1st Punic War

The Punic wars are a set of wars fought between Carthage and Rome when Rome interfered in an argument on Sicily. Mamertines (Roman Mercenaries) wanted to take a city in Sicily. They asked Carthage to help, and Carthage helped them for money. The Mamertines didn’t pay up to Carthage so Carthage got angry and attacked the Mamertines and Rome helps the Mamertines. The justification was they were Italians so Rome helps attack Carthage.  

Carthage’s mercenary army gets demolished by Rome in Sicily by Hamilcar, the commander. So Carthage decides to use their navy to come back against Rome which is a big success till they make ever stronger boats called a Corvus, a boarding bridge with a hook to stick it onto other ship decks.  The Carthage senate gets scared with their losses at sea. Meanwhile on the other side, Hasdrubal is fighting in Sicily with his army, Carthage senate surrenders to Rome. Rome’s demand of getting the island of Sicily, Sardinia, and Carthage paying debt is finally met. 

The Romans’ newfound sea dominance allowed them to land an army in Africa in 255BC under Marcus Atilius Regulus. This army defeated the Carthaginians at the battles of Aspis and Adys, and then captured the city of Tunis, which was only 10 miles away from Carthage itself. This made the Carthaginians panic, and they tried to sue for peace, but the terms imposed by Regulus were so harsh that their resolve for war hardened and they raised a new army. Among the mercenaries hired was a Spartan named Xanthippus who managed to convince them to allow him to take command of the force. Xanthippus met the Romans at the battle of Tunis, where he’s credited with the Carthaginian formation that won the day. He placed the citizen levymen at the center, and the experienced mercenaries at the right flank, and cavalry on both wings, and instead of placing elephants behind the infantry like the Carthaginians had been doing on Sicily, he placed them ahead of the phalanx. The Romans suffered a crushing defeat at Tunis, Regulus was captured, and Carthaginian morale was restored.