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This is a TL focused on Carthage. The POD is that the first Punic War is won by the Carthaginians, due to Rome's failure to develop the corvus.

Although this, like all my timelines, will have a geopolitical/military focus, I will try to include culture and social aspects in this timeline. This includes religion, but I will probably avoid any references to human sacrifice (unless anyone wants it in?), since the evidence for Carthaginian sacrifices of children is flimsy and it kinda smells of Roman propaganda to me.

Chapter 1: The First Latin War

In 264 BC, the Romans landed at Messana on the North-Eastern tip of Sicily in order to assist the Mamertine occupiers of Messana (in North-Eastern Sicily). Due to attacks on their transport fleet by the superior Carthaginian navy, only 2000 men (out of two whole legions) landed on Sicily. The Romans attacked the Syracusan part of the forces besieging Messana. Despite inflicting serious casualties on the Syracusans, the Romans were defeated, and most of the men were either killed or put into slavery. After 3 more months, the defenders of Messana were forced to surrender. For the most part, the Mamertines were tolerated by the Carthaginians, but their arms were confiscated and the citizens they had expelled were let back into the city. However, the Mamertines' stolen property (including wives) were given back to the original owners when possible, and many Mamertines were murdered by slighted Messanians.

After the debacle of initial intervention, the Romans were forced to focus on naval construction, due to their vulnerability to Carthaginian raids. The Carthaginians proceeded to occupy small islands of Italy's West Coast in order to secure facilities for piratical raids on the Romans. Meanwhile, the Carthaginians landed another army in Sicily, commanded by Hanno, which pacified the interior tribes (mainly belonging to the Sicani ethno-linguistic group).

In 255 BC, the Roman fleet at Neapolis tried to run the Carthaginian blockade. For nine years, major Italian ports had been blocked by the Carthaginians. Whilst this hurt trade, it meant that the Romans had been spending more funds on roads within Italy, making supply of the fleet construction operations easier and cheaper. But the combined cost of the fleet and the roads was taking its toll on Rome. Several towns revolted during this period, including Elea, Pixous and Scylettium. Roman dominance of land warfare in Italy ensured that (despite token, although ultimately insignificant) Carthaginian assistance to the rebellious polis' of Magna Graecia, the Romans retained control of the Italian peninsula. The Roman fleet managed to break out of Neapolis, the Carthaginian navy having been stretched thin blockading several coastal towns. Despite a successful breakout, the Roman ships suffered notable losses, having been forced into a bottleneck whilst leaving the harbour. The Carthaginian ships withdrew, with relatively few losses. The greater part of the Carthaginian fleet met the Romans off the coast of Motya, an island off the coast of Western Sicily. The Carthaginian fleet trapped the Romans in the lagoon by placing forces at either side. Their superior seamanship and significant reserves allowed them to capture or destroy the entire Roman fleet, although not without taking moderate losses also.

After Rome got news of the defeat, they signed a peace treaty with Carthage, providing Carthage with free rein over Sicily, signed a non-aggression treaty, and agreed to pay for the Carthaginians' mercenary forces which took part in minor actions in the war. Overall, whilst the land theatre of the war remained relatively minor, the 1st Latin War ensured Carthaginian domination of Central Mediterranean seas and had an important psychological effect on the Romans, having suffered what they considered a major defeat.

EDIT: I will be involving child sacrifice, but it will be confined to 'special occasions', and it will become less prevalent over time.
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