Here's an explanation as to -how- Carthage could have won the first Punic war.
With a Roman victory at Messana and the Roman subjugation of Syracusan Kingdom, it would be up to the strategic and naval prowess of Hamilcar Barca, Ad Herbal, Hanno and Hasdrubal the Great that would ensure a Carthaginian victory over the Roman Republic.
Mercenaries, numbering over 60,000, from all over the Mediterranean, under the notable command of Hamilcar Barca, Hanno and Hasdrubal the Great, would meet the Legions of Rome on the island of Sicily while a naval fleet of over 200 ships made up mostly of Trireme's and Quinquereme's would, under the command of Ad Herbal, show the arrogant Romans true Carthaginian power; the open ocean.
Raiding the Roman supply fort at Erbessus and massing an army of nearly 40,000 by Hanno and Hamilcar would result in an isolated and surrounded group of Consular Legions. Nowhere to retreat, nowhere to stage a defense and a surprise Carthaginian attack, the Legions of Rome had their backs smashed against the walls of Agrigentum by Elephant and shield, where javelins and boiling oil greeted the survivors. 32,000 dead, 2,200 Captured and 300 committing suicide with relatively few Carthaginian losses (27,000 dead), Carthage had achieved a great victory for itself and tipped the scale on land.
The devastating loss of their major land-based positions forced Rome to looked to their new-found alliance with Syracuse for aid, but found no avail. Forced to reconcile their losses, Rome constructed a navy; a vast armada, constructed by angry Roman hands, would seek to prove Carthaginian naval confidence obsolete to Roman motivation. Estimated 120-150 ships would sail from southern Italia to greet the patiently-waiting Carthaginian fleet almost exclusively of Quinquereme's. Assuming their new weapon, the Corvus, would overpower the Carthaginian fleet, the Romans took the initiative, and advanced. Ad Herbal, although a prominent Carthaginian Admiral, saw to it that his Triremes be held in reserve and as flanking vessels and his large Quinguereme's assault the Roman fleet head on. The result would be devastating; 30 ships lost to the Roman Corvus, a sort of "bridge" allowed Roman ships to latch onto enemy vessels, capturing 30 ships within moments of contact, making ocean combat similar to land combat, which Roma excelled. With retreat the only clear option, Ad Herbal routed his ships and returned to Tunisia, to construct a larger fleet and reconsider the newly-found Roman ability to fight at sea.
Realizing that ocean combat with Roman Marines would be unwise, Ad Herbal armed his now near-exclusive Trireme fleet with javelins and larger row-teams. Hoping that his lightly armed missile vessels would outmaneuver the large Roman ships and pelt the crew with Javelins engaged the Romans at sea, near the coast of Ecnomus. Faking a retreat, the Romans made a large advance, allowing Ad Herbals massive Quinguereame's to tactically maneuver around the Roman ships (avoiding the corvus) and begin the assault. Proving ineffective at first, on-board mutiny occurred aboard 15 of Ad Herbals Triremes (likely due to over-exhaustion) allowed the Romans to assault and capture the motionless vessels. But once it was realized that Roman execution is no better than Carthaginian imprisonment, the motivation needed to keep fighting on gave Ad Herbal the upper hand. Although losing over 50 ships, Ad Herbal routed the Roman fleet, leaving Carthage as the dominant naval power of the Western Mediterranean.
With the war drawing to an end, Carthaginian diplomats were sent to discuss an alliance with the Syracusan Tyrant, Heiro II. Their demands were heard; 750 silver talents, a southern portion of Syracusan territory, agreeing to declare war on Rome and 3 Carthaginian political leaders put into power with the Syracusan government with guaranteed safe protection from any aggressors for Syracuse sealed the alliance and bond between the unreliable Heiro II and Carthage.
An angry Rome raised more Legions and more ships, bent on destroying Carthage once and for all.
Roman retaliation met with disaster; an army, over 60,000 strong, landed off the northern shore of Tunisia, was poised at taking Carthagio itself. A Spartan mercenary, Xanthippus, defeated this massive group of Roman legions with the lill-trained levied citizens if Carthago, a force of elephants and a small professional force of Mercenaries, thus proving his worth. This retaliation attempt was one of three; an attempted naval blockade of Lilyibaeum, a major Carthaginian port, was run off by a large Carthaginian fleet led by Hannibal the Rhodian. Another, 100,000 Roman soldiers landed off the Eastern coast of Tunisia, heard the news of the Consular defeat by Xanthippus, and made attempt to sail back to Rome. A storm, unrelenting and powerful, sunk and drowned the entire Roman fleet, leaving very few to tell the tale.
This is what I've got so far. Let me know about any opinions or ideas (and any fact corrections) you may have!
With a Roman victory at Messana and the Roman subjugation of Syracusan Kingdom, it would be up to the strategic and naval prowess of Hamilcar Barca, Ad Herbal, Hanno and Hasdrubal the Great that would ensure a Carthaginian victory over the Roman Republic.
Mercenaries, numbering over 60,000, from all over the Mediterranean, under the notable command of Hamilcar Barca, Hanno and Hasdrubal the Great, would meet the Legions of Rome on the island of Sicily while a naval fleet of over 200 ships made up mostly of Trireme's and Quinquereme's would, under the command of Ad Herbal, show the arrogant Romans true Carthaginian power; the open ocean.
Raiding the Roman supply fort at Erbessus and massing an army of nearly 40,000 by Hanno and Hamilcar would result in an isolated and surrounded group of Consular Legions. Nowhere to retreat, nowhere to stage a defense and a surprise Carthaginian attack, the Legions of Rome had their backs smashed against the walls of Agrigentum by Elephant and shield, where javelins and boiling oil greeted the survivors. 32,000 dead, 2,200 Captured and 300 committing suicide with relatively few Carthaginian losses (27,000 dead), Carthage had achieved a great victory for itself and tipped the scale on land.
The devastating loss of their major land-based positions forced Rome to looked to their new-found alliance with Syracuse for aid, but found no avail. Forced to reconcile their losses, Rome constructed a navy; a vast armada, constructed by angry Roman hands, would seek to prove Carthaginian naval confidence obsolete to Roman motivation. Estimated 120-150 ships would sail from southern Italia to greet the patiently-waiting Carthaginian fleet almost exclusively of Quinquereme's. Assuming their new weapon, the Corvus, would overpower the Carthaginian fleet, the Romans took the initiative, and advanced. Ad Herbal, although a prominent Carthaginian Admiral, saw to it that his Triremes be held in reserve and as flanking vessels and his large Quinguereme's assault the Roman fleet head on. The result would be devastating; 30 ships lost to the Roman Corvus, a sort of "bridge" allowed Roman ships to latch onto enemy vessels, capturing 30 ships within moments of contact, making ocean combat similar to land combat, which Roma excelled. With retreat the only clear option, Ad Herbal routed his ships and returned to Tunisia, to construct a larger fleet and reconsider the newly-found Roman ability to fight at sea.
Realizing that ocean combat with Roman Marines would be unwise, Ad Herbal armed his now near-exclusive Trireme fleet with javelins and larger row-teams. Hoping that his lightly armed missile vessels would outmaneuver the large Roman ships and pelt the crew with Javelins engaged the Romans at sea, near the coast of Ecnomus. Faking a retreat, the Romans made a large advance, allowing Ad Herbals massive Quinguereame's to tactically maneuver around the Roman ships (avoiding the corvus) and begin the assault. Proving ineffective at first, on-board mutiny occurred aboard 15 of Ad Herbals Triremes (likely due to over-exhaustion) allowed the Romans to assault and capture the motionless vessels. But once it was realized that Roman execution is no better than Carthaginian imprisonment, the motivation needed to keep fighting on gave Ad Herbal the upper hand. Although losing over 50 ships, Ad Herbal routed the Roman fleet, leaving Carthage as the dominant naval power of the Western Mediterranean.
With the war drawing to an end, Carthaginian diplomats were sent to discuss an alliance with the Syracusan Tyrant, Heiro II. Their demands were heard; 750 silver talents, a southern portion of Syracusan territory, agreeing to declare war on Rome and 3 Carthaginian political leaders put into power with the Syracusan government with guaranteed safe protection from any aggressors for Syracuse sealed the alliance and bond between the unreliable Heiro II and Carthage.
An angry Rome raised more Legions and more ships, bent on destroying Carthage once and for all.
Roman retaliation met with disaster; an army, over 60,000 strong, landed off the northern shore of Tunisia, was poised at taking Carthagio itself. A Spartan mercenary, Xanthippus, defeated this massive group of Roman legions with the lill-trained levied citizens if Carthago, a force of elephants and a small professional force of Mercenaries, thus proving his worth. This retaliation attempt was one of three; an attempted naval blockade of Lilyibaeum, a major Carthaginian port, was run off by a large Carthaginian fleet led by Hannibal the Rhodian. Another, 100,000 Roman soldiers landed off the Eastern coast of Tunisia, heard the news of the Consular defeat by Xanthippus, and made attempt to sail back to Rome. A storm, unrelenting and powerful, sunk and drowned the entire Roman fleet, leaving very few to tell the tale.
This is what I've got so far. Let me know about any opinions or ideas (and any fact corrections) you may have!