The Palazzo dei Normanni is the royal palace of Palermo. The name “palace of the Normans” dates from the twentieth century. It is a name that is not necessarily incorrect – the building was indeed a residence of the Norman kings of Sicily – but it does ignore that many…
The First Punic War between Rome and Carthage was, at the time, the largest conflict the Classical World had ever seen. The war lasted an almost unprecedented 23 years. Some of the largest naval battles in history took place during this conflict and there was a tremendous loss of life,…
Summary Rome and Carthage intervene on Sicily to aid the Mamertines of Messana; Carthaginian garrison expelled from Messana; Carthage and Syracuse form an alliance, but both are defeated by the consul Appius Claudius Caudex; The consul Marcus Fulvius Flaccus captures the Etruscan city of Volsinii and razes it to the…
Summary Successful Roman campaigns on Sicily by the consuls Manius Otacilius Crassus and Manius Valerius Maximus Messalla; Alliance between Rome and King Hiero of Syracuse; Now that order had been restored in Volsinii, the Romans could send both newly elected consuls to Sicily. Their names were Manius Otacilius Crassus and…
Summary The consuls Lucius Postumius Megellus and Quintus Mamilius Vitulus besiege Agrigentum, an important base for Carthaginian operations on Sicily (262 BCE); Carthage sends a large relief army led by Hanno to Agrigentum; The Romans defeat the Carthaginian relief army in the Battle of Agrigentum; The Romans capture Agrigentum and…
Summary The Romans build a fleet in record time; Disastrous start to the Roman naval campaign, as the consul Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Asina is captured; Using a new device called the corvus, the Romans win a decisive victory over the Carthaginians at the naval Battle of Mylae; The consul Gaius…
Summary The First Punic War continues without any major land or sea battles; First engagements between the Romans and Carthaginians near Corsica and Sardinia (259 BCE); Failed Roman attack on Panormus on Sicily (258 BCE); The Romans and Carthaginians fight each other to a draw at the naval Battle of…
Summary Decisive Roman victory at the naval Battle of Ecnomus (256 BCE); The consuls Marcus Atilius Regulus and Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus sail to Africa with an army and capture the town of Aspis; After his colleague Vulso returns to Italy, the consul Regulus defeats the Carthaginians at the Battle…
Summary Aiming to assault the important Carthaginian city of Lilybaeum, the Romans decide to build new warships; The consuls Gaius Atilius Regulus and Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus start the siege of Lilybaeum; The Carthaginians manage to slip reinforcements past the Roman naval blockade of the city; During a successful sortie,…
Summary The consul Publius Claudius Pulcher suffers a humiliating defeat against the Carthaginians at the naval Battle of Drepana; Pulcher is put on trial and fined; The other consul, Lucius Junius Pullus, loses most of his fleet in a storm; Pullus manages to capture Mount Eryx near Drepana; Aulus Atilius…
Summary Hamilcar Barcas lands on Sicily and starts a guerrilla war against the Romans from Mount Hercte (247 BCE); Foundation of Roman colonies at Fregenae and Alsium and a Latin colony at Brundisium (245 BCE); Hamilcar Barcas captures the town of Eryx and continues his guerrilla from there (244 BCE).…
Summary The number of praetors is increased from one to two (242 or 241 BCE); Once again, the Romans build a new fleet from scratch (242 BCE); The consul Gaius Lutatius Catulus besieges Drepana with his army and fleet; Catulus wins a decisive victory over the Carthaginians at the naval…