Arif Hodzic

It was a humiliating defeat, and Scipio was given the Latin nickname, Asina.

Not just a donkey, but, even more insultingly, a female donkey.

The Romans resolved to learn from this experience.

Next time, they would be better prepared.

they came up with an ingenious solution.

The corvus, or crow.

This was a boarding ramp attached to the ship.

On the underside was a spike shaped like a crow's beak, hence the name.

The Corvus could be used to pierce into the side of the enemy ship, anchoring it.

Roman soldiers could then pass over the bridge, crossing onto the other ship, and fight man on man.

The Romans were not yet skilled at sea battles, but they knew how to fight on land.

The Corvus essentially turned naval warfare into a land battle.

The Romans used this device in their next naval battle, the Battle of Miley in Northern Sicily.

While Carthage undoubtedly had the upper hand in terms of experience, they lost the battle.

Thanks to the corvus, which acted like a grappling iron, the Romans were able to board the Carthaginian ships.

Once on board, they overpowered the crews and seized the ships.

Buoyed by their victory, the Romans then sailed to Sardinia, where they launched another successful attack on a Carthaginian fleet near the town of Sulci.

Carthage's naval commander, Hannibal Gisco, not to be confused with the more famous Hannibal, had previously led Carthage to victory.

But the defeats at Maile and Solki were seen as unforgivable.

Gisco is said to have been arrested by his own men and then executed.