First Punic War

File:First Punic War 264 BC.png

War began in 264 BC

The First Punic War started in 264 BC. It lasted for 23 years, ending in 241 BC. It was the first of three wars fought between ancient Carthage and the Roman Republic. They were rivals for trade and influence in the Mediterranean. For more than 20 years the two powers struggled for supremacy. Key areas were the island of Sicily and its surrounding waters, and also North Africa. Rome eventually won control of Sicily.

With the help of her own allies and rebels among the indigenous African allies of Carthage, Rome won the First Punic War after 23 years. In the end it became the dominant naval power of the Mediterranean. To get terms for peace, the Carthaginians had to pay a large amount of money (in silver), and give up a number of islands in the Mediterranean. They kept Sardinia and Corsica.

First Punic War Media

• Polybius, ancient Greek historian
• An aerial photograph of the remains of the naval base of the city of Carthage. The remains of the mercantile harbour are in the centre and those of the military harbour are bottom right. Before the war Carthage had the most powerful navy in the western Mediterranean.
• Altar Domitius Ahenobarbus Louvre n3 (cropped).jpg

  Detail from the Ahenobarbus relief showing two Roman foot-soldiers from the second century BC
• Corvus.svg

  The corvus, the Roman ship boarding device
• Sicilia - prima guerra punica.svg

  Sicily, the main theatre of the war
• Romanadvance (cropped).JPG

  Continued Roman advance 260–256 BC

• Trireme cut-fr.svg

  Depiction of the position of the rowers of the three different oars in a Greek trireme
• First Punic War Africa 256-255BC.svg

  1: Romans land and capture Aspis (256 BC)*2: Roman victory at Adys (256 BC)*3: Romans capture Tunis (256 BC)*4: Xanthippus sets out from Carthage with a large army (255 BC)*5: Romans are defeated at the Battle of Tunis. (255 BC)*6: Romans retreat to Aspis and leave Africa. (254 BC)

• Attacksrenewed (cropped).JPG

  Roman attacks 253–251 BC
• C. Caecilius Metellus Caprarius, denarius, 125 BC, RRC 269-1.jpg

  Denarius of C. Caecilius Metellus Caprarius, minted in 125 BC. The reverse depicts the triumph of his ancestor Lucius Caecilius Metellus, with the elephants he had captured at Panormus.

References

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