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Fir-^t Period.
BELLUM PUNICUM PRLMUM
264-242 a.C.
B.C.
264.—.Scarcely bad Pyrrhus left Italy when war between Rome and Carthage seemed inevitable. The naval ascendency of
Carthage and her extended foothold in Sicily was a menace to the shores of Italy and to the commerce of Rome.
An excuse for hostilities was furnished by the Mamertines of Mcssana, who were attacked by Hiero of iSyracuse.
One party in Messana was for calling in Carthaginian aid to keep out the Syracusans ; the other party was for
invoking the aid of tlie Romans. While the application to Rome was still pending, Hanno, with the Carthaginians,
arrives at Messana, and having effected a compi'omise between Hiero and the Mamertines, occupies the acropolis.
In the meantime the Romans decide to assi.st the Mamertines, ami one of the consuls, Appius Claudius Caudex, is
appointed to leav the .Mamertines ; Hanno is .seized, and after a short confinement allowed to leave with his men.
The Carthaginians, having put Hanno to death for losing Messana, form an alliance with Hiero to attack the town.
Their fleet is ordered to anchor at Pelorum, while a land force co-operates with Hiero, who had taken up a position on
the hills on the south.
.Suuli was the position when the consul .Appius arrives in the sunnner at Rhegium. He boldly crosses at night to
avoid the Punic fleet, and throws liim.self into Messana. His attempt to induce Hiero and tlie Carthaginians to retire
and to leave Messana under the care of the Romans is rejected. Appius thereupon resolves to fight.
The next morning Appius leads his troops against Hiero, whom he defeats. Hiero abandons his camp and retires to
Syracuse.
Appius then attacks the Carthaginians, whom he drives from their positions.
The siege of ilessana being thus raised, Appius scours the country towards Syracuse and begins to besiege that towii.
Owing, however, to the unhealthiness of tlie district and tlic sliortncss of provisions, and finding, too, that Hiero was
inclined to make terms, Appius leads off his army and returns to Rome, which he enters in triumph.
263.—In this year botli consuls are sent to Sicily, each with two legions ; 6.3 towns submit to them, Hiero himself entering into
alliance with the Romans and throwing over the Carthaginians.
The Carthaginians make great efforts during the year to increase their forces in .Sicily, making Agrigentum their
headquarters.
262.—Both consuls are again sent to Sicily ; their energies are directed against Agrigentum, and both Roman armies encamp
within a mile of its walls.
Hannibal, the son of Gisgo, commanding in the town, inflicts several defeats on Roman foraging parties, and even
makes an assault on their camp, which was only repulsed at great loss.
The Romans now fortify two camps, one on the soutli side between the city and the sea, the other on the west in the
direction of Heradea, thus cutting the town off all succour by land and sea. Their own supplies the Romans obtain
through Herbessus.
Hannibal, however, was able to keep up connnunication with Carthage, from whence a fresh army was sent to join
Hanno at Heraclea tor the relief of Agrigentum, the siege of which had now lasted five months.
Thu< reinforced, Hanno seizes Herbessus, tlie source of the Roman supplies, and reduces them almost to the position
of a besieged garrison. Hiero contrives to throw supplies into the Roman camp. Though the Romans continued to
be harassed by Hanno for two months, the Agrigentines were in even worse plight.
Hanno now determines to risk a general engagement, and after a severe struggle tlie Carthaginians are routed.
Tlie besieged Hannibal, taking advantage of the fatigue and negligent watch of
Hanno, escapes with his garrison out of Agrigentum by night.
the Romans after their struggle with
'J'he Romans discovering this at daybreak make no attempt at pursuit, but proceed to occupy and plunder the town.
The fall of Agrigentum settles the superiority on land in favour of Rome.
Second Period.
261.—Hamilcar (not Barcas) is sent from Carthage to supersede Hanno. He sails along the coasts of Sicily and even makes
descents upon Italy. In spite of the defeat at Agrigentum, Carthaginians now besiege the Roman garrison
at .Segesta.
The Romans determine to build a fleet.
260.—In the spring the ships are launched and put under the command of (Jnaeus Cornelius Scipio, while the other consul,
Gaius Duilius, go«s to Sicily to relieve the besieged garrison of Segesta.
To face Map 3tJ.