First Punic War: Carthage Against Rome

War broke out between the Romans and the Carthaginians as a result of a three way struggle between Carthage, Rome, and Syracuse over the strategic city of Messana (modern Messina), which controlled the straits between Italy and Sicily. During the chaos that set in following the death of Agathocles of Syracuse in 289 a band of Mamertines, Campanian mercenaries of the deceased king, had seized Messana for themselves and began to plunder the surrounding countryside. Early in the 260s, Hiero, the commander of Syracuse’s army, defeated these Mamertines in battle and advanced on their city; his victory in fact gave him the opportunity to proclaim himself king. Meanwhile a Carthaginian admiral came to the Mamertines’ aid, installing a garrison in Messana. As a result, Hiero abandoned the siege he had begun.
Roman armies soon became involved. The presence of a Carthaginian force within their city provoked dissension among the Mamertines. Some apparently hoped for a treaty with Carthage that would give them greater freedom of action, but others preferred to seek Roman assistance and protection. The Roman senate was divided on the issue, but one of the consuls of 264 (in all likelihood Appius Claudius Caudex) successfully proposed to a citizen assembly that the Mamertines be given Roman protection. Claudius was certainly the consul who then set off for Sicily with his army. Meantime the Mamertines perhaps with the assistance of no more than a Roman advance guard expelled the Carthaginian garrison from Messana; for this failure, the garrison commander was supposedly crucified later. Claudius then arrived and entered the city. Both King Hiero and the Carthaginians responded: A Carthaginian fleet blockaded Messana, while Carthaginian and Syracusan armies each set up camp outside it.
More intensive warfare broke out in 263, when Rome sent out both consuls, with a large force of Romans and allies. The consuls advanced into Hiero’s territory, seized some towns there, and received the surrender of others. Hiero then made peace, and became an ally of Rome. The consuls of the next year advanced into western Sicily and besieged the Greek city of Agrigentum (modern Agrigento), where the Carthaginians had concentrated their forces. They tried to force the Roman commanders to abandon the siege. However, after a battle in which both sides appear to have lost heavily, the Carthaginian generals managed to evacuate their forces from the city without further loss. The citizens of Agrigentum suffered much more severely. On the next day, the Roman army entered the city, plundered it, and sold thousands of the citizens into slavery. Meanwhile the Carthaginians replaced their unsuccessful commander with Hamilcar Barca, who would continue to command the Carthaginian forces on the island for the remainder of this long war. After the sack of Agrigentum in 262, the Romans and Carthaginians entered a period of stalemate. Some cities that had previously defected to the Romans now resumed their alliance with Carthage, while others joined Rome for the

Both sides faced extraordinary difficulties. Carthage possessed one of the most powerful war fleets in the Mediterranean, but it depended upon mercenaries to fill out its armies. Because of this strength at sea, Carthaginian forces were able to hold towns on the coast, where reinforcements could easily be landed. Rome, on the other hand, had a large army, though only a small fleet, with its Greek allies providing many of the ships and crews. Roman commanders were able to bring armies across the narrow straits between Sicily and Italy, but the strength of the Carthaginian fleet made it impossible for them to expel Carthaginian forces from Sicily.

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