Editing Punic Wars (section)

====Africa, 256–255 BC====
Taking advantage of their naval victories the Romans launched an invasion of North Africa in 256{{spaces}}BC,{{sfn|Rankov|2015|p=155}} which the Carthaginians intercepted at the [[battle of Cape Ecnomus]] off the southern coast of Sicily. The Carthaginians' superior seamanship was not as effective as they had hoped, while the Romans' corvuses gave them an edge as the battle degenerated into a shapeless brawl.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|pp=102–103}}{{sfn|Tipps|1985|pp=435, 459}} The Carthaginians were again beaten{{sfn|Rankov|2015|pp=155–156}} in what was possibly the [[largest naval battle in history]] by the number of combatants involved.{{efn|Polybius gives 140,000 personnel in the Roman fleet and 150,000 in the Carthaginian; these figures are broadly accepted by modern historians of the conflict.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|pp=110–111}}{{sfn|Lazenby|1996|p=87}}{{sfn|Tipps|1985|p=436}}|group=note}}{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|pp=110–111}}{{sfn|Lazenby|1996|p=87}}{{sfn|Tipps|1985|p=436}} The invasion initially went well and in 255{{spaces}}BC the Carthaginians [[Suing for peace|sued for peace]]; the proposed terms were so harsh they decided to fight on.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2006|p=87}} At the [[Battle of the Bagradas River (255 BC)|battle of Tunis]] in spring 255{{spaces}}BC a combined force of infantry, cavalry and war elephants under the command of the [[Sparta]]n mercenary [[Xanthippus of Carthage|Xanthippus]] crushed the Romans.{{sfn|Miles|2011|p=188}} The Romans sent a fleet to evacuate their survivors and the Carthaginians opposed it at the [[battle of Cape Hermaeum]] (modern [[Cape Bon]]); the Carthaginians were again heavily defeated.{{sfn|Tipps|2003|p=382}} The Roman fleet, in turn, was devastated by a storm while returning to Italy, losing most of its ships and more than 100,000 men.{{sfn|Tipps|1985|p=438}}{{sfn|Miles|2011|p=189}}{{sfn|Erdkamp|2015|p=66}} It is possible that the presence of the corvus, making the Roman ships unusually [[unseaworthy]], contributed to this disaster; there is no record of their being used again.{{sfn|Scullard|2006|p=557}}{{sfn|Lazenby|1996|pp=112, 117}}