Battle of Drepanum

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The Battle of Drepanum was a major naval defeat for the Roman Republic against Carthage during the First Punic War, notable for its heavy Roman losses and strategic impact on control of western Sicily.

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All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
Battle of Drepana 3
Battle of Drepanum canonical 1

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf battle of the First Punic War
naval battle
affects Roman naval strategy in the First Punic War
control of western Sicily
alsoKnownAs Battle of Drepanum
surface form: Battle of Drepana
belligerent Carthage
Roman Republic
CarthaginianCommander Adherbal
CarthaginianLosses light
combatant Carthage
Roman Republic
commandedBy (Carthaginian side) Adherbal
commandedBy (Roman side) Publius Claudius Pulcher
conflictIn First Punic War
date 249 BC
defeated Roman Republic
era 3rd century BC
followedBy Roman naval defeat at the Battle of Drepana’s aftermath-related operations
historicalPeriod Classical antiquity
languageOfName Latin
locatedIn Mediterranean Sea
Tyrrhenian region
surface form: Tyrrhenian Sea region
location near Drepanum (modern Trapani), Sicily
modernLocation near Trapani, Sicily, Italy
navalForcesInvolved Carthaginian fleet of quinqueremes
Roman fleet of quinqueremes
near Drepanum
notableFor Carthaginian fleet’s tactical maneuvering
heavy Roman losses
one of the worst naval defeats in Roman history
strategic impact on control of western Sicily
outcome decisive Carthaginian naval victory
partOf First Punic War
Punic Wars
surface form: Roman–Carthaginian conflicts
place off Drepanum, western Sicily
precededBy Roman blockade operations against Drepanum
primarySource Polybius
relatedTo Battle of Mylae
surface form: Battle of Mylae (260 BC)

Battle of Aegates Islands
surface form: Battle of the Aegates Islands
result Carthaginian victory
RomanCasualties very heavy
RomanCommander Publius Claudius Pulcher
RomanShipsLost approximately 90 ships captured or sunk
significance temporarily restored Carthaginian naval dominance in the central Mediterranean
strategicObjective (Carthaginian) defend Drepanum and maintain naval superiority in western Sicily
strategicObjective (Roman) capture of the Carthaginian naval base at Drepanum
victor Carthage
year 249 BC

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Roman navy significantEvent Battle of Drepanum
Battle of Drepanum alsoKnownAs Battle of Drepanum
this entity surface form: Battle of Drepana
Publius Claudius Pulcher notableEvent Battle of Drepanum
this entity surface form: Battle of Drepana
Publius Claudius Pulcher defeatedIn Battle of Drepanum
this entity surface form: Battle of Drepana