The war in Sicily had become a hard, slow slogging match and the Romans, now confident in their naval ability, decided their best chance of bringing the struggle to an early conclusion would be to land an army in Africa and march on Carthage itself. With the addition of more construction and the commissioning of captured ships, the fleet now numbered to just over 250 warships, and the crew and marine requirement to some 100,000 men. The Carthaginians increased their fleet in Sicily to just over 200 warships under the joint command of Hamilcar (4) and Hanno (5).
In 256 BC the Roman fleet under the consuls 01Atilius Regulus (fl.267-250 BC) and 05Manlius Vulso (fl.256-216 BC) sailed westwards south of the Sicilian coast to collect the army and go to Africa. The Carthaginians, aware of the Roman plans, positioned their fleet off Cape Ecnomus (Licata).
The Roman warships deployed in three squadrons: the leading two formed a wedge, the bulk of the transports (≈80) immediately behind them, and the third squadron protecting the rear. Hamilcar faked a retreat to allow a gap to grow between the Roman vanguard and the transports, and then the Carthaginian wings attacked the Roman transports. The Carthaginian centre was defeated and the survivors withdrew from the scene. The two leading Roman squadrons turned to retrieve the situation in the rear. Without the support of their centre the Carthaginian flanks were heavily defeated. In this battle about half the Punic fleet was captured or sunk.
After repairing the battle damage the Roman fleet sailed for North Africa. The army landed near Hermaeum just east of Carthage and moved to besiege Aspis, which fell after a brief resistance by the garrison. With the area secured, Vulso and the bulk of the fleet withdrew to Sicily for the winter, while Regulus remained in Africa with forty ships, fifteen thousand infantry and five hundred cavalry. Seeing that the Romans intended to stay, the Carthaginians elected two generals, Hasdrubal (3) (fl.255-251 BC) son of Hanno, and Bostarus; and sent for Hamilcar (4) in Sicily, who soon arrived at Carthage with five thousand infantry and five hundred cavalry.
Early in 255 BC Regulus advanced, taking by assault and pillaging the unwalled places and besieging those that had walls. On reaching Adys, a town of some importance, he began to besiege it. Hamilcar (4) occupied a hill overlooking the enemy. His hopes rested on his cavalry and elephants, but under the cover of darkness the Romans deployed around the hill and at dawn attacked on both sides and apparently caught him unawares. A group of mercenaries managed to form up and drove back a legion, but they were attacked from the rear by the other Roman force and were routed.
This marked the end of resistance. The Carthaginians were driven from their encampment; and the cavalry and elephants, neither of which had taken part in the fighting, escaped with few casualties. After this victory, the Romans scoured the country and sacked towns unopposed. One of those that fell was Tunis, and since it was well situated for an attack against Carthage itself, Regulus established his camp there.
The Carthaginians now found themselves in difficulties, not only because of the Roman successes, but also because Numidians to the west rose up against their overlords and refugees from the countryside flooded the city. This great population increase coupled with a ravaged countryside led to a food crisis and the possibility of an outbreak of disease. Despite this, however, Regulus and his two legions had little chance of reducing the city without reinforcements, and by the time these arrived his consulship would be up and he would not receive the glory for ending the war. He therefore offered peace but his terms were too harsh to be accepted.
During the winter a Spartan mercenary officer named Xanthippus trained the Carthaginian army on Greek lines. In the spring he led out the Punic army to give battle. He formed his twelve thousand foot-soldiers into a phalanx with a hundred elephants in front and four thousand cavalry on the wings; the Romans made their line deeper (and thus shorter) to defend against the elephants, but otherwise they were in their normal formation with the infantry in the centre and the outnumbered cavalry on the flanks. The Roman centre was trampled and the battle was won by the Punic cavalry outflanking the Romans. Regulus and five hundred others were captured, only two thousand Romans escaped to Aspis. In early summer, Rome dispatched a fleet led by the consuls 06Aemilius Paullus and 05Fulvius Paetinus. They sailed along the Sicilian coast and on the way to North Africa they met and defeated the Carthaginian fleet off Cape Hermaeum, capturing 114 ships. After recovering the survivors in Aspis they sailed back to Sicily, but near Camarina a violent storm fell on them. Of the 364 ships they had, only eighty survived
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