The Roman Empire & Italy
With the Lucanians and Bruttians renewing their attacks on Greek cities, the Greek colonies, distrusting Tarentum, in 283 BC appealed to Rome for help. The Romans sent help promptly and effectively. The ruling party of Tarentum took offence at this “intrusion”, taking arms against Rome, which had merely stepped in to offer help to the colonies. Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, and nephew and successor of Alexander 'the Molossian' stepped in to “help”, although Tarentum found out quickly that Pyrrhus intended to use this merely as a stepping-stone to conquer Italy. Carthage soon allied itself with Rome against him, and so Pyrrhus was unable to play them off each other as he had originally planned. Pyrrhus led two campaigns, both victories, but at such devastating cost to himself (hence the term, “pyrrhic victory”) that he lost the final campaign and returned home.
The Macedonian king of Egypt acknowledged Rome as a major power, opening an embassy in Rome in 273 B.C., much like modern politics, where a permanent ambassador stationed in a country is a statement of peace. One year later, the Bruttian tribes, the city of Tarentum as well as other Greek cities, all surrendered to Rome. Roman colonies were established to cement control over the territories, much like Israel’s forced settlements on the West Bank. And by 264 B.C., Volsinii, the one remaining free Etruscan city, was brought under Roman control. All of Italy now effectively belonged to Rome.
The town of Messana had ended up under control by a mercenary company, the Mamertini (sons of Mars), after the death of its ruler. These Mamertines engaged in piracy, and Hiero, king of Syracuse decided to put an end to their motley force, by attacking in 265 B.C.. Rome was now at a crossroads, because the Mamertines offered to place themselves and the city in Roman hands. A complex situation resulted, because Rome styled itself as the guardian of Italian interests, and these Mamertines were of Italian origin, but siding with them would offend Rome’s Greek allies, who had suffered multiple raids by the mercenaries. It would also set them up against Hiero, an ally, and the advantage of having pirates for allies was slight in comparison.
However, regional politics also influenced their decision, because Rome worried about Carthage (distinctly anti-Greek) stepping in to help the Mamertines, which would lead to a disruption of the balance of power, once Carthage held the town of Messana and had access to the straits.
While the senate might have chosen to turn down the Mamertines’ request, Carthage took opportunity of their indecisiveness to send a military force into Messana. This tipped the balance, and Rome to send an expeditionary force into Messana, to restore it to the mercenaries, while not declaring war on Carthage. They kept it deliberately ambiguous, promising to liberate the Mamertines from Syracuse, with no statement on their opposition to Carthage.
The Roman presence intimidated the Carthaginian general, who retreated back to his homeland, a show of weakness that humiliated Carthage. At the insult to their pride, the government executed him for cowardice, and decided that they had to recapture Messana, even if it meant defeating Rome. This led to the alliance between Syracuse and Carthage, against Rome, who found the Mamertines also turning against her. However, Rome repulsed their attacks easily, retaining control over Messana, but this tension helped to focus the issue: Whether Sicily would be under the control of Rome or Carthage, in much the same war that the world was polarised into the Russian and the US spheres of influence during the Cold War.
Alarmed at this prospect, and seeing there was no choice but to align themselves with one party, Hiero, on behalf of Sicily, asked to be under the Roman protectorate, giving up territories in exchange for maintaining his “kingship” of Syracuse. Carthage had had a long history of enmity with the Greeks, and when compared with the benevolence of Rome, even in its overwhelming power, it was clear where their interests lay. Bolstered by Greek supplies, money and navy, Rome was definitely at an advantage against Carthage.
Thus, the first major war in world history began, even though it was broken into the three Punic Wars of intense fighting, with intermittent lulls. By the time the wars ended, Carthage would be obliterated – all 300 cities with over 700,000 people in the capital.