Hello, and welcome to the History of Rome, Episode 20A, The First Punic War.

As a way to set up today's episode and recap last week's topic, I would like to start

with an extended quote from Sir Nigel Bagnell's The Punic Wars, which sums up the events

that led to the First Punic War with perfect brevity.

A gang of ex mercenaries turned brigands, seized Masana to exploit its people and its natural

resources for their own enrichment.

Faced with the threat of falling under the domination of Hyrow of Syracuse and losing

their privileged status, the Mamroteins turned to the Carthaginians for help.

Soon finding their arrangement unsatisfactory, they invited the Romans to help them instead.

The Romans had recently recovered one of their own cities, Regium, from a similar band

of adventurers whom they considered so reprehensible that they had taken them to Rome

for public execution.

But in spite of this, they accepted the Mamroteins' invitation and occupied Masana.

The temptation to acquire a foothold in Sicily and secure the straits in the face of Carthaginian

unpreparedness clearly overcame all moral considerations.

It was an example of blatant opportunism.

Though they gravely underestimated the consequences, the Romans had the muscle and

they used it.

In 264 BC, Rome had dispatched one of its consuls for the year, Appius Claudius, along with

two legions to Sicily, with the understanding that they were to quickly secure the city

of Masana in the north-east corner of the island and then take what further territory

they could.

...