Battle of Drepana

Overview

The naval Battle of Drepana took place in 249 BC during the First Punic War near Drepana in western Sicily, between a Carthaginian fleet under Adherbal and a Roman fleet commanded by Publius Claudius Pulcher.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Drepana was one of the most damaging Roman naval defeats of the First Punic War. Fought near Drepana in western Sicily, it pitted a Carthaginian fleet under Adherbal against a Roman force commanded by Publius Claudius Pulcher, resulting in Roman casualties of approximately 20,000. The scale of the loss underscored the continued difficulty Rome faced in contesting Carthaginian naval power during the war, and the defeat at Drepana stands as a significant check on Roman maritime ambitions in the western Mediterranean theater during the broader struggle for control of Sicily.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)