Siege of Agrigentum

E538377

The Siege of Agrigentum was a pivotal early engagement of the First Punic War in which Roman forces captured the key Carthaginian stronghold of Agrigentum in Sicily, marking Rome’s first major victory outside the Italian peninsula.

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Observed surface forms (3)

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf battle
siege
attacker Roman Republic NERFINISHED
belligerent Carthage NERFINISHED
Roman Republic NERFINISHED
besiegedCity Agrigentum NERFINISHED
campaign Roman invasion of Sicily NERFINISHED
CarthaginianCommander Hannibal Gisco NERFINISHED
Hanno NERFINISHED
combatantStrength Carthaginian garrison and relief army
large Roman consular army
commander Lucius Postumius Megellus NERFINISHED
Quintus Mamilius Vitulus NERFINISHED
conflictOf First Punic War NERFINISHED
consequence Roman control of central Sicily
encouraged Rome to build a major fleet
weakening of Carthaginian land position in Sicily
date 262–261 BC
defender Carthage NERFINISHED
era 3rd century BC
followedBy Roman naval expansion in the First Punic War
historicalPeriod classical antiquity
location Agrigentum NERFINISHED
Mediterranean Sea region NERFINISHED
Sicily NERFINISHED
notableFor heavy casualties on both sides
use of Roman consular armies operating outside Italy
outcome capture of Agrigentum by Rome
partOf First Punic War NERFINISHED
precededBy Roman intervention in Messana NERFINISHED
presentDayLocation Agrigento, Sicily, Italy NERFINISHED
previousNameOfCity Akragas NERFINISHED
primarySource Diodorus Siculus NERFINISHED
Polybius NERFINISHED
result Roman victory
RomanCommander Lucius Postumius Megellus NERFINISHED
Quintus Mamilius Vitulus NERFINISHED
significance first major Roman victory outside the Italian peninsula
marked Roman commitment to large-scale warfare in Sicily
secured a key Carthaginian stronghold in Sicily for Rome
tactics blockade
field battle between relief army and Romans
prolonged siege
theatre Sicilian theatre of the First Punic War NERFINISHED
yearEnd 261 BC
yearStart 262 BC

Referenced by (5)

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

Roman conquest of Akragas alsoKnownAs Siege of Agrigentum
this entity surface form: Siege of Akragas
Roman conquest of Akragas alsoKnownAs Siege of Agrigentum
Roman conquest of Akragas followed Siege of Agrigentum
this entity surface form: Roman invasion of Sicily
Carthaginian army notableBattle Siege of Agrigentum
this entity surface form: Battle of Agrigentum
First Punic War notableBattle Siege of Agrigentum