On This Day In History: Battle Of The Egadi Islands Took Place – On Mar 10, 241 BC

MessageToEagle.com – On March 10, 241 BC, the Carthaginian relieving fleet was totally defeated near the Aegates Islands off western Sicily – the event is known as the Battle of the Egadi Islands.

It was the final battle of the First Punic War in 241 BC.

By the winter of 243/242 the Roman treasury is exhausted. However the Romans had sufficiently recovered from the debacle of 249 to build yet another fleet. The Senate passed a measure taxing themselves, the monies to be repayable in case of victory. 200 war ships are built.

Successful ground and naval assaults are launched against Carthaginian fortresses at Lilybaeum and Drepanum in Sicily.

In 241 the fleet of 200 quinquiremes which was placed in command of Gaius Lutatius Catulus were sent to renew the blockade of Lilybaeum. The Romans appeared off the coast of Sicily in the summer and the surprised Punic fleet was forced to sail home, allowing the Romans to take the harbor at Drepana (Trapani), where he installed siege-works and blockaded the city, and the roadsteads near Lilybaeum. Meanwhile he drilled in naval manoeuvers every day.

The Carthaginians managed to reactivate their fleet and send a force of 170 ships, loaded their ships with grain and sought to relieve Hamilcar’s troops in Eryx.

The fleet was out of practice, undermanned and burdened with supplies for the garrison. The commander, Hanno, planned to sneak into Eryx, unload the corn to lighten the ships and take on the mercenary troops of Hamilcar Barca and then seek out the Roman fleet.

This plan failed. At daybreak, Lutatius embarked his best troops and sailed to the  Egadi Islands) near Lilybaeum to intercept. He was unsure whether to engage but in the end decided that this would be preferable to fighting the same force later after it could be strengthened by Carthage. So upon seeing the enemy at full sail, he put to sea at once, quickly maneuvering his fleet into a single line facing the enemy.

Seeing this, the Carthaginians lowered their masts and closed. The Romans benefited from removal of all heavy equipment from their vessels and their training now paid off whereas the laden Carthaginian galleys were difficult to maneuver and their marines merely raw recruits.

The result was that the Carthaginian ships experienced defeat after defeat. Fifty of their galleys were sunk outright and seventy captured. The remainders were saved only by a fortuitous change in wind direction and raised their masts and ran before the wind, which had veered around, and made their way back. The Romans had taken nearly 100,000 prisoners of war and Carthage was forced to sue for peace shortly thereafter.

Thus it was that on March 10, 241 BC, the Carthaginian relieving fleet was totally defeated near the Aegates Islands off western Sicily.

Catulus, who had made the decision to attack, shared in the triumph, though a wound had prevented him from taking part in the operations.

The Carthaginians subsequently crucified the naval commander Hanno.

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