The First Punic War (264 to 241 BC) was the first of three wars fought between Ancient Carthage and the Roman Republic. For 20 years, the two powers struggled for supremacy in the western Mediterranean Sea, primarily on the Mediterranean island of Sicily and its surrounding waters but also to a lesser extent in the Apennine peninsula and North Africa. Carthage, located in what is today Tunisia, was the dominant Western Mediterranean power at the beginning of the conflicts. However, the Roman Republic eventually emerged as the victor, imposing strict treaty conditions and heavy financial penalties against Carthage.
The series of wars between Rome and Carthage were known to the Romans as the "Punic Wars" because of the Latin name for the Carthaginians: Punici, derived from Phoenici, referring to the Carthaginians' Phoenician ancestry.
Read more about First Punic War: Background, Beginning, Roman Landing and Advance To Syracuse, Carthage Prepares For War, Battle of Agrigentum, Rome Builds A Fleet, Battle of Mylae, Hamilcar's Counterattack, Continued Roman Advance, Invasion of Africa, Carthage's Respite, Renewed Roman Offensive, Role of Naval Warfare, Aftermath, Notable Leaders, Chronology
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—John Milton (1608–1674)