The First Punic War began in 264 BC. Rome became involved in conflicts between the city of Messana and Hiero II of Syracuse, leading to Roman intervention against Carthage. The First Punic War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Lutatius, a peace agreement that followed. Rome suffered great losses as a result of the war, which also paved the way for future battles between Rome and Carthage, most notably the Second and Third Punic Wars, and made Rome a powerful naval force.
In the early third century BC, two great empires controlled the western Mediterranean: Rome and Carthage. As their objectives collided, a fight for domination erupted, resulting in the First Punic War, a 23-year conflict that was the longest and most severe naval war in ancient history. The battlefields spanned from Sicily to North Africa, and thousands of soldiers, sailors, and citizens from both sides were drawn into this epic struggle.
The war began in 264 BC, as the Romans sought to increase their dominance in Sicily. They seized Messana and quickly allied with Syracuse, Sicily’s most powerful independent city. This union gave Rome a solid base, and they rapidly assaulted the Carthaginian stronghold of Akragas. Despite a massive Carthaginian army deployed to lift the siege, Rome won a decisive victory at the Battle of Akragas in 262 BC, driving Carthage back and bolstering Roman resolve.
Recognizing that Carthage’s maritime prowess was critical to the enemy’s strength, Rome made the audacious choice to establish a navy from scratch. Rome leveled the playing field with continuous training and a unique strategy known as the Corvus—a boarding device that allowed Roman soldiers to convert sea wars into hand-to-hand combat. Carthage suffered defeats in multiple naval conflicts, while Rome increased its influence, taking a base on Corsica and attempting to capture Sardinia.
Rome’s subsequent invasion of North Africa initially threatened Carthage, but Carthaginian soldiers, strengthened by cavalry and war elephants, drove the Romans away. The war over Sicily lasted until 241 BC, when a reinvigorated Roman fleet won the Battle of the Aegates Islands, giving Rome control of the maritime channels and isolating the remaining Carthaginian garrisons in Sicily.
The conflict concluded with Carthage’s defeat and a punitive peace deal. Carthage ceded Sicily (save for the allied city of Syracuse) and the Lipari Islands to Rome in exchange for a large payment. This victory not only cemented Rome’s position as the main Mediterranean power, but also prepared the stage for additional struggle with Carthage in the Second Punic War.