Battle of Lilybaeum

Coordinates: 37°48′0.000″N 12°25′59.999″E / 37.80000000°N 12.43333306°E / 37.80000000; 12.43333306
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Battle of Lilybaeum
Part of the
Lilybaeum, Sicily
37°48′0.000″N 12°25′59.999″E / 37.80000000°N 12.43333306°E / 37.80000000; 12.43333306
Result Roman victory
Belligerents Roman Republic CarthageCommanders and leaders Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, Praetor of Sicily UnknownStrength 20 Quinqueremes and
Triremes
35
Quinqueremes
Casualties and losses Unknown 7 ships captured
Battle of Lilybaeum is located in Sicily
Battle of Lilybaeum
class=notpageimage|
Location within Sicily
Battle of Lilybaeum is located in Italy
Battle of Lilybaeum
Battle of Lilybaeum (Italy)
Battle of Lilybaeum is located in Mediterranean
Battle of Lilybaeum
Battle of Lilybaeum (Mediterranean)

The Battle of Lilybaeum was the first clash between the navies of Carthage and Rome in 218 BC during the

Lilybaeum. The Romans, warned by Hiero of Syracuse
of the coming raid, had time to intercept the Carthaginian contingent with a fleet of 20 quinqueremes and managed to capture several Carthaginian ships.

Background

Carthage and the Roman Republic had peaceful, if not friendly, relations since signing the first treaty in 509 BC, which had detailed the rights of each power. Treaties were signed in 348 and 306 BC that further established the spheres of influence of each state. Carthage and Rome cooperated against

Saguntum, located south of the river, became an ally of Rome some time after 226 BC. When Iberian allies of Hannibal came into conflict with Saguntum, Rome warned Hannibal not to intervene. Faced with the alternative of backing down and losing face, Hannibal opted to attack Saguntum. This was the start of the Second Punic War
.

Strategic situation

The Roman Senate had declared war on Carthage after

Saguntum in Iberia
in 219 BC. Rome had declared Saguntum an ally but had done nothing to help the city during the eight-month-long siege. Once the siege was over, the combatants started to make ready for the coming struggle, which was to last 18 years.

Roman preparations

The Roman navy had been mobilized in 219 BC, fielding 220

quinqueremes for fighting the Illyrians. Publius Cornelius Scipio
received four legions (8,000 Roman and 14,000 allied infantry and 600 Roman and 1,600 allied horse) and was to sail for Iberia escorted by 60 ships.

However, Gauls of the Boii and Insubre tribes in northern Italy attacked the Roman colonies of

Ariminium with two Roman legions, 600 Roman Horse, 10,000 allied infantry and 1,000 allied cavalry towards Cisalpine Gaul. This army was ambushed twice on the way, losing 1,200 men. Although the siege of Mutina was raised, the army itself fell under a loose siege a few miles from Mutina.[1]
This event prompted the Roman Senate to send one of Scipio's legions and 5,000 allied troops to aid Vulso. Scipio had to raise troops to replace these and thus could not set out for Iberia until September 218 BC.

Consul

Tiberius Sempronius Longus received four legions (2 Roman and 2 allied, 8,000 Roman and 16,000 allied infantry and 600 Roman and 1,800 allied horse)[2] and instructions to sail for Africa, escorted by 160 quinqueremes. Sempronius had set sail for Sicily
, where he was to complete his preparations for invading Africa.

Punic preparations

Hannibal had dismissed his army to winter quarters after the

Ebro River, and attacked the Iberian tribes of Ilergetes, Bergusii and Ausetani in Catalonia. In a two-month-long campaign, Hannibal subdued parts of Catalonia between the Ebro, the Pyrenees and the Sicoris river in a swift, if costly[5]
campaign.

The Iberian contingent of the Punic navy, which numbered 50 quinqueremes (only 32 were manned) and 5 triremes, remained in Iberian waters, having shadowed Hannibal's army for some way.[6] Carthage mobilized at least 55 Quinqueremes for immediate raids on Italy.

Prelude

The Carthaginian navy struck the first blow of the war when a fleet of 20 quinqueremes, loaded with 1,000 soldiers, raided the

Hiero II, who was at Messina awaiting the arrival of Sempronius, warned the Roman praetor Marcus Aemilius Lepidus
at Lilybaeum about the impending raid.

The battle

The Carthaginian fleet was hampered by bad weather and had to wait before commencing their operation. Although the Romans only had 20 ships present at Lilybaeum, the praetor, after receiving the warning from Hiero, provisioned his ships for a long sail and put a proper contingent of Roman legionaries on board each ship before the Carthaginian fleet appeared. He also posted lookouts along the coast to watch out for the Carthaginian ships, giving him early warning and minimizing the risk of surprise.

The Carthaginians had broken their journey at the Aegates Islands, and when they sailed for Lilybaeum on a moonlit night, they intended to make their approach coincide with the dawn. The Roman lookouts spotted them well before they reached the harbour. As the Romans sallied forth, the Carthaginians lowered their sails for battle and moved to the open sea. The Carthaginians outnumbered the Romans, but their ships were undermanned and the Romans had the advantage of containing a larger number of soldiers aboard their ships. Playing to their individual strengths, the Roman ships tried to close with the Carthaginian ships and grapple them, while the Carthaginians tried to evade the onrushing Roman ships and ram them if possible. In the melee, the Romans managed to board and capture seven Carthaginian ships and take 1,700 prisoners. The remaining Carthaginian ships managed to retreat. The Roman losses are unknown.

Aftermath

The Romans had managed to thwart the Carthaginian attempt to establish a base in Sicily. The Consul T. Sempronius Longus soon arrived with his army and fleet in Sicily. He sailed with his fleet to Malta, where he

Ariminium
.

References

  1. ISBN 0-304-36642-0
  2. ISBN 0-8061-3004-0
  3. ISBN 0-7509-3797-1
  4. ISBN 0-8061-3004-0
  5. ISBN 0-304-36642-0
  6. ISBN 0-306-81362-9

Bibliography

Further reading
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