Battle of the Aegates Islands

Overview

The Battle of the Aegates was a naval battle fought on 10 March 241 BC between the fleets of Carthage and Rome during the First Punic War. It took place among the Aegates Islands, off the western coast of the island of Sicily. The Carthaginians were commanded by Hanno, and the Romans were under the overall authority of Gaius Lutatius Catulus, but Quintus Valerius Falto commanded during the battle. It was the final and deciding battle of the 23-year-long First Punic War.

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

Significance

The Battle of the Aegates Islands, fought on 10 March 241 BC among the Aegates Islands off the western coast of Sicily, was the final and deciding engagement of the 23-year-long First Punic War. The Roman fleet under the overall authority of Gaius Lutatius Catulus, with Quintus Valerius Falto in direct command during the engagement, defeated the Carthaginian fleet commanded by Hanno. Carthaginian casualties reached 10,000. The battle's outcome brought the First Punic War to a close, resolving a conflict that had lasted more than two decades and determining the balance of naval and territorial power between Rome and Carthage in the western Mediterranean.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (3)