In the late 300’s Campanian mercenaries which had been hired by the Greeks seized the town of Messana on the straights separating Sicily from Italy. The mercenaries called themselves Mamertines (taken from the Oscan name for Mars the God of War). They used the town as a base for raiding nearby towns.

The Mamertines had recently been allies with the Campanians, who mutinied while in Romes service, and seized Rhegium, which is situated across the Straits of Messina, and held it against the Romans for ten years.

In 270 BC this revolt was defeated by Rome and the Campanians were dealt with severely. A man who was the commander of the Syracusa

Even though the Romans were not really “sea people”, the Romans quickly realized that they had to take control of the sea and went about it learning how and building their own fleet.

The Romans were slow because the Roman senate hesitated sending help, because they thought it was improper to support what was pretty much a robber-state, and because the Senate feared war with a great sea-power, and also because if they interfered they would be in breach of the treaty which had strictly forbidden the Romans to enter into the Sicilian sphere, they were tired of war and a most important factor-they had no fleet.

It also began a huge rivalry between the Romans and the Carthagians. So much so, that 2 other Punic Wars followed making this one of the few Trilogy Wars in Roman History.

• to pay an additional 1000 talents immediately.

The Romans then began to attack Greek cities allied with the Carthaginians. When they took a town they sacked it, taking all of the towns possessions and taking control of most things associated with the town. This was normal behavior in antiquity, but in doing so a huge resistance to the Romans grew among the Greek cities.

Some topics in this essay:
Romans Romans, Drepana Pulcher, Spartan Xanthippus, Determination Romans, Punic War, Ager Gallicus, Roman Effort, Mamertines Carthage, Atilius Regulus, Regulus Rome, punic war, romans decided, roman history, wars roman history, wars roman, carthaginian ships, roman fleet, greek cities, • pay, help romans slow, huge losses, carthaginian fleet, roman history marked, punic war wars, determination romans decided,