History Of Events That Led To The Battle Of Mylae
THE BATTLE OF MYLAE
Introduction Three hundred years Before the Common Era, there were two superpowers who controlled the Mediterranean Sea and its adjacent nations. Rome held a great empire to the north, with a vast, experienced army reknown for its discipline and legendary exploits. Carthage occupied modern day northern Africa to the south and was the undisputed master of the seas. As both empires strived to expand their territories, they were eventually to engage each other in a series of three wars. These three wars spanned from the occupation of Messina in 264 B.C.E. until the burning of Carthage in 146 B.C.E. 1
This paper will discuss the history of events leading to the battle of Mylae, examine the battle …show more content…
As the centuries-old uncontested masters of the sea, they stood on their massive, elegant ships and watched their enemy strain to maintain their order and discipline on their new, untested, barely sailable vessels. The Roman navy struggled to maintain a semblance of formation, much to the amusement of the Carthaginian sailors. Hannibal’s sailors sounded off loudly with laughter and cries of derision as they watched the Roman fleet sway back and forth in an attempt to stay in an orderly pattern. The contempt Hannibal and his sailors felt for the inept Roman fleet caused him to break formation and sail in for the kill. Hannibal took an echelon of thirty vessels and drove straight for the Romans. As they got closer, they could see their enemy trying to maneuver into fighting positions, and, curiously enough, strange devices were attached to the fronts of their …show more content…
It upset the centuries-old notion that the Phoenicians (Carthage) ruled the seas and that Rome couldn’t compete with them for naval supremacy. The Romans proved the sea worthiness of their fleet and learned they could negate the Phoenicians skill at seafaring, by drawing the enemy in and engaging in direct, hand-to-hand combat. Lessons Learned Surprise is one of the most ancient and effective techniques of waging war against an enemy. Surprise can turn the tables on an opponent with a significant advantage. In the Battle of Mylae, the overconfidence of the Carthaginians caused them to underestimate the power of the corvus. Once deployed, it proved to be so devastatingly effective that the Carthaginians ran for their lives. Dulius used the Carthaginians pride against them. Whether the Roman fleet’s ineptitude at assembling before the Carthaginians was staged or genuine, it made the shock of being dominated that much more powerful. Another effective lesson to take from this battle is to learn to minimize your enemy’s strengths and capitalize on yours. Rome could not match Carthage toe-to-toe in sea tactics. Dulius chose to bypass them and focus on framing the battle on his terms. By doing so, he helped the Romans turn the tide on the Carthaginians, and became a celebrated hero to the empire forever
Introduction Three hundred years Before the Common Era, there were two superpowers who controlled the Mediterranean Sea and its adjacent nations. Rome held a great empire to the north, with a vast, experienced army reknown for its discipline and legendary exploits. Carthage occupied modern day northern Africa to the south and was the undisputed master of the seas. As both empires strived to expand their territories, they were eventually to engage each other in a series of three wars. These three wars spanned from the occupation of Messina in 264 B.C.E. until the burning of Carthage in 146 B.C.E. 1
This paper will discuss the history of events leading to the battle of Mylae, examine the battle …show more content…
As the centuries-old uncontested masters of the sea, they stood on their massive, elegant ships and watched their enemy strain to maintain their order and discipline on their new, untested, barely sailable vessels. The Roman navy struggled to maintain a semblance of formation, much to the amusement of the Carthaginian sailors. Hannibal’s sailors sounded off loudly with laughter and cries of derision as they watched the Roman fleet sway back and forth in an attempt to stay in an orderly pattern. The contempt Hannibal and his sailors felt for the inept Roman fleet caused him to break formation and sail in for the kill. Hannibal took an echelon of thirty vessels and drove straight for the Romans. As they got closer, they could see their enemy trying to maneuver into fighting positions, and, curiously enough, strange devices were attached to the fronts of their …show more content…
It upset the centuries-old notion that the Phoenicians (Carthage) ruled the seas and that Rome couldn’t compete with them for naval supremacy. The Romans proved the sea worthiness of their fleet and learned they could negate the Phoenicians skill at seafaring, by drawing the enemy in and engaging in direct, hand-to-hand combat. Lessons Learned Surprise is one of the most ancient and effective techniques of waging war against an enemy. Surprise can turn the tables on an opponent with a significant advantage. In the Battle of Mylae, the overconfidence of the Carthaginians caused them to underestimate the power of the corvus. Once deployed, it proved to be so devastatingly effective that the Carthaginians ran for their lives. Dulius used the Carthaginians pride against them. Whether the Roman fleet’s ineptitude at assembling before the Carthaginians was staged or genuine, it made the shock of being dominated that much more powerful. Another effective lesson to take from this battle is to learn to minimize your enemy’s strengths and capitalize on yours. Rome could not match Carthage toe-to-toe in sea tactics. Dulius chose to bypass them and focus on framing the battle on his terms. By doing so, he helped the Romans turn the tide on the Carthaginians, and became a celebrated hero to the empire forever