Page:A General Sketch of Political History from the Earlist Times.djvu/94

 82 THE GLORY OF GREECE AND RISE OF ROME coast of Africa in the eighth century B.C., or possibly earlier. Carthage soon became entirely independent of the eastern 6. Rome and empires, carried her commerce far to the west, and Carthage. even sent h er sn ips to procure tin from the remote island afterwards known as Britain. She had established her- self in Sicily; and though her aggression had been checked early in the fifth century, her rivalry with the Greek states in that island had never ceased. When Pyrrhus invaded Sicily his nominal purpose was to crush this rival of the Greek states. Eleven years after the departure of Pyrrhus, Carthage and Rome were at war. As frequently happens, the collision was brought about by events in which neither Carthage nor Rome was primarily The Rupture concerned. The Sicilian city of Messana had in Sicily. been occupied by a force of what were originally mercenary troops from the south of Italy known as Mamertines. Such a force, owning no particular nationality, no allegiance to any existing state, was a menace to the neighbouring cities. The King of Syracuse resolved to suppress them. The Mamertines resolved to call to their aid either the Romans or the Carthaginians. The Romans took alarm at the pos- sibility of Carthage becoming possessed of Messana, which commanded the strait between Italy and Sicily, and sent an army to help the Mamertines. But the Carthaginian party in Messana admitted Carthaginian forces. Rome and Carthage immediately found themselves at war for the supremacy in Sicily. This which is called the first Punic War is of interest mainly for two reasons. One of these is the episode of the Roman general Regulus ; the other is the creation of the Roman Fleet. It very soon became clear to the Romans that whatever successes they might win by land they would not be able to First Punic expel Carthage from Sicily while she held the War, 264-241. mastery of the seas. The Romans possessed ships, but they had made no attempt to build up a naval power. The Carthaginians were the most expert sailors in the world, and the Romans had no ships which could be matched against