The Carthaginians in Sicily, Sardinia and North Africa
Tetradrachm, uncertain mint in Sicily "people of the camp" circa 350-320, AR 17.00 g. Head of Tanit-Persephone l., wearing wreath of reeds; around, four dolphins. Rev. Horse prancing l.; behind, palm tree with cluster of dates. de Luynes 1434 (these dies). Boston, MFA 489 (this obverse die). Jenkins Punic Sicily III, 141. Struck on excellent metal and perfectly centred. Extremely fine Ex Gemini sale VII, 2011, 197. From the Patrick Tan collection. In the centuries leading up to the First Punic War, Carthaginians and Romans had pursued a relationship of indifference, for their realms of influence did not overlap in any meaningful way. Their first treaty appears to have been made in 509 B.C., and they peacefully co-existed for centuries. The Romans were perhaps less sophisticated than the worldly Carthaginians in these early diplomatic ventures, as Carthage continually got what it desired: an assurance that Rome would not intervene in Carthaginian affairs in the Western Mediterranean. In return, Rome was immune from potential conflict, being quite occupied with its own efforts for regional conquest. The principal cause of Rome's first war with Carthage is uncertain – perhaps it was a fear that Carthage would gain control of the north-eastern part of Sicily, or simply a desire to reap the spoils of victory from a Sicilian expedition. In a larger sense, however, conflict was inevitable in light of Rome's meteoric expansion in central and southern Italy by the mid-3rd Century B.C. It seems there was no long-term plan on either side of the war, simply an escalation as Rome and Carthage became embroiled in partisan events in Sicily. The root cause was the disposition of the city of Messana, which had been violently taken by Mamertine mercenaries, who found an ally in Rome. Meanwhile, in opposition, the Carthaginians had formed a partnership with Hieron II, who recently had become king of Syracuse. The Romans successfully laid siege to Syracuse and, through their merciful treatment of Hieron, gained in him a staunch ally. This development alarmed the Carthaginians, who responded in 262 with an invasion of Sicily. After a particularly violent sack of Agrigentum, an ally of Carthage, hostilities continued on both land and sea, and by the mid-250s had even extended to North Africa, where the Romans occupied Tunis, only to have their victorious army virtually annihilated. Fortunes teetered from one side to the other in a series of violent encounters in Sicily, North Africa, and Southern Italy. By 241 it was apparent that the Romans would not yield, despite their mounting losses; after a final naval disaster near the Aegates Insulae, the Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca sued for peace. As the spoils of victory, Rome gained control (with Hieron II) over Sicily and its adjacent islands, and was to receive from Carthage an indemnity of 3,200 talents over the next decade. Carthage was left broken, and still had to wage war on the home front against unpaid mercenaries and Libyans. In subsequent years, Romans also took control of Sardinia, which forced the Carthaginians to expand their interests in Spain and eventually gave rise to the Second Punic War (218-201 B.C.).