, lost 93 ships. C. Iunius Pennus, 800 cargo vessels bearing supplies for the army in Sicily lost at sea storm. Of 105 warships, 2 escaped.

247 Hamilcar Barca assumed command of Sicily, retook Panormus, attacked Italy, Roman senate realized it could not win the conflict without a fleet.

242 BC, voluntary contribution raised to construct 200 warships; 4^th fleet. Q. Lutatius Catulus defeated Hanno at Battle of Aegates Islands. Lack of supplies forced Hamilcar Barca to seek terms, evacuate Sicily and to pay 3000 talents indemnity over 20 years. Sicily became a Roman province apart from Syracuse and its territories.

240-238 BC, Carthaginian failure to pay mercenaries led to Mercenary War. Italian merchants supplied rebel mercenary forces in Africa, attacked. Rome used this as pretense to seize Sardinia and Corsica and demand an additional 1200 talents. The senate decided the Tyrrhenian Sea must be a Roman sphere of influence.

230s-220s: Hamilcar Barca relocated to Spain; expanded mining, gathered tribal allies, rebuilt Carthaginian mercenary army. Rome concentrated on boundaries of northern Italy with constant brush wars with Gauls and Illyrians.