Battle of Lilybaeum

Battle of Lilybaeum
Part of the Second Punic War
Naval operations around Sicily in 218 BC
Date Summer, 218 BC Location Near Lilybaeum, Sicily 37°48′0.000″N 12°25′59.999″E / 37.80000000°N 12.43333306°E / 37.80000000; 12.43333306 Result Roman victory
Belligerents
Roman Republic	Carthage
Commanders and leaders
Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, Praetor of Sicily	Unknown
Strength
20 Quinqueremes and Triremes	35 Quinqueremes
Casualties and losses
Unknown	7 ships captured
class=notpageimage| Location within Sicily Show map of Sicily Battle of Lilybaeum (Italy) Show map of Italy Battle of Lilybaeum (Mediterranean) Show map of Mediterranean

The Battle of Lilybaeum was the first clash between the navies of Carthage and Rome in 218 BC during the Second Punic War. The Carthaginians had sent 35 quinqueremes to raid Sicily, starting with Lilybaeum. The Romans, warned by Hiero of Syracuse of the coming raid, had time to intercept the Carthaginian contingent with a fleet of 20 quinqueremes and managed to capture several Carthaginian ships.