First encounter between the fleets of Carthage and the Roman Republic during the First Punic War
The Battle of the Lipari Islands was the first naval engagement of the Punic Wars and the first time Roman warships fought in battle.
Key Facts
- Year
- 260 BC
- Carthaginian ships
- 20 ships
- Roman ships
- 17 ships
- Roman ships captured
- 17 ships
- Roman commander captured
- Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio (Asina)
- Context
- First naval encounter of the First Punic War
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Rome had recently constructed its first major fleet to challenge Carthaginian maritime dominance in the western Mediterranean. Consul Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio, commanding an advance squadron of 17 ships, impulsively sailed ahead to Lipara Harbour without adequate preparation or support, leaving his force exposed and isolated against a more experienced Carthaginian naval force.
In 260 BC, a Carthaginian squadron of 20 ships under Boödes surprised the 17 Roman ships anchored in Lipara Harbour. The inexperienced Romans were unable to mount an effective defense, resulting in all 17 Roman vessels being captured along with their commander, Scipio. Though little more than a skirmish in scale, it was the first naval clash of the Punic Wars.
Scipio was ransomed and received the mocking cognomen Asina, meaning female donkey. Despite this defeat, Rome recovered quickly, winning the next two larger naval engagements and achieving rough parity with Carthage at sea. The battle underscored Rome's initial inexperience as a naval power while demonstrating the need for a capable fleet in the ongoing conflict.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio.
Side B
1 belligerent
Boödes.