Arif Hodzic

In northeast Sicily, a band of Italian mercenary soldiers had occupied the town of Messana, modern-day Messina.

These soldiers were known as the Mamertines.

The name meant sons of Mars, the Roman god of war.

The town of Messana was a strategic base.

It was located right on the tip of Sicily, separated from mainland Italy by a narrow strait.

Messana was the crossing point, a valuable town to control.

The Mamertines had been occupying Messana for several years when Hero II of Syracuse, a Greek ruler, decided that enough was enough.

He wanted the Mamertines out,

In need of military assistance, the Mamertines appealed to Carthage for help.

Carthage duly intervened, but now the Mamertines had a new problem, a Carthaginian presence on the island.

So, the Mamertines turned to Rome and asked for help in getting rid of the Carthaginians.

At first, Rome was reluctant to get involved.

They didn't exactly approve of the Mamertines.

Also, if Rome intervened, there was a risk of war with Carthage.

But then again, they didn't like the idea of Carthage being in control of Messana, a bit too close for comfort.

In addition, Rome stood to gain economically from a successful intervention.

So, the matter was put to a vote, and in 264 BCE, Roman soldiers were sent to Sicily to help the Mamertines get rid of the Carthaginians.

Nobody could have imagined that this initial conflict would trigger a 23-year war.

It began with the Roman seizure of Messana.

After marching to Sicily, Roman troops took over Messana fairly easily.