After his defeat at Beneventum, King Pyrrhus of Epirus had returned to his kingdom, only to get himself killed in the streets of Argos on the Peloponnesos a few years later. Pyrrhus’ departure allowed the Romans to complete their conquest of Southern Italy. The entire region that was known as…
Before King Pyrrhus of Epirus crossed over to Sicily he reportedly narrowly escaped an attempt on his life. According to his biographer Plutarchus the king’s personal physician had offered the Romans to poison his master in return for a royal reward. The new consul for 278 BCE, Gaius Fabricius Luscinus,…
Pyrrhus of Epirus is generally considered one of the greatest generals of Antiquity. But if Fate had decided otherwise, he would have died at a young age. Pyrrhus had been born in 319 BCE as the son of King Aiakides of Epirus. Two years later the Molossians, one of the…
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…