Agrigentum (262 BC)

The First Punic War began when Rome decided to invade Sicily in 264. Chartage, unprepared, scrambled to raise an army under Hannibal Gisgo. By 262 Hannibal arrived with an advance force at Agrigentum, but the Roman consuls Lucius Postumius Megellus …

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The First Punic War began when Rome decided to invade Sicily in 264. Chartage, unprepared, scrambled to raise an army under Hannibal Gisgo. By 262 Hannibal arrived with an advance force at Agrigentum, but the Roman consuls Lucius Postumius Megellus and Quintus Mamilius Vitulus made a preemptive strike and placed him under siege. Months later, Carthage dispatched a relief army of 30,000 foot and 4,500 horse and 60 elephants under Hanno the Elder. Megellus and Vitulus detached about a quarter of their army to guard Hannibal, and brought the remaining 35,000 foot and 3,000 horse onto the field. Hanno organized his army with his mercenaries in the van, his elephants in a second lines and his African levies in a third. As the armies clashed the mercenaries fought fiercely at first, but eventually buckled. As they routed in the line of elephants, all hell broke loose. The elephants were caught in the pandemonium, and began to rampage in all directions. The third Carthaginian line was thrown in confusion, but rallied to resist the advancing legions. After more hard fighting, the Punic army broke. The largest battle of the First Punic War had ended in a decisive Roman victory, but ironically Hannibal’s army was able to escape. Roman losses in the battle and the siege were so heavy that Megellus and Vitulus were denied a triumph, despite their victory.

Agrigento, Sicily

The Battle of Agrigentum was the first pitched battle of the First Punic War and the first large-scale military confrontation between Carthage and the Roman Republic. The battle was fought after a long siege which started in 262 BC and resulted both in a Roman victory and the beginning of Roman control of Sicily.

Wikipedia: Battle of Agrigentum

Carthaginian

Roman

First Punic War