intercepted, and a good breeze of one
night would carry the Roman fleets to her walls".

At this time the island was shared by three powers,--HIERO, king of
Syracuse, the CARTHAGINIANS, and the MAMERTINES, a band of brigands who
came from Campania. The latter, making Messana their head-quarters, had
been pillaging all of the island that they could reach. Being shut up
in Messana by Hiero, they asked aid of Rome on the ground that they were
from Campania. Although Rome was in alliance with Hiero, and had
but recently executed 300 mercenaries for doing in Rhegium what the
Mamertines had done in Sicily,--she determined to aid them, for Sicily
was a rich and tempting prey.

Meanwhile, however, through the intervention of the Carthaginians, a
truce had been formed between Hiero and the brigands, and the siege of
Messana was raised. The city itself was occupied by a fleet and garrison
of Carthaginians under HANNO, The Romans, though the Mamertines
no longer needed their aid, landed at Messana and dislodged the
Carthaginians.

Thus opened the FIRST PUNIC WAR. The Romans at once formed a double
alliance with Syracuse and Messana, thus gaining control of the eastern
coast of Sicily and getting their first foothold outside of Italy.

The most important inland city of Sicily was AGRIGENTUM. Here the
Carthaginians the next year (262) concentrated their forces under
HANNIBAL, son of Cisco. The Romans besieged the city, but were
themselves cut off from supplies by Hanno, who landed at Heraclea in
their rear. Both besieged and besiegers suffered much. At last a battle
was fought (262), in which the Romans were victorious, owing to their
superior infantry. Agrigentum fell, and only a few strongholds on the
coast were left to the Carthaginians.

The Romans now began to feel the need of a fleet. That of Carthage ruled
the sea without a rival: it notonly controlled many of the seaports of
Sicily, but also threatened Italy itself. With their usual energy, the
Romans began the work. (Footnote: In 259, three years previous to the
battle of Ecnomus, the Romans under Lucius Scipio captured Blesia, a
seaport of Corsica, and established there a naval station.) A wrecked
Carthaginian vessel was taken as a model, and by the spring of 260 a
navy of 120 sail was ready for sea.

The ships were made the more formidable by a heavy iron beak, for the
purpose of running down and sinking the enemy's vessels; a kind of
hanging stage was also placed