It resulted in a clear victory for the Romans. English: Battle of Cape Ecnomus 256 BC. Massive naval battle during the First Punic War. The Battle of Cape Economus In preparation for the summer campaign of 256 bc, the Romans continued to construct more ships and sailed forth in strength with an enormous fleet of 330 vessels. Due to the number of ships and crews involved (about 300 rowers and 120 combat troops per ship), this battle was one of the largest naval battles of the ancient Mediterranean world, and is a candidate for the largest naval battle in history. The rearmost Roman squadron was also outfought by the Carthaginian's third squadron. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-largest-naval-battles-of-all-time.html So ubiquitous was the type that Polybius uses it as a shorthand for "warship" in general. [75], The war eventually ended in 241 BC with a Roman victory at the Battle of the Aegates Islands, leading to an agreed peace. [18] Carthage was a well-established maritime power in the Western Mediterranean; Rome had recently unified mainland Italy south of the Po under its control. [11][12][13] Other, later, histories of the war exist, but in fragmentary or summary form,[14] and they usually cover military operations on land in more detail than those at sea. The Carthaginians were aware of the Romans' intentions and mustered all available warships, 350, off the south coast of Sicily to intercept them. [28] They were accompanied by an unknown number of transports, mostly carrying the horses of the invasion force. Such an operation demanded an enormous number of ships to transport the legions and their equipment to Africa. NEED HELP DOWNLOADING: mp3 file: This is an audio file and can be opened with an audio player or editor such as QuickTime. The fourth (IV) was in line abreast, protecting the rear. This would minimise the time the fleet spent in the open sea; ships of the time, especially the less seaworthy galleys, kept in sight of land whenever possible. Squadrons I and II, commanded by the consuls, led the way arrayed in a wedge. The battle was fought between the forces of the Roman Republic, led by Marcus Atilius Regulus and Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus, and the Carthaginian navy led by Hamilcar Barca (c. 285 – c. 228 BCE) and Hanno the Great. The Roman Fleet Victorious over the Carthaginians at the Battle of Cape Ecnomus Gabriel Jacques de Saint-Aubin (French, 1724 - 1780) 21.5 × 39.6 cm (8 7/16 × 15 9/16 in.) Both Carthaginian wings advanced on the two rearmost squadrons, by-passing the Roman centre and attempting to attack from the flanks to avoid the corvus boarding mechanism. [6][7], Most Carthaginian written records were destroyed along with their capital, Carthage, in 146 BC and so Polybius's account of the First Punic War is based on several, now lost, Greek and Latin sources. In 256 B.C., during the First Punic War (264–241 B.C. First Punic War read aloud (MP3 5.23 MB) a narration of the document . [63], The battle was decided in the fight between the two fleets' centres – the Roman first and second squadrons fighting the Carthaginian second squadron. [15] The quinquereme was a galley, c. 45 metres (150 ft) long, c. 5 metres (16 ft) wide at water level, with its deck standing c. 3 metres (10 ft) above the sea, and displacing around 100 tonnes (110 short tons; 98 long tons). The Battle of Cape Ecnomus of 256 B.C. To counter Carthaginian superiority, the Romans introduced the corvus, a bridge 1.2 m (4 ft) wide and 11 m (36 ft) long, with a heavy spike on the underside, which was designed to pierce and anchor into an enemy ship's deck. Despite having started the battle echeloned forward from their main fleet, their opponents, the ships of the Carthaginian first squadron, were unable to cut them off from the coast. The Battle of Cape Ecnomus or Eknomos (Ancient Greek: Ἔκνομος) (256 BC) was a naval battle, fought off Cape Ecnomus (modern day Poggio di Sant'Angelo, Licata, Sicily), between the fleets of Carthage and the Roman Republic, during the First Punic War. The battle thus devolved into three separate fights. Due to the number of ships and crews involved (about 300 rowers and 120 combat troops per ship), this battle was one of the largest naval battles of the … The Battle of Cape Ecnomus or Eknomos (Ἔκνομος) (256 BC) was a naval battle, fought off Cape Ecnomus (modern day Poggio di Sant'Angelo, Licata, Sicily), between the fleets of Carthage and the Roman Republic, during the First Punic War. [47][48], The Carthaginian fleet mustered at Carthage in the late spring of 256 BC, before sailing for Lilybaeum (modern Marsala), their major base in Sicily, to resupply and to embark soldiers to use as marines. [39][41], The commanders of the Roman third squadron, which had been towing the transports, felt outmatched and retreated to the shore. [note 3][10] Other sources include inscriptions, archaeological evidence and empirical evidence from reconstructions such as the trireme Olympias. The Roman fleet consisted of 330 warships, the large majority quinqueremes. [72] The Romans sent a fleet to evacuate their survivors and the Carthaginians attempted to oppose it. [8] Polybius was an analytical historian and wherever possible personally interviewed participants in the events he wrote about. They planned to cross to Africa and invade the Carthaginian homeland, in what is now Tunisia. The Battle of Ecnomus in 256 BC is arguably the largest naval battle in history with 680 warships and an estimated 290,000 rowers and marines participating! Both sides thought that they fought now on equal terms, and both threw themselves most thoroughly into the task of organizing naval forces and disputing the command of the sea, while in the meantime the land forces accomplished nothing worthy of mention, but spent their time in minor operations of no significance. To complicate the logistical problem, Carthage's fleet was patrolling the coasts of Sicily which forced Rome to transport its army in military vessels like triremes and quinqueremes which had little space for cargo. 2006.23 Open Content images tend to be large in file-size. The main source for almost every aspect of the First Punic War[note 2] is the historian Polybius (c. 200 – c. 118 BC), a Greek sent to Rome in 167 BC as a hostage. The Roman fleet defeats the Carthaginians at the Battle of Cape Ecnomus off the coast of Sicily during the First Punic War, 256 BC. [71], Regulus' invasion initially went well and in 255 BC the Carthaginians sued for peace. one of the greatest naval battles in history took place off the coast of Sicily, Italy. [5] The accuracy of Polybius's account has been much debated over the past 150 years, but the modern consensus is to accept it largely at face value, and the details of the battle in modern sources are almost entirely based on interpretations of Polybius's account. Therefore Rome built a large fleet, of about 200 ships, to make the crossing of the Mediterranean with safety. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Cape_Ecnomus&oldid=1016094036, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Pages with login required references or sources, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 5 April 2021, at 10:16. [51][55][56], Rather than sail directly from Phintias for North Africa, the Romans sailed west, intending to cross the Strait of Sicily at its narrowest point. Following the battle, the Romans landed in Sicily for repairs and to rest the crews. [66] Regulus and his Roman second squadron then moved to reinforce Vulso's attack with the Roman first squadron on the last Carthaginian squadron still fighting, the first, which was now surrounded. The Carthaginian centre was defeated after a long fight and escaped the battle scene. Henceforth Rome was the leading military power in the western Mediterranean, and increasingly the Mediterranean region as a whole. Author: Amitchell125: Other versions: français עברית (.png) नेपाली polski Licensing . The Carthaginian fleet was commanded by Hanno[note 1] and Hamilcar; the Roman fleet jointly by the consuls for the year, Marcus Atilius Regulus and Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus. The Carthaginians expected them and the two fleets met in the southern coast of Sicily off Mount Ecnomus. Regulus defeated the Salentini (See also Messapia) and captured Brundisium (now Brindisi) during his first term as consul in 267 BC. The Romans, therefore, after making preparations as I said, for the coming summer, set to sea with a fleet of 330 decked ships of war and put in to Messana. [31][32] Carthaginian quinqueremes used a separate "oar box" which contained the rowers and was attached to the main hull. If these figures are approximately correct, then the Battle of Ecnomus is possibly the largest naval battle of all time, by the number of combatants involved. With a combined total of about 680 warships carrying up to 290,000 crew and marines, the battle was possibly the largest naval battle in history by the number of combatants involved. The Carthaginian fleet fell back to home waters, where it prepared to fight again. Hanno withdrew with those ships of the Carthaginian third squadron that were able to extricate themselves. After a long fight the crews of the surviving ships of the Carthaginian centre lost heart and fled. The Romans cast off their tows to be able to manoeuvre. [15], The generally accepted theory regarding the arrangement of oarsmen in quinqueremes is that there would be sets – or files – of three oars, one above the other, with two oarsmen on each of the two uppermost oars and one on the lower, for a total of five oarsmen per file. The two consuls of the year, Marcus Atilius Regulus and Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus, were given command of the fleet. The Roman fleet of 330 warships plus an unknown number of transports had sailed from Ostia, the port of Rome, and had embarked approximately 26,000 picked legionaries shortly before the battle. [50] These brought the Carthaginian fleet up to 350 ships, nearly all quinqueremes, commanded by Hanno, who had been defeated at Agrigentum six years earlier, and Hamilcar, the victor of the Battle of Thermae (not to be confused with Hamilcar Barca). Battle Of Cape Ecnomus: One Of The Greatest Naval Battles In History Ancient History Facts April 26, 2016 MessageToEagle.com – In 256 BC, during the First Punic War (264-241 B.C.) Consul Vulso's first squadron pursued the Carthaginian left which was pushing the transports to disaster and Regulus' ships, with the third squadron, launched an attack against Hanno. The bulk of the transport ships were right behind them and the third squadron protected the rear. Admiral Hamilcar then faked a retreat to allow the creation of a gap between the Roman vanguard and the transport ships that were his main target. Carthage was without doubt one of Rome’s toughest adversaries in regards to control of the Mediterranean Sea. [69], Following the battle, the Romans landed in Sicily for repairs, to rest the crews, and to reorganise their forces. This article appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page as Today's featured article on October 10, 2020. He was known as Hanno the Great, the second (of three) Carthaginians named Hanno to be awarded that sobriquet. More broadly both sides wished to control Syracuse, the most powerful city-state on Sicily. The galley expert John Coates has suggested that they could maintain 7 knots (8 mph; 13 km/h) for extended periods. The resulting series of Roman victories in naval battles such as Mylae, inspired an attempt to invade the Carthaginian lands in North Africa. The consuls' hexaremes sailed alongside each other, at the "point" of the wedge. Battle of Cape Ecnomus, 256 BC. [15] Modern historians usually also take into account the later histories of Diodorus Siculus and Dio Cassius, although the classicist Adrian Goldsworthy states that "Polybius's account is usually to be preferred when it differs with any of our other accounts". The Carthaginian fleet was commanded by Hanno and Hamilcar; the Roman fleet jointly by the consuls for the year, Marcus Atilius Regulus and Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus. The Roman fleet, comprising 330 ships under the command of the consul M. Atilius Regulus, was escorting transports of … Both Rome and Carthage fielded huge fleets, and each fleet carried a large force of soldiers. The fleets are commonly stated to have met off Cape Ecnomus, immediately after the Romans left Licata. The Roman third squadron, towing the transports, fell behind and a gap opened between the two leading and the two rear Roman squadrons. Articles containing Ancient Greek-language text, Italy articles missing geocoordinate data, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, Battle of Cape Ecnomus animated battle map, https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cape_Ecnomus?oldid=4154603. This fleet rounded the eastern coast of Sicily and made for Ecnomus (modern Poggio Di Sant’Angelo), where they would embark the Roman legionaries. [73][74] It is possible that the presence of the corvus made the Roman ships much less seaworthy; there is no record of their being used after this disaster. Facing the foe, the two Roman leading squadrons advanced on the Carthaginian centre. [59], The Roman fleet moved along the Sicilian coast in a compact formation. Tardieu after G. de St. Aubin, 1763. The Carthaginians sailed east, expecting to encounter the Roman fleet, and were possibly warned of its approach by small scout-ships. Ancient Romans tried to control the Mediterranean Sea, but they had a great enemy that could not be easily defeated – the Carthaginians. [24][25], During this period the standard warship of the Carthaginian navy was the quinquereme, meaning "five-oared". Finally, in 256 B.C., the Romans defeated the entire Carthaginian fleet off Cape Ecnomus (southern Sicily), setting conditions for the invasion of Africa and the siege of Carthage. naval battle of the First Punic War fought off Cape Ecnomus (modern day Poggio di Sant'Angelo in Licata, Sicily) and one of the largest naval battles of … It was my understanding that ramming was indeed the standard tactic of the Carthaginians in the First Punic War. Vulso's first squadron attacked the Carthaginian first squadron. The Carthaginians were victorious, destroying the entire Roman army and killing 15,000 Roman soldiers in the process. [28] The Roman fleet sailed south along the coast of Italy, crossed to Sicily at Messana, and sailed south and then west to the roadstead at Phintias (modern Licata) where they rendezvoused with the Roman army on Sicily. [63] The Roman centre broke off its pursuit in response to the consuls' signals, and rowed back to assist their two rear squadrons, and to rescue the drifting transports. The two sides fought high-stakes battles along the Sicilian coast and in the rugged interior. [42] As a result, the Romans were initially at a disadvantage against the more experienced Carthaginians. The Battle of Cape Ecnomus or Eknomos (Ancient Greek: Ἔκνομος) (256 BC) was a naval battle, fought off Cape Ecnomus (modern day Poggio di Sant'Angelo, Licata, Sicily), between the fleets of Carthage and the Roman Republic, during the First Punic War. The Roman adaptation of the corvus was a progression of this trend and compensated for their initial disadvantage in ship manoeuvring skills. Their tactics at Drepana are described as out-flank-and-ram tactics and are described in a similar fashion in the context of Cape Ecnomus, and it does appear that their standard ship was the quinquereme. [22][23] The focus of the war shifted to the sea, where the Romans had little experience; on the few occasions they had previously felt the need for a naval presence they had relied on small squadrons provided by their allies. [29] The modern replica galley Olympias has achieved speeds of 8.5 knots (10 mph; 16 km/h) and cruised at 4 knots (4.6 mph; 7.4 km/h) for hours on end. [68] Manlius returned to Rome and celebrated a triumph. [51] The two consuls for the year, Marcus Atilius Regulus and Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus, were given command of the fleet; each sailed in a hexareme, the only larger ships noted as participating in the battle. It put up a stout resistance, but its situation became desperate. [67] After a prolonged and confused day of fighting the Carthaginians had been decisively defeated, losing 30 ships sunk and 64 captured to Roman losses of 24 ships sunk. It resulted in a clear victory for the Romans. This would be repeated down the side of a galley for a total of 28 files on each side; 168 oars in total. [20], The Carthaginians were engaging in their traditional policy of waiting for their opponents to wear themselves out, in the expectation of then regaining some or all of their possessions and negotiating a mutually satisfactory peace treaty. Having separated the Roman centre from the two rearmost squadrons, Hamilcar and his ships of the Carthaginian second squadron turned to fight the pursuing Romans. The fleet advanced along the Sicilian coast in battle formation, with the military ships deployed in three squadrons (see figure). When the Punic fleet intercepted the Roman fleet off Cape Ecnomus, the ensuing conflict was possibly the largest sea battle in antiquity in terms of men involved. Regulus' second squadron launched an attack against Hanno's third squadron. [40] This allowed Roman legionaries acting as marines to board enemy ships and capture them, rather than employing the previously traditional tactic of ramming. [58] However, this is not supported by Polybius, or any other primary source; it is a modern convention. The third squadron (III) was immediately behind them, towing the transports. Cape Ecnomus did prove to be a part of a growing trend of Roman competency at sea however, with Rome defeating Carthage at Mylae (260 BC) and Aegates Islands (241 BC), losing only at Drepanum (249 BC). Battle of Cape Ecnomus is a featured article; it (or a previous version of it) has been identified as one of the best articles produced by the Wikipedia community. Naval battle, fought off Cape Ecnomus, Sicily, in 256 BC, between the fleets of Carthage and the Roman Republic, during the First Punic War. After a prolonged and confusing day of fighting, the Carthaginians were decisively defeated, losing 30 ships sunk and 64 captured to Roman losses of 24 ships sunk. Rome's initial disadvantage in experience was compensated for by the use of the corvus in the ship's prows. [26] The quinquereme was superior as a warship to the previous mainstay of Mediterranean navies, the trireme,[27][28] and, being heavier, performed better than the triremes in bad weather. Its commanders were unable to predict the Roman landing point and were on the western side of Cape Bon when the Romans under Regulus successfully landed on the east at Aspis (modern Kelibia) and besieged it. [22] They used a shipwrecked Carthaginian quinquereme as a blueprint for their own. [36] As novice shipwrights, the Romans built copies that were heavier than the Carthaginian vessels, and so slower and less manoeuvrable. They intercepted the Roman fleet to the east of Heraclea Minoa, after it had left Licata. Prelude. [21] The Romans were essentially a land-based power and had gained control of most of Sicily. [4][5] Polybius's work is considered broadly objective and largely neutral—between Carthaginian and Roman points of view. As many as 330 ancient Roman ships confronted 350 Carthaginians ships. At the time of Ecnomus neither the speed nor manoeuvrability of the Roman ships, nor the skills of their crews, were up to the standards of the Carthaginians. The war there had reached a stalemate, as the Carthaginians focused on defending their well-fortified towns and cities; these were mostly on the coast and so could be supplied and reinforced without the Romans being able to use their superior army to interfere. Once there, the Roman third squadron took up a defensive position: they halted in shallow water, facing away from land, so that the Carthaginians could only attack their flanks with difficulty, and had to face the Romans' corvi if they attacked from the front. But the Carthaginians were not going to let this threat pass unchallenged and launched an equally large fleet to intercept the Romans, commanded by Hanno the Great and Hamilcar the later victor of Drepanum (not to be confused with Hamilcar Barca). [60] They were organised in three unequally-sized squadrons, arranged in a single line abreast with their left, landward, wing (1) advanced. The prows of the captured Carthaginian ships were sent to Rome to adorn the rostra of the Forum, according to the tradition initiated at Mylae. The transports were forced against the Sicilian coast and the reinforcements forced to enter the battle to face Hanno's attack. This development meant the rowers would be located above or at deck level,[33][34] which allowed the hull to be strengthened, and increased carrying capacity; as well as improving the ventilation conditions of the rowers, an important factor in maintaining their stamina, and thereby improving the ship's maintainable speed. [62][63], Modern and ancient historians have both suggested that Hamilcar's retreat was intended to specifically bring this situation about: to break up the compact Roman formation and allow the Carthaginians to use their greater tactical skill to outmanoeuvre the threat of the corvi and ram the Roman ships in their sides or rears. On the other hand, when the Romans were able to employ their corvi and board, they had the advantage of the experienced and heavily armoured legionaries they had embarked to transport to Africa. [9][10] Only the first book of the 40 comprising The Histories deals with this war,[11] but the modern historian G. K. Tipps considers that The Histories contains "an extensive and meticulously detailed account of the Battle of Ecnomus". Then the two leading Roman squadrons turned to relieve the situation in the rear. Carthage's fleet was disposed in the traditional long line, with the centre commanded by Hamilcar. The right flank commanded by the Hanno defeated in Agrigentum was slightly advanced. [40][41], Getting the oarsmen to row as a unit, let alone to execute the more complex battle manoeuvres, required long and arduous training. [46] Both sides were determined to establish naval supremacy and invested large amounts of money and manpower in maintaining and increasing the size of their navies. The three fights became shapeless brawls,[63] where superior ship handling counted for little. [39][52][53], In total the Roman fleet had 140,000 men on board: rowers, other crew, marines and soldiers. [76], Naval battle of the First Punic War; one of the largest naval battles ever, Location of the battle, off the south coast of Sicily, Territory controlled by Rome and Carthage at the start of the, A series of maps showing the various stages of the battle. Engraving by P.F. This growing competency was largely the result of tailoring technology to their strengths. Rome's initial disadvantage in experience was compensated for by the use of the corvus in the ship's prows. Without the support of the rest of their fleet, the Carthaginians were heavily defeated. Battle of Cape Ecnomus 256 BC. Date: 2 October 2019: Source: Own work, a SVG version of File:CapeEcnomus.png. The Carthaginian landward squadron, the first, attacked the Roman warships towing transports, the Roman third squadron, which had been exposed by the advance of their centre. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images The fight between these two huge ancient powers is today known as the Battle Of Cape Ecnomus. [29] The quinquereme provided the workhorse of the Roman and Carthaginian fleets throughout the Punic Wars, although hexaremes (six oarsmen per bank), quadriremes (four oarsmen per bank) and triremes are also occasionally mentioned. Hanno's force, to seaward, the Carthaginian third squadron, was composed of the fastest and most manoeuvrable Carthaginian ships and attacked the Roman squadron at the rear of their fleet, their fourth; which was being impeded by the now-drifting transports. Remove Ads. It then sailed east along the coast of Sicily to Heraclea Minoa, the easternmost of the Sicilian towns the Carthaginians still held[49] and was joined by those ships already operating from Sicily, at least 62 and probably more. The consuls of the year, Lucius Manlius and Marcus Atilius Regulus, sailed around Pachynum in southeastern Sicily and took up position near the mouth of the Himera river and the Ecnomus Mountain (Monte di Licata). Vessels were built as cataphract, or "protected", ships, with a closed hull to protect the rowers, and a full deck able to carry marines and catapults. By this time, Roman naval tactics had improved. They were deployed in four squadrons, of unequal size. The immense effort of building 1,000 galleys during the war laid the foundation for Rome's maritime dominance for 600 years. However, the added weight in the prow compromised the ship's manoeuvrability, and in rough sea conditions the corvus became useless. Download the free QuickTime Player for PC or Macintosh. The Battle of Cape Ecnomus or Eknomos (Ancient Greek: Ἔκνομος) was a naval battle, fought off southern Sicily, in 256 BC, between the fleets of Carthage and the Roman Republic, during the First Punic War (264–241 BC). Whither the RMA? He approached the Carthaginians from their disengaged side, threatening to trap them against the Roman fourth squadron which they were already fighting. In order to initiate its invasion of Africa, the Roman Republic constructed a major fleet, comprising transports for the army and its equipment, and warships for protection. The invaders were so successful that the other consul, Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus, was recalled to Rome, leaving Regulus behind to fi… The fleets sighted each other and both advanced. The Battle of Cape Ecnomus or Eknomos (Ancient Greek: Ἔκνομος) (256 BC) was a naval battle, fought off Cape Ecnomus (modern day Poggio di Sant'Angelo, Licata, Sicily), between the fleets of Carthage and the Roman Republic, during the First Punic War. A moment ago #1 It was fought during the First Punic War, with a combined total of around 680 warships carrying up to 290,000 crew and marines, 330 ships on the Roman side and 350 ships on the Carthaginians. [43] In the century prior to the Punic Wars, boarding had become increasingly common and ramming had declined, as the larger and heavier vessels adopted in this period lacked the speed and manoeuvrability necessary to ram, while their sturdier construction reduced the ram's effect even in case of a successful attack. Consequently, the superiority in their ships' manoeuvrability and their crews' seamanship was less than they thought. The Romans quickly put their newly enlarged fleet to use after proving it at Mylae. Starting again from there they sailed … The prows of the captured Carthaginian ships were sent to Rome to adorn the speaker's platform of the Forum, according to the tradition initiated after the Battle of Mylae. When the fleets met, the Carthaginians took the initiative and the battle devolved into three separate conflicts, where the Carthaginians hoped that their superior ship-handling skills would win the day. His works include a now lost manual on military tactics,[3] but he is best known for The Histories, written sometime after 167 BC, or about a century after the Battle of Ecnomus. See Battle of Cape Ecnomus. [44][45], Largely because of the Romans' use of the corvus, the Carthaginians were defeated in large naval battles at Mylae in 260 BC and Sulci in 257 BC. He was one of the commanders in the Roman naval expedition that shattered the Carthaginian fleet at Cape Ecnomus, and landed an army on Carthaginian territory. [64][65] The Romans had become more skilled over the four years since they first built their navy, while the recent large increase in the size of the Carthaginian navy meant many of their crews had little experience. [57] The Carthaginians were aware of the Roman intentions and correctly anticipated their route. In spite of this, this fight was the one where the Romans were most hard-pressed. Such an operation demanded an enormous number of ships to transport the legions and their equipment to Afric… The Carthaginian centre (2) was commanded by Hamilcar and their right (3) by Hanno. [61], As the two leading Roman squadrons, their first and second, made for the middle of the Carthaginian line, Hamilcar staged a feigned retreat with his centre, the Carthaginian second squadron, probably by rowing in reverse, and the consuls pursued. All warships were equipped with rams, a triple set of 60-centimetre-wide (2 ft) bronze blades weighing up to 270 kilograms (600 lb) positioned at the waterline. The Roman fleet embarked 80 picked legionaries on each warship, intending to either land them in Africa in pursuit of their strategic objective or to complement the galleys' marines if the Carthaginian navy challenged them. [70] Hamilcar and 5,500 Carthaginian troops were withdrawn from Sicily to reinforce the Carthaginian army in Africa. https://www.ancienthistorylists.com/rome-history/romes-greatest-battles A modern recreation of the Battle of Cape Ecnomus (256 BCE) by Radu Oltean. Sources other than Polybius are discussed by Bernard Mineo in "Principal Literary Sources for the Punic Wars (apart from Polybius)". The Battle of Cape Ecnomus was fought in 256 BCE off the coast of Sicily between the fleets of the Roman Republic and Carthage, ending in a decisive Roman victory. An enormous number of ships to transport the legions and their equipment to Africa fit... To relieve the situation in the ship 's prows 2 October 2019: Source: Own,! 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Protected the rear ] where superior ship handling counted for little town of Messana ( Messina... Carthage 's fleet was captured or sunk the majority captured ; Roman casualties were approximately 10,000 killed his army anticipated. ( 264–241 B.C with it 's 200,000 combatants an operation demanded an number. Conquest of Agrigentum, the majority captured ; Roman casualties were approximately killed. ] the Carthaginians were victorious, destroying the entire Roman army landed in Africa the east of Heraclea Minoa after! Four squadrons, of unequal size by Bernard Mineo in `` Principal Literary sources for the Punic Wars apart... Carthaginian lands in North Africa wherever possible personally interviewed participants in the Mediterranean! Carthaginian army in Africa squadron on the Carthaginian homeland, in 264 battle of cape ecnomus, the captured. Their newly enlarged fleet to the effect of a successful ramming attack than the Carthaginians were aware the... East, expecting to encounter the Roman army and killing 15,000 Roman soldiers in the prow compromised the ship prows. 'S manoeuvrability, and were possibly warned of its approach by small scout-ships ) was immediately them... Hexaremes sailed alongside each other, at the `` point '' of the fleet advanced along the Sicilian of... Were most hard-pressed there they sailed … the fight between these two huge ancient powers is today known Hanno! Were approximately 10,000 killed archaeological evidence and empirical evidence from reconstructions such the! Make the crossing of the battle immediately to the effect of a successful attack. Built Roman ships confronted 350 Carthaginians ships ] however, the most powerful city-state on Sicily so ubiquitous the... Possible personally interviewed participants in the ship 's prows off the coast of Sicily the squadron on the Carthaginian third. Left Licata was less than they thought numerous than even Leyte Gulf in WW2 with 's! October 2019: Source: Own work, a naval battle between the Roman and fleets. Include inscriptions, archaeological evidence and empirical evidence from reconstructions such as Mylae, inspired an attempt invade. Ubiquitous was the one where the Romans landed in Sicily for repairs and to rest crews! Consisted of 330 warships, the Roman fleet, of about 200,! 264 BC, the superiority in their ships ' manoeuvrability and their equipment to Africa he wrote.... Without doubt one of the surviving ships of the invasion force [ ]. The foundation for Rome 's maritime dominance for 600 years Carthaginian First squadron attacked the Carthaginian third! To make the crossing of the fleet to rest the crews of fleet... 15,000 Roman soldiers in the rugged interior rearmost Roman squadron was also outfought by the of... Of three ) Carthaginians named Hanno to be large in file-size one where Romans! Year, Marcus Atilius Regulus and Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus, were given command of the naval... To relieve the situation in the southern coast of Sicily without the of! 2006.23 Open Content images tend to be awarded that sobriquet, please do so ( I II... Was disposed in the ship 's prows centre commanded by Hamilcar and their right ( ). Is a modern recreation of the Carthaginians sued for peace in Africa each... The same time, Roman naval tactics had improved the rearmost Roman was! Appeared on Wikipedia 's Main Page as today 's featured article on October 10, 2020 transport... Squadrons, of about 200 ships, to make the crossing of the document to make the of! 28 files on each side ; 168 oars in total wished to control Syracuse, the majority captured Roman! Figure ) the foundation for Rome 's maritime dominance for 600 years the rugged interior forced... Of Rome ’ s toughest adversaries in regards to control of the Sicilian coast in clear... ) Carthaginians named Hanno to be awarded that sobriquet battle of cape ecnomus rammed and sunk, as were several.!, immediately after the Romans were initially at a disadvantage against the more experienced Carthaginians was... Two huge ancient powers is today known as Hanno the great, the two Roman leading squadrons advanced on Carthaginian! [ 22 ] they were accompanied by an unknown number of ships to transport legions! Were right behind them and the reinforcements forced to enter the battle scene [ 68 ] Manlius returned to and. The Medieval historian Joannes Zonaras cites Dio Cassius to locate the battle immediately to effect! Long line, with the centre commanded by Hamilcar and their right ( 3 by. One of the invasion force II ) led the way, each arrayed in echelon together! Immense effort of building 1,000 galleys during the War was control of the Mediterranean Sea, they. This trend and compensated for their initial disadvantage in experience was compensated for by the use of the ships... Easily defeated – the Carthaginians attempted to oppose it proposed by Regulus were so harsh that Carthaginians. Troops were withdrawn from Sicily to reinforce the Carthaginian homeland, in 264 BC, Romans. Was immediately behind them and the two consuls of the Sicilian coast and the on! Roman squadron was also outfought by the lost-wax method to fit immovably a... Fight again of Rome essentially a land-based power and had gained control of most Sicily... Squadron was also outfought by the Carthaginian lands in North Africa threaten Carthage 's was... Forced against the Sicilian town of Messana ( modern Messina ) an enormous number transports... At a disadvantage against the Roman fleet consisted of 330 warships, the Roman fourth squadron which were. 5.23 MB ) a narration of the Carthaginians were victorious, destroying the entire Roman army and killing 15,000 soldiers... ) led the way, each arrayed in echelon, together forming wedge.
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