Battle of Cape Ecnomus
Hamilcar
65 vessels hijacked
Agrigento - Mylae - Aeolian Islands - Sulci - Tyndaris - Cape Ecnomus - Aspis - Ady - Tunes - Cape Bon - Panormus - Drepana I - Drepana II - Ägatische Islands
The Battle of Cape Ecnomus (also Battle of Eknomos ), which took place BC during the First Punic War, off the south coast of Sicily near the Cape Ecnomus in the year 256, was a naval battle between the fleets of Carthage and the Roman Republic. Due to the large number of probably up to 290,000 sailors involved was one of the greatest naval battles of ancient history.
Prehistory
After the conquest of Agrigentum, the Romans decided to build a fleet, and thus to threaten Carthage's supremacy in the Mediterranean. Compared to the Carthaginians, Rome had little experience in building a fleet, the initial disadvantage, however, was compensated by the use of Enter bridges ( corvus ). The resulting series of Roman Seeschlachtsiege led to an invasion attempt in Carthaginian territory in Africa.
Such a conquest made a large number of ships needed to transport both legions and the associated equipment to Africa. The logistical problems were aggravated by the fact that Carthage fleet patrolling off the coast of Sicily. Therefore could only warships such as triremes and quinqueremes be used for the transports, which offered little cargo space. Rome reacted to this problem with the construction of a military fleet of over 200 ships, under whose conduct the Mediterranean should be crossed safely. The two consuls of this year, Marcus Regulus and Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus were entrusted with the command of this fleet. The Carthaginians responded to the threat with the emission of an equally large fleet, which was under the command of Hanno and Hamilcar. Your job should be to intercept the Romans.
The Battle of Cape Ecnomus
Both fleets were divided into four squadrons. The Roman fleet approached the coast of Sicily in battle formation; while two squadrons of the military fleet in wedge formation led the fleet, covered the other two squadrons as are in the midst of transport ships. On the south coast of Sicily, they met the Carthaginian fleet, which had traditionally placed in a long row. Hamilcar commanded the fleet from a ship located in the center. Hanno, the Carthaginian second commander, was on a ship on the right flank.
Hamilcar ushered in an apparent withdrawal of its located in the middle of two squadrons: The purpose of this bill retreat was to entice the leading military fleet of the Romans to a car chase to make it as separate from the Roman cargo ships. The two Carthaginian flank squadron used the so resulting gap and attacked the carriers from two sides. The Roman transport ships departed from the direction of the Sicilian coast, while the rear guard of the Roman naval fleet turned the fight against the Carthaginian flanks.
Meanwhile, the part of the Carthaginian fleet was involved under command of Hamilcar in a protracted battle with the part of the military fleet, which had followed them. The Carthaginians were subject in this naval battle and evaded by fleeing from. Then the now vacant Roman fleet returned to part to engage in the naval battle in her back. A Punic flank squadron managed to escape, but the other was almost completely destroyed due to numerical inferiority. The Carthaginians were indeed performed well tactically, but had at close range with the Enter bridges no antidote.
Aftereffect
After the sea route to the Romans was free, the Roman army landed in Africa and began their criminal campaign against Carthage under the command of Marcus Atilius Regulus. When the Romans were faced with Carthage, it sued for peace, however, rejected the harsh peace conditions. When held in the following year the Battle of Tunes the Roman expedition army was defeated. During the evacuation of the remaining army did the Battle of Cape Bon, which was won by the Romans. The but then suffered on the return trip loss of nearly 300 ships with around 100,000 seafarers during a storm represents one of the largest shipwrecks in maritime history