The Punic Wars were a series of wars fought between the Roman Republic and the Carthaginian Empire during the period 264 to 146 BC. Three such wars took place, involving a total of forty-three years of warfare on both land and sea across the western Mediterranean region, and a four-year-long revolt against Carthage. The First Punic War broke out on the Mediterranean island of Sicily in 264 BC as a result of Rome's expansionary policy coming into conflict with Carthage's proprietary approach to the island. At the start of the war Carthage was the dominant power in the western Mediterranean, with an extensive maritime empire, while Rome was a rapidly expanding power in Italy, with a strong army but no navy.

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