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260 BC. The second battle of Capua. The siege of Argigentum.
260 BC
The second battle of Capua
The new Roman consuls Scipio Asina and Gaius Duilius gathered another army of fifty four thousands Romans and allies and marched against Capua. The Pyrrhus army sieging Capua was forty four thousands(ten thousands reinforcements). Pyrrhus did not march against the Romans while he was waiting for more of his reinforcements. When he understood that reinforcements were not coming soon, he decided to fight the Romans on a plain near Capua. Pyrrhus took up position there and waited. Before the fight he sent diplomats to the Roman consuls, proposing that he could end the conflicts between Rome and the population of south Italy. He asserted that his allies recognised him as King of Magna Graecia and demanded the same recognition from the Romans. The Romans denied his request, and entered the plains from the Northwest, where they set up camp.
At dawn, the Romans started to march against Pyrrhus. On the flanks the Roman cavalry attacked the scouts and light infantry, who were forced to flee. When Pyrrhus learned that, he led his Macedonian and Thessalian cavalry to attack the Roman cavalry. His infantry, with peltasts and archers and heavy infantry, began their march as well. The Epirote cavalry successfully disrupted the Roman battle formation and then withdrew. Pyrrhus' peltasts, slingers and archers began to shoot and his sarissa wielding phalanxes began to attack. The infantry line was near equal to the Romans in length although Pyrrhus disadvantage in numbers. The Romans made several attacks, yet they could not break the phalanx, and the battle hung in the air. Unable to make any significant gains in action, Pyrrhus deployed his war elephants, held in reserve until now. The Roman cavalry was threatening his flank strongly. The Romans were again near defeat and it was again due to the judicious use of elephants against the Roman cavalry. But as the Romans were driven back to the walls of their camp, they were joined by the camp garrison and managed to turn the elephants back into the phalanx formation that Pyrrhus' troops were using. This caused chaos to Greek lines and Romans charge them back. The Battle ended in stalemate late in the evening. Again it was a bloodbath on both sides. more than twenty thousands died from both sides. This battle forced Pyrrhus to withdrew southern to Neapolis, to regroup and wait for more of his reinforcements. The Romans withdrew to Capua.
The siege and Naval battle of Agrigentum
The garrison of Agrigentum(with fifteen thousands reinforcements from the Carthaginian troops that left the battle of Syracuse) commanded by Hanno managed to call for reinforcements.With the city blocked from land and sea, a fleet of three hundred warships under Hannibal arrived in Agrigentum to relieve the blockade and help them. The Carthaginian fleet was spotted by Greek scouts and Aeneas, two hundred seventy ships fleet, abandoned the blockade to meet his enemy. On the next morning, the wind favoured the Carthaginians and Hannibal immediately set sail. Aeneas measured the risk of attacking with the wind in his bow versus the risk of letting Hannibal reach Agrigentum to relieve Hanno. Despite unfavourable conditions, the Massaliot League admiral decided to intercept the Carthaginians and ordered his fleet to prepare for battle. In the ensuing battle the Greeks enjoyed a far greater mobility, since the Carthaginians were burdened with men, equipment and provisions. The Greeks quickly gained the upper hand, using their ship’s greater manoeuvrability to ram the enemy vessels. The venemeres and octeres with their polybolos dominated the battle also. About half of the Carthaginian fleet was either destroyed or captured. The rest were saved only by an abrupt change in the direction of the wind, allowing them to flee from the Greeks. With the loss of the relief fleet, the Agrigentum mercenaries in the edge of famine, mutated and killed Hanno. After that they surrender the city to the Greeks.
By place
Egypt
The second battle of Capua
The new Roman consuls Scipio Asina and Gaius Duilius gathered another army of fifty four thousands Romans and allies and marched against Capua. The Pyrrhus army sieging Capua was forty four thousands(ten thousands reinforcements). Pyrrhus did not march against the Romans while he was waiting for more of his reinforcements. When he understood that reinforcements were not coming soon, he decided to fight the Romans on a plain near Capua. Pyrrhus took up position there and waited. Before the fight he sent diplomats to the Roman consuls, proposing that he could end the conflicts between Rome and the population of south Italy. He asserted that his allies recognised him as King of Magna Graecia and demanded the same recognition from the Romans. The Romans denied his request, and entered the plains from the Northwest, where they set up camp.
At dawn, the Romans started to march against Pyrrhus. On the flanks the Roman cavalry attacked the scouts and light infantry, who were forced to flee. When Pyrrhus learned that, he led his Macedonian and Thessalian cavalry to attack the Roman cavalry. His infantry, with peltasts and archers and heavy infantry, began their march as well. The Epirote cavalry successfully disrupted the Roman battle formation and then withdrew. Pyrrhus' peltasts, slingers and archers began to shoot and his sarissa wielding phalanxes began to attack. The infantry line was near equal to the Romans in length although Pyrrhus disadvantage in numbers. The Romans made several attacks, yet they could not break the phalanx, and the battle hung in the air. Unable to make any significant gains in action, Pyrrhus deployed his war elephants, held in reserve until now. The Roman cavalry was threatening his flank strongly. The Romans were again near defeat and it was again due to the judicious use of elephants against the Roman cavalry. But as the Romans were driven back to the walls of their camp, they were joined by the camp garrison and managed to turn the elephants back into the phalanx formation that Pyrrhus' troops were using. This caused chaos to Greek lines and Romans charge them back. The Battle ended in stalemate late in the evening. Again it was a bloodbath on both sides. more than twenty thousands died from both sides. This battle forced Pyrrhus to withdrew southern to Neapolis, to regroup and wait for more of his reinforcements. The Romans withdrew to Capua.
The siege and Naval battle of Agrigentum
The garrison of Agrigentum(with fifteen thousands reinforcements from the Carthaginian troops that left the battle of Syracuse) commanded by Hanno managed to call for reinforcements.With the city blocked from land and sea, a fleet of three hundred warships under Hannibal arrived in Agrigentum to relieve the blockade and help them. The Carthaginian fleet was spotted by Greek scouts and Aeneas, two hundred seventy ships fleet, abandoned the blockade to meet his enemy. On the next morning, the wind favoured the Carthaginians and Hannibal immediately set sail. Aeneas measured the risk of attacking with the wind in his bow versus the risk of letting Hannibal reach Agrigentum to relieve Hanno. Despite unfavourable conditions, the Massaliot League admiral decided to intercept the Carthaginians and ordered his fleet to prepare for battle. In the ensuing battle the Greeks enjoyed a far greater mobility, since the Carthaginians were burdened with men, equipment and provisions. The Greeks quickly gained the upper hand, using their ship’s greater manoeuvrability to ram the enemy vessels. The venemeres and octeres with their polybolos dominated the battle also. About half of the Carthaginian fleet was either destroyed or captured. The rest were saved only by an abrupt change in the direction of the wind, allowing them to flee from the Greeks. With the loss of the relief fleet, the Agrigentum mercenaries in the edge of famine, mutated and killed Hanno. After that they surrender the city to the Greeks.
By place
Egypt
- Callimachus of Cyrene, learned poet and grammarian, becomes chief librarian at the Library of Alexandria.
- Sersor
- Word Count: 680