battle of Ecnomus

Ecnomus, battle of (256 bc). Taking its name from a hill above modern Licata, this was the greatest naval battle of the first Punic war. Polybius (see Greek historians) records that the Romans had 330 warships, carrying nearly 139, 000 men, the Carthaginians 350, carrying 147, 000. The Roman fleet, heading west on its way to Africa, was in a triangle, with two squadrons in line ahead echeloned outwards, a third forming the base towing horse-transports, and a fourth covering the rear. The Carthaginian centre, in line abeam, feigned withdrawal to disrupt the Roman formation, while their left along the shore and their right out to sea reached around to attack the Roman rear. Thus, possibly as planned, the battle dissolved into three separate engagements. But the Carthaginian ships still had no answer to the corvus, and when their centre was defeated and fled, one of the two leading Roman squadrons returned to help the fourth drive off the Carthaginian right, then both went to help the third, now backed up against the shore by the Carthaginian left. Carthaginian losses were 64 ships captured and 24 sunk, the Roman 24 ships sunk.

Bibliography

• Lazenby, J. F., The First Punic War (London, 1996).
• Polybius, 1. 26-8

— John Lazenby