Editing First Punic War (section)

==Aftermath==
[[File:First Punic War 237 BC.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|alt=A map of the western Mediterranean showing the territory ceded to Rome by Carthage under the treaty.|{{center|Territory ceded to Rome by Carthage under the treaty is shown in pink}}]]

The war lasted 23 years, the longest war in Romano-Greek history and the greatest naval war of the ancient world.{{sfn|Lazenby|1996|p=x}} In its aftermath Carthage attempted to avoid paying in full the foreign troops who had fought its war. Eventually [[Mercenary War|they rebelled]] and were joined by many disgruntled local groups.{{sfn|Bagnall|1999|pp=112–114}}{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|pp=133–134}}{{sfn|Hoyos|2000|p=371}} They were put down with great difficulty and considerable savagery. In 237&nbsp;BC Carthage prepared an expedition to recover the island of Sardinia, which had been lost to the rebels.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|p=135}}{{sfn|Miles|2011|pp=209, 212–213}} Cynically, the Romans stated they considered this an act of war. Their peace terms were the ceding of Sardinia and Corsica and the payment of an additional 1,200-talent indemnity.{{#tag:ref|1,200 talents was approximately {{convert|30|lt|kg|disp=flip|abbr=in}} of silver.{{sfn|Lazenby|1996|p=158}}|group=note}} Weakened by 30 years of war, Carthage agreed rather than enter into a conflict with Rome again; the additional payment and the renunciation of Sardinia and Corsica were added to the treaty as a codicil.{{sfn|Sidwell|Jones|1997|p=16}}{{sfn|Lazenby|1996|p=175}} These actions by Rome fuelled resentment in Carthage, which was not reconciled to Rome's perception of its situation, and are considered contributory factors in the outbreak of the [[Second Punic War]].{{sfn|Lazenby|1996|p=175}}

The leading role of Hamilcar Barca in the defeat of the mutinous foreign troops and African rebels greatly enhanced the prestige and power of the [[Barcid]] family. In 237&nbsp;BC Hamilcar led many of his veterans on an expedition to expand Carthaginian holdings in southern [[Carthaginian Iberia|Iberia]] (modern Spain). Over the following 20 years this was to become a semi-autonomous Barcid fiefdom and the source of much of the silver used to pay the large indemnity owed to Rome.{{sfn|Collins|1998|p=13}}{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|pp=152–155}}

For Rome, the end of the First Punic War marked the start of its expansion beyond the Italian Peninsula. Sicily became the first [[Roman province]] as [[Sicilia (Roman province)|Sicilia]], governed by a former [[praetor]]. Sicily would become important to Rome as [[Grain supply to the city of Rome|a source of grain]].{{sfn|Sidwell|Jones|1997|p=16}} [[Provincia Sardinia et Corsica|Sardinia and Corsica]], combined, also became a Roman province and a source of grain, under a praetor, although a strong military presence was required for at least the next seven years, as the Romans struggled to suppress the local inhabitants.{{sfn|Hoyos|2015|p=211}}{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|p=136}} [[Syracuse, Italy|Syracuse]] was granted nominal independence and ally status for the lifetime of Hiero II.{{sfn|Allen|Myers|1890|p=111}} Henceforth Rome was the leading military power in the western Mediterranean, and increasingly the Mediterranean region as a whole.{{sfn|Miles|2011|p=213}} The Romans had built more than 1,000 galleys during the war, and this experience of building, manning, training, supplying and maintaining such numbers of ships laid the foundation for Rome's maritime dominance for 600 years.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|pp=128–129, 357, 359–360}} The question of which state was to control the western Mediterranean remained open, and when Carthage besieged the Roman-protected town of [[Saguntum]] in eastern Iberia in 218&nbsp;BC it ignited the [[Second Punic War]] with Rome.{{sfn|Collins|1998|p=13}}