Editing First Punic War (section)

==Invasion of Africa==
{{main|Battle of Cape Ecnomus|Siege of Aspis|Battle of Adys|Battle of Tunis|Sinking of the Roman fleet (255 BC)}}

[[Image:First Punic War Africa 256-255BC.svg|thumb|upright=1|left|alt=a map of what is now north-east Tunisia, showing the advance, main military clashes and retreat of the invading Roman army in 256–255 BC|1: Romans land and capture Aspis (256&nbsp;BC)<br />
2: Roman victory at Adys (256&nbsp;BC)<br />
3: Romans capture Tunis (256&nbsp;BC)<br />
4: Xanthippus sets out from Carthage with a large army (255&nbsp;BC)<br />
5: Romans are defeated at the Battle of Tunis. (255&nbsp;BC)<br />
6: Romans retreat to Aspis and leave Africa. (254&nbsp;BC)]]
Rome's naval victories at Mylae and Sulci, and their frustration at the stalemate in Sicily, led them to adopt a sea-based strategy and to develop a plan to invade the Carthaginian heartland in North Africa and threaten Carthage (close to [[Tunis]]).{{sfn|Rankov|2015|p=155}} Both sides were determined to establish [[naval supremacy]] and invested large amounts of money and manpower in maintaining and increasing the size of their navies.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|p=110}}{{sfn|Lazenby|1996|p=83}} The Roman fleet of 330 warships and an unknown number of transports sailed from [[Ostia Antica|Ostia]], the port of Rome, in early 256&nbsp;BC, commanded by the consuls for the year, [[Marcus Atilius Regulus (consul 267 BC)|Marcus Atilius Regulus]] and [[Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus]].{{sfn|Tipps|1985|p=434}} The Romans embarked approximately 26,000 legionaries from the Roman forces on Sicily shortly before the battle. They planned to cross to Africa and invade what is now Tunisia.{{sfn|Tipps|1985|p=435}}{{sfn|Walbank|1959|p=10}}{{sfn|Lazenby|1996|pp=84–85}}

The Carthaginians knew of the Romans' intentions and mustered all their 350 warships under Hanno the Great and Hamilcar, off the south coast of Sicily to intercept them. With a combined total of about 680 warships carrying up to 290,000 crew and marines, the ensuing [[Battle of Cape Ecnomus]] was possibly the largest naval battle in history by the number of combatants involved.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|pp=110–111}}{{sfn|Lazenby|1996|p=87}}{{sfn|Tipps|1985|p=436}} At the start of the battle the Carthaginians took the initiative, hoping their superior ship handling skills would tell.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|pp=112–113}}{{sfn|Tipps|1985|p=459}} After a day of prolonged and confused fighting the Carthaginians were defeated, losing 30 ships sunk and 64 captured to Roman losses of 24 ships sunk.{{sfn|Bagnall|1999|p=69}}

After the victory the Roman army, commanded by Regulus, landed in Africa near Aspis (modern [[Kelibia]]) on the [[Cape Bon|Cape Bon Peninsula]] and began ravaging the Carthaginian countryside. After a [[Siege of Aspis|brief siege]], Aspis was captured.{{sfn|Warmington|1993|p=176}}{{sfn|Miles|2011|p=186}} Most of the Roman ships returned to Sicily, leaving Regulus with 15,000 infantry and 500 cavalry to continue the war in Africa; Regulus laid siege to the city of [[Uthina|Adys]].{{sfn|Miles|2011|p=186}} The Carthaginians had recalled Hamilcar from Sicily with 5,000 infantry and 500 cavalry. Hamilcar, [[Hasdrubal, son of Hanno|Hasdrubal]] and a third general called Bostar were placed in joint command of an army which was strong in cavalry and elephants and was approximately the same size as the Roman force. The Carthaginians established a camp on a hill near Adys.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|p=85}} The Romans carried out a night march and launched a surprise dawn attack on the camp from two directions. After confused fighting the Carthaginians broke and fled. Their losses are unknown, although their elephants and cavalry escaped with few casualties.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|p=86}}

The Romans followed up and captured Tunis, only {{convert|16|km|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} from Carthage. From Tunis the Romans raided and devastated the immediate area around Carthage. In despair, the Carthaginians [[Suing for peace|sued for peace]] but Regulus offered such harsh terms that the Carthaginians decided to fight on.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|p=87}} Charge of the training of their army was given to the [[Sparta]]n mercenary commander [[Xanthippus of Carthage|Xanthippus]].{{sfn|Miles|2011|p=188}} In 255&nbsp;BC Xanthippus led an army of 12,000 infantry, 4,000 cavalry and 100 elephants against the Romans and defeated them at the [[Battle of the Bagradas River (255 BC)|Battle of Tunis]]. Approximately 2,000 Romans retreated to Aspis; 500, including Regulus, were captured; the rest were killed. Xanthippus, fearful of the envy of the Carthaginian generals he had outdone, took his pay and returned to Greece.{{sfn|Miles|2011|p=188}} The Romans sent a fleet to evacuate their survivors. It was intercepted by a Carthaginian fleet off Cape Bon (in the north east of modern Tunisia) and in the [[Battle of Cape Hermaeum]] the Carthaginians were heavily defeated, losing 114 ships captured.{{sfn|Tipps|1985|p=438}}{{#tag:ref|This assumes, per G. K. Tipps, that all 114 captured Carthaginian vessels were sailing with the Romans.{{sfn|Tipps|1985|p=438}}|group=note}} The Roman fleet was devastated by a storm while returning to Italy, with 384 ships sunk from their total of 464 and 100,000 men lost, the majority non-Roman Latin allies.{{sfn|Tipps|1985|p=438}}{{sfn|Miles|2011|p=189}}{{sfn|Erdkamp|2015|p=66}}{{nbs}} It is possible that the presence of the {{lang|la|corvus}} made the Roman ships unusually unseaworthy; there is no record of them being used after this disaster.{{sfn|Lazenby|1996|pp=112, 117}}