Aegates
The Aegadian Islands, located off the western coast of Sicily, comprise three principal islands: Favignana (ancient Aegusa or Bucinna), Levanzo (Phorbantia), and Marettimo (Hiera). These islands played a significant role during the First Punic War, particularly in 241 BC, when a crucial naval battle took place in their waters. Roman consul Gaius Lutatius Catullus led a newly formed fleet to confront a Carthaginian squadron commanded by Hanno, which was attempting to reinforce its positions in Sicily. Despite challenging conditions and the Carthaginians' heavy cargo, the Romans emerged victorious, sinking fifty ships and capturing seventy. This battle was pivotal in shifting the tide of the war, ultimately leading to the peace terms that mandated Carthage’s evacuation from Sicily, marking it as Rome's first overseas province. The Aegadian Islands remain a testament to this historic conflict, reflecting their strategic importance in ancient Mediterranean naval warfare.
Subject Terms
Aegates
Islands (Egadi) off the western extremity of Sicily
The principal islands were Aegusa or Bucinna (Favignana)—the easternmost of the islands—and Phorbantia (Levanzo) and Hiera (Marettimo).
In 241 BC, during the twenty-third year of the First Punic War, a newly raised Roman fleet under the consul Gaius Lutatius Catullus defeated a new Carthaginian fleet under Hanno in the waters between Aegusa and Hiera. Hanno's vessels, carrying mercenaries, foodstuffs and money, had set sail from north Africa to western Sicily early in March, before the winter storms ended. Anchoring off Hiera, he awaited a favorable wind to enable him to cross over to Sicily, where he proposed to land his soldiers (under the command of the experienced Hamilcar) so that they could engage the Romans in battle. Meanwhile Lutatius, learning of Hanno's arrival and correctly conjecturing what he had in mind, anchored his own fleet off Aegusa. On March 10th, the Carthaginian squadron (consisting of two hundred and fifty ships according to Diodorus, four hundred according to Eutropius and Orosius) set sail for the Sicilian shore. Lutatius, despite the unfavorable wind, confronted them, and the Carthaginians, weighed down by their heavy cargo, were overwhelmed. Fifty of their ships were sunk and seventy captured with their crews. This proved the decisive victory that at long last brought the First Punic War to an end. The peace terms that Carthage was compelled to accept included the evacuation of Sicily, which thus became Rome's first overseas province.