The Battle of Tyndaris was a naval battle of the First Punic War

First Punic War

The First Punic War was the first of three wars fought between Ancient Carthage and the Roman Republic. For 23 years, the two powers struggled for supremacy in the western Mediterranean Sea, primarily on the Mediterranean island of Sicily and its surrounding waters but also to a lesser extent in...

, which took place off Tyndaris (modern Tindari

Tindari

Tindari, anciently Tyndaris or Tyndarion is a small city in the comune of Patti, in the Province of Messina in Sicily, between Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto and Cefalù....

) in 257 BC

257 BC

Year 257 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Regulus and Blasio...

. Tyndaris was a Sicilian town founded as a Greek colony in 396 BC

396 BC

Year 396 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Tribunate of Saccus, Capitolinus, Esquilinus, Augurinus, Capitolinus and Priscus...

 located on the high ground overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea

Tyrrhenian Sea

The Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy.-Geography:The sea is bounded by Corsica and Sardinia , Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata and Calabria and Sicily ....

 in the Gulf of Patti. Hiero II, the tyrant of Syracuse

Syracuse, Italy

Syracuse is a historic city in Sicily, the capital of the province of Syracuse. The city is notable for its rich Greek history, culture, amphitheatres, architecture, and as the birthplace of the preeminent mathematician and engineer Archimedes. This 2,700-year-old city played a key role in...

, allowed Tyndaris to become a base for the Carthaginians. The battle, took place in the waters between Tyndaris and the Aeolian Islands

Aeolian Islands

The Aeolian Islands or Lipari Islands are a volcanic archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea north of Sicily, named after the demigod of the winds Aeolus. The locals residing on the islands are known as Eolians . The Aeolian Islands are a popular tourist destination in the summer, and attract up to...

, with Gaius Atilius Regulus

Gaius Atilius Regulus

Gaius Atilius M.f. M.n. Regulus was one of the two Roman consuls who fought a Celtic invasion of Italy in 225 BC-224 BC; he however was killed in battle and beheaded...

 in command of the Roman fleet. Subsequently, the town fell to Rome

Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

.

The battle

Gaius Atilius Regulus' fleet was anchored off Tyndaris when he observed the Carthaginian fleet sailing past and not in any formation. He gave orders for the main body of his ships to follow the leading ships. He then took an advance guard of ten ships and sailed towards the Carthaginians. The Carthaginians noticed that the advance guard had managed to outdistance the main body of the Roman fleet and that other Romans were still boarding their ships. Taking the initiative the Carthaginians turned and engaged the Roman squadron and sank nine Roman ships. Meanwhile the rest of the Roman fleet arrived and formed a line. The Romans then engaged the Carthaginians sinking eight and capturing ten of their ships. The remainder of the Carthaginian ships retreated the Aeolian Islands.

This naval engagement was followed by the battle of Cape Ecnomus

Battle of Cape Ecnomus

The Battle of Cape Ecnomus was a naval battle, fought off Cape Ecnomus , between the fleets of Carthage and the Roman Republic, during the First Punic War...

.