They then sacked the important Carthaginian city of Moyta. For over the next one hundred years the Carthaginians battled the Syracusians. Rome and Carthage allied and eventually defeated the Syracusians" army at that time ran by Phyrrus of Epirus. .

             Rome had signed three peace treaties with Carthage, however in 246 BC.

             Rome decided that with the Roman conquest of southern Italy, the Carthaginians.

             in Sicily were now too close for comfort. This began the Punic wars. There were three Punic wars. Rome and Carthage were the two strongest contenders of the central Mediterranean Sea of that time. In each of these wars Carthage lost. These wars lasted off and on from 246 BC to 149 BC, with Carthage eventually being destroyed.

             The First Punic War started in 264 BC and lasted to 241 BC. In the first half of the 3rd century BC Carthage held many territories that made it easy to control and dominate the western Mediterranean Sea. However, when they.

             conquered Messana on the north eastern tip of Sicily, in 263, they faced the.

             Romans for ware for the first time. The people of Messana requested aid from.

             Rome and Rome came to aid. The fear of a powerful neighbor was only one out.

             of several motivations, next to the promise of glory that got Rome to aid in the.

             fight. .

             This war was fought mainly at sea around Sicily, and Carthage was by far.

             the strongest of the two in this field. This superiority was met by a large scale Roman construction of the navel fleet after their land forces captured one of the Carthaginian ships. Soon this was reflected in the fightings, and in 256 Carthage was besieged, but the Romans were defeated. Then for some years Carthage was the most successful who was commanded by Hamilcar. However, at the battle at the Aegates Islands in 241, the Carthaginians were beaten so badly that they requested peace. This agreement involved leaving Sicily and paying a huge tax. Rome now had complete control of Sicily.