Arif Hodzic

This time, it was Carthage, not Rome, that was unprepared for the naval battle.

Carthage had struggled to find enough men for its warships, and the men who did end up fighting were inexperienced.

The Roman ships were more skillfully constructed compared to previous battles and no longer weighed down by the Corvus.

The ships were lighter and easier to maneuver.

They were able to move quickly, ramming the enemy vessels.

Carthage put up a good fight, sinking or damaging a significant number of Roman ships.

But ultimately, Rome won the battle.

As we mentioned earlier, some remnants from the Battle of the Aegeates have been discovered on the seabed near the islands.

expert divers found helmets, vases, and bronze warship rams, weapons that were attached to the bow of the ship.

The wooden ships themselves were destroyed by the seawater long ago, but bronze is more resilient.

Through the inscriptions, some of the artifacts have been identified as Roman, while others are Carthaginian.

These findings are a poignant symbol of the two sides, who both fought so hard in what was to be the final battle.

Although some fighting continued after the Battle of Aigates, this was essentially the end of the war.

Carthage couldn't face the prospect of rebuilding their fleet, and their cities in Sicily would soon run out of supplies.

At last, after 23 exhausting years, it was time for a peace treaty.

The Treaty of Lutatius, signed in 241 BCE, officially ended the First Punic War.

According to the terms of the treaty, Carthage would have to surrender Sicily and nearby naval bases, release all Roman prisoners, and pay a huge indemnity.

Historians have mixed opinions on whether these terms were harsh or reasonable, but given that Carthage was already under financial strain, we can imagine that the news of the indemnity didn't go down well.

That same year, another war began in North Africa, the mercenary war.

We mentioned the mercenaries earlier.