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The Second Punic War Eclipsed the First Punic War in the Magnitude Of

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The Second Punic War Eclipsed the First Punic War in the Magnitude Of little stomach for a decisive naval encounter. It is ironic that while Hannibal is credited with a long range plan for war with Rome, the Roman fleet was far better prepared for this war than the navy of Carthage. Fleets were very expensive to maintain, so only a skeleton force was normally manned in peacetime. The Romans, as usual, were favored by fortune. In 219, the year before Hannibal crossed the Alps, Rome's consuls conducted a Fournie's superb article provides us with example. Polybius tells us that maritime campaign against the an excellent overview of the war, plus Rome had 330 galleys and Illyrian pirates. So Rome had a two scenarios on significant actions. Carthage 350. He then estimates a fleet of 200 quinqueremes, fully Nonetheless, this editor finds the quinquereme crew at 300 rowers manned and equipped, when the perspective to be decidedly "Roman" (not and sailors and 120 marines per war began. Some 20 additional exactly a sin, given that all of our ship. From this he calculated that ships were added to the fleet. primary sources are Roman), and could there were 140,000 Romans and Carthage, on the other hand, was not resist interjecting some alternative 150,000 Carthaginians present at able to man and deploy only 87 interpretations (most of which are found the battle. Modern historians quinqueremes in 218, although in the sidebar on page 8). You'll find a believe he greatly overestimated she had quite a few more ships in few others in italics within the body of the number of quinqueremes dry dock. [Indeed, Carthage had the this article. - SKT versus smaller vessels and the money to hire crews for their many average crew of each ship. Many drydocked ships-but perhaps lacked the The Second Punic War eclipsed believe each fleet numbered only leadership and will to raise the naval the First Punic War in the about 200 to 230 quinqueremes stakes. -SKT] magnitude of the forces involved and assorted smaller vessels, with and the geographic scope of the no more than 80,000 men in the OPENING ACTIONS conflict. The first war had been Roman fleet and less then 60,000 The Roman war plan for 218 BC primarily a naval war for the in the Carthaginian fleet. So the allocated 160 quinqueremes and island of Sicily, with only brief Roman navy of the second war twelve smaller galleys for the forays into Africa and Sardinia. was not smaller than in the first; invasion of Africa and 60 The second war was a massive it was dispersed into smaller quinqueremes for the invasion of struggle for dominion of the squadrons. Spain. Carthage struck first, western Mediterranean waged however. The home fleet split into The Carthaginian navy had ruled from the Pillars of Heracles to the two squadrons. Twenty vessels the Western Mediterranean Bosporus, from the snowy Alps to raided the Liparae and Vulcan unchallenged for nearly three the edge of the Sahara. islands, between Sicily and Italy. centuries, ever since the Greek The raid was successful, except threat had been turned back at It seems strange then that the that three ships were captured by Alalia in 535 BC (scenario soon to recorded naval battles of the first twelve quinqueremes of the royal appear in C3i). Yet, in the First war dwarf the naval combat of Syracusan navy, allied at that time Punic War, this proud maritime the second -the Hannibalic War. with Rome. The captured crews force had been repeatedly and There are three main reasons for revealed that a second, larger decisively defeated by the upstart this anomaly. First, the size of the squadron of 35 galleys was to navy of Rome, with its corvus (the naval battles in the first war was make a surprise assault on the "crow," a pivoting boarding exaggerated by the methodology port of Lilybaeum. employed by Polybius. Second, ramp) and crack legionary the fleets in the second war were marines. The Carthaginians were King Hiero II of Syracuse quickly dispersed in numerous theaters, defeated at Mylae, Tyndaris, relayed the warning to Marcus unlike the earlier war (see Order Ecnomus, Hermaeum and Aemilius, the military governor of of Battle Tables). Finally, the Aegates, and won only one major Sicily. The main Roman fleet had Punic navy was broken in the first victory-at Drepanum. not yet arrived in Sicily, so war and never regained its former PRE-WAR PREPARATIONS Aemilius had to fight with the fighting spirit and skill. [See the In the long interwar period, 241 ships he had on hand, probably sidebar on page 8 for a 218 BC, Carthage apparently about 20 quinqueremes. His "Carthaginian" made little effort to reverse the squadron did not have the best perspective on the anomaly.] verdict at sea. The Carthaginian crews, but Aemilius was able navy entered the Hannibalic War provide each ship with a full To explain the first factor, the as a force already defeated, with battle of Cape Ecnomus is the best complement of legionary marines. The Carthaginian fleet was undermanned, both for crews and marines. They relied on surprise to carry the day. mercenaries). That reveals an overall Since surprise had been forfeited, strategic preference for land action the Romans handily won the first from watchtowers. Hasdrubal certainly understandable in the context sent messenger after messenger battle of the war, boarding and of the geography of the Iberian galloping to the shore to get the capturing seven ships, and taking peninsula. -SKT] Hasdrubal 1,700 men prisoner. The Roman sailors and marines to man their advanced up the coast with his ships. It was a scene of absolute fleet suffered one galley holed, army and fleet, to confront Scipio but they were able to recover this confusion, as sailors and soldiers on land and/or sea. struggled to board their ships and ship as well. Soon thereafter, Gnaeus Scipio initially planned to Consul Tiberius Sempronius prepare for action. The galleys bring both his army and fleet out put out to sea, some half manned, Longus arrived with the main to meet Hasdrubal. But a report fleet. But the planned invasion of all in an uproar. The that Hasdrubal had levied a very Carthaginians emerged from the Africa soon was canceled so that large force of Iberians caused him the consul could hurry north to mouth of the Ebro in total to move only by sea. Scipio disorder, even as the Roman fleet face Hannibal (and receive a boarded picked marines from his trouncing at Trebia River). was bearing down upon them. army on his 35 quinqueremes, and moved south, with a few The battle was decided quickly. triremes from the allied city of Four Carthaginian vessels were Massilia performing rammed and sunk while two were reconnaissance. These Greek OPERATIONS IN SPAIN boarded and captured. The sailors managed to scout out In the West, Hasdrubal Barca had Carthaginians remembered that Himilco's fleet at the mouth of the manned 32 quinqueremes and 5 their army was strung along the Ebro River, and return triremes, but did not have the nearby beach and made for safety. undetected. They reported that strength to confront Gnaeus Most of their vessels ran aground, the Punic fleet was drawn up in Scipio's invasion fleet of 60 ships. the crews seeking safety with the the mouth of the river, completely After securing a base at Tarraco in army. The Roman navy pursued unprepared for action. northeast Spain, Scipio sent 25 up to shoreline, grappling and Scipio was only ten miles away. galleys back to Rome. By the towing off an additional 23 ships. He launched his fleet for an spring of 217, Hasdrubal had It was a total naval victory. immediate assault. No added ten ships to his fleet, which Carthage never again challenged Carthaginian vessels were posted he placed under the command of Roman control of Spanish waters. to detect the approaching enemy. his deputy, Himilco. [This [The Romans likewise were complacent Hasdrubal's army scouts sighted "expansion" was most probably achieved enough with not challenging the by hiring the crews to man existing the Roman fleet first, and relayed Carthaginians along the southern ships. Evidence from the capture of New the warning back by fire signals coastline of Spain until 206 BC, before Carthage indicates that Hasdrubal faced which the Carthaginians had no trouble a crew shortage more than a ship shortage (a matter of cash allocation to shipping troops to and from Africa. After the Ebro, both sides were satisfied with keeping their own shipping lanes open for supplies and reinforcements. -SKT] RAIDS, ESCORTS AND PATROLS There were to be no major battles at sea for the next two years. However, the Carthaginian home fleet slipped into waters off Cosa and seized a merchant convoy bound for Spain in 217 BC. The Roman main fleet of 120 quinqueremes, commanded by Consul Servilius Geminus made its first raid on Africa the same year. This was to Crassus meanwhile raided Africa, of 25,000 foot and 3,000 horse at become an annual event, and caught Hasdrubal the Bald's Heraclea Minoa, and maneuvered something akin to a massive escort squadron of 60 galleys around Syracuse with his 55 pirate raid. On this first returning from Sardinia. In the ships. expedition, the foraging parties largest naval battle to date, the stayed ashore too long and were Romans boarded and seized Philip V of Macedon invaded the caught by Carthaginian cavalry. seven ships, and the remainder of Roman protectorate in southern Over 1,000 sailors and marines the Carthaginian fleet scattered Illyria with a fleet of 120 lembi.
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