Editing First Punic War (section)

==Sicily 255–248 BC==
{{Main|Battle of Panormus|Battle of Drepana|Battle of Phintias|Siege of Lilybaeum (250–241 BC)}}
[[Image:Attacksrenewed (cropped).JPG|thumb|upright=1|alt=a map of Sicily showing Rome and Carthage's territories, movements and the main military clashes 253–251 BC|{{center|Roman attacks 253–251&nbsp;BC}}]]
Having lost most of their fleet in the storm of 255&nbsp;BC, the Romans rapidly rebuilt it, adding 220 new ships.{{sfn|Miles|2011|pp=189–190}}{{sfn|Lazenby|1996|p=114}} In 254&nbsp;BC the Carthaginians attacked and captured Akragas, but not believing they could hold the city, they burned it, razed its walls and left.{{sfn|Lazenby|1996|pp=114–116, 169}}{{sfn|Rankov|2015|p=158}} Meanwhile, the Romans launched a determined offensive in Sicily. Their entire fleet, under both consuls, attacked Panormus early in the year. The city was surrounded and blockaded, and siege engines set up. These made a breach in the walls which the Romans stormed, capturing the outer town and giving [[no quarter]]. The inner town promptly surrendered. The 14,000 inhabitants who could afford it ransomed themselves and the remaining 13,000 were sold into slavery. Much of western inland Sicily now went over to the Romans: [[Ietas]], [[Solous]], Petra, and [[Tyndaris]] all came to [[peace|terms]].{{sfn|Bagnall|1999|p=80}}

In 253&nbsp;BC the Romans changed their focus to Africa again and carried out several raids. They lost another 150 ships, from a fleet of 220, to a storm while returning from raiding the North African coast east of Carthage. They rebuilt again.{{sfn|Miles|2011|pp=189–190}} The next year the Romans shifted their attention to north-west Sicily. They sent a naval expedition toward [[Lilybaeum]]. En route, the Romans seized and burned the Carthaginian hold-out cities of [[Selinunte|Selinous]] and [[Heraclea Minoa]], but they failed to take Lilybaeum. In 252&nbsp;BC they captured Thermae and Lipara, which had been isolated by the fall of Panormus. Otherwise they avoided battle in 252 and 251&nbsp;BC, according to Polybius because they feared the war elephants which the Carthaginians had shipped to Sicily.{{sfn|Lazenby|1996|p=118}}{{sfn|Rankov|2015|p=159}}
[[File:C._Caecilius_Metellus_Caprarius,_denarius,_125_BC,_RRC_269-1.jpg|alt=|left|thumb|Denarius of [[Gaius Caecilius Metellus Caprarius|C. Caecilius Metellus Caprarius]], minted in 125&nbsp;BC. The reverse depicts the triumph of his ancestor [[Lucius Caecilius Metellus (consul 251 BC)|Lucius Caecilius Metellus]], with the elephants he had captured at [[Battle of Panormus|Panormus]].{{sfn|Crawford|1974|p=292, 293}}]]

In late summer 251&nbsp;BC{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|p=93}} the Carthaginian commander Hasdrubal{{snd}}who had faced Regulus in Africa{{snd}}hearing that one consul had left Sicily for the winter with half of the Roman army, advanced on Panormus and devastated the countryside.{{sfn|Rankov|2015|p=159}}{{sfn|Lazenby|1996|p=169}}{{sfn|Bagnall|1999|p=82}} The Roman army, which had been dispersed to gather the harvest, withdrew into Panormus. Hasdrubal boldly advanced most of his army, including the elephants, towards the city walls. The Roman commander [[Lucius Caecilius Metellus (consul 251 BC)|Lucius Caecilius Metellus]] sent out skirmishers to harass the Carthaginians, keeping them constantly supplied with javelins from the stocks within the city. The ground was covered with [[earthworks (military)|earthworks]] constructed during the Roman siege, making it difficult for the elephants to advance. Peppered with missiles and unable to retaliate, the elephants fled through the Carthaginian infantry behind them. Metellus had opportunistically moved a large force to the Carthaginian's left flank, and they charged into their disordered opponents. The Carthaginians fled; Metellus captured ten elephants but did not permit a pursuit.{{sfn|Bagnall|1999|pp=82–83}} Contemporary accounts do not report either side's losses, and modern historians consider later claims of 20,000–30,000 Carthaginian casualties improbable.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|pp=93–94}}

[[Image:Attacksrenewed2 (cropped).JPG|thumb|upright=1|alt=a map of Sicily showing Rome and Carthage's territories, movements and the main military clashes 253–251 BC|{{center|Roman attacks 250–249&nbsp;BC}}]]
Encouraged by their victory at Panormus, the Romans moved against the main Carthaginian base on Sicily, Lilybaeum, in 249&nbsp;BC. A large army commanded by the year's consuls [[Publius Claudius Pulcher (consul 249 BC)|Publius Claudius Pulcher]] and [[Lucius Junius Pullus (consul 249 BC)|Lucius Junius Pullus]] besieged the city. They had rebuilt their fleet, and 200 ships blockaded the harbour.{{sfn|Miles|2011|p=190}} Early in the blockade, 50 Carthaginian quinqueremes gathered off the [[Aegates Islands]], which lie {{convert|15|-|40|km|0|abbr=on}} to the west of Sicily. Once there was a strong west wind, they sailed into Lilybaeum before the Romans could react and unloaded reinforcements and a large quantity of supplies. They evaded the Romans by leaving at night, evacuating the Carthaginian cavalry.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|p=117}}{{sfn|Bagnall|1999|p=85}} The Romans sealed off the landward approach to Lilybaeum with earth and timber camps and walls. They made repeated attempts to block the harbour entrance with a heavy timber [[Boom (navigational barrier)|boom]], but due to the prevailing sea conditions they were unsuccessful.{{sfn|Bagnall|1999|pp=84–86}} The Carthaginian garrison was kept supplied by blockade runners, light and manoeuvrable quinqueremes with highly trained crews and experienced [[Maritime pilot|pilots]].{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|pp=117–118}}

Pulcher decided to attack the Carthaginian fleet, which was in the harbour of the nearby city of Drepana (modern [[Trapani]]). The Roman fleet sailed by night to carry out a surprise attack, but became scattered in the dark. The Carthaginian commander [[Adherbal (admiral)|Adherbal]] was able to lead his fleet out to sea before they were trapped and counter-attacked in the [[Battle of Drepana]]. The Romans were pinned against the shore and after a hard day's fighting were heavily defeated by the more manoeuvrable Carthaginian ships with their better-trained crews. It was Carthage's greatest naval victory of the war.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|pp=117–121}} Carthage turned to the maritime offensive, inflicting another heavy naval defeat at the [[Battle of Phintias]] and all but swept the Romans from the sea.{{sfn|Bagnall|1999|pp=88–91}} It was to be seven years before Rome again attempted to field a substantial fleet, while Carthage put most of its ships into reserve  to save money and free up manpower.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|pp=121–122}}{{sfn|Rankov|2015|p=163}}