Battle of the Aegates Islands – 1st Punic War Ends with Roman Naval Victory

Today in Military History – March 10, 241 B.C. In the mid-3rd century B.C., the Roman Republic had become the master of most of the Italian peninsula, and began to flex its military muscles. The closest target they encountered was the island of Sicily, the “soccer ball” at the toe of the Italian boot. The island was mostly under the control of the Carthaginian Empire, descendants of Phoenician settlers and merchantswho had built a merchant city in what is today Tunisia. Carthage controlled the western Mediterranean with one of the pre-eminent navies of the time. Rome, despite having no navy whatsoever, still felt the need to confront the Carthaginians over ownership of Sicily. The war dragged on for over 20 years, with Rome winning most of the fighting but not being able to deliver the knockout punch. Rome built several navies, but lost these fleets either in battle or to storms. After losing another fleet to Mother Nature in 249 B.C., the Romans may no effort to rebuild. With the treasury almost exhausted, they realized that they could not both build and maintain a fleet and field their armies against Carthage in Sicily. Therefore, they continued to field their ground forces on Sicily. The Carthaginians, despite the Romans’ decision not to challenge their naval supremacy, did not take advantage of it. In fact, the majority of the Carthaginian fleet was sent back to North Africa, the ships essentially put into mothballs, and the experienced crews dismissed. For seven years off and on, the Romans besieged the city of Lilybaeum, one of the last major ports on Sicily. In 247, Carthage sent one of their best generals, Hamilcar Barca, to the island to lead its ground forces. Barca, without sufficient resources to break the Roman siege, basically led a guerrilla war the length and breadth of the island, tying down Roman forces which could have been used against Lilybaeum. Finally, in the summer of 242, the Roman Senate decided it was time to put an end to the costly war. Despite the state of the treasury, the Senate came up with a plan. Nearly 200 of the wealthiest Roman citizens (most were in the Senate) were contacted. One historian states these men “willingly” contributed funds to build one warship per family; another historian says the Senate essentially waged a tax on each wealthy man. Whichever method was used, a fleet of 200 quinqueremes was constructed. Quinqueremes, or “fives” as some historians of the time period called them, were the heaviest warships of the fourth and third centuries, B.C. They were some 45 metres long, 5 metres wide at the waterline, and displaced about 100 tons. Each ship had 90 oars to a side, and a deck crew (including marines) of 70 to 120 men, giving a total crew complement of about 400 men. Once the warships were built, the Roman consul Gaius Lutatius Catulus was given command. For several months, he trained his crewmen and marines to handle the vessels and to work together, drilling them as though they were a land army. As a result, the Roman fleet was at the peak of efficiency and itching to prove themselves. The Carthaginians were not lax. Once their spies told them of the new Roman fleet, they began reforming their fleet and hiring crews. Once word reached Carthage that Lilybaeum was once more under attack, the Carthaginian fleet put to sea, carrying supplies to the encircled Sicilian city. This would prove their undoing. Arriving at the Aegates Islands off the western tip of Sicily, the Carthaginian admiral Hanno called a halt to await favorable winds. However, the fleet was spotted by Roman scouts, and word was sent to Catulus, who abandoned the blockade of Lilybaeum to confront the enemy. On the morning of March 10, the Carthaginian fleet caught a favorable wind, and set sail. However, they were met soon after by the approaching Romans. The weather was unfavorable for the Romans. Catulus then made a bold move: he ordered his ship stripped of their sails and masts and left on shore prior to sailing, to allow for them to be more seaworthy in the rough seas. The Carthaginian fleet was weighed down with men, provisions and equipment. As a result of the Romans’ greater maneuverability, they proceeded to play havoc with the Carthaginian fleet, ramming ships at will, then boarding them to fight hand-to-hand on the enemy’s decks. The final toll: 30 Roman vessels were sunk, while the Carthaginians lost 50 vessels sunk, with another 70 captured. Only a change in the wind late in the battle allowed the remainder of the Carthaginian fleet to flee. After the battle, the Romans renewed the blockage of Lilybaeum, finally capturing the city and isolating Barca and the remaining Carthaginian ground forces in Sicily. With the Romans victorious –their own treasury now depleted and unable to replace their naval losses – Carthage decided it was time to end the conflict. A treaty was signed later in the year, giving Rome control of Sicily. It also, unwittingly, set the stage for the Second Punic War.