light and active vessels were better than awkward quinquiremes.] they
took advantage of the fact that a Carthaginian vessel of five banks (a
_quinquireme_) was wrecked on their shores, and in the remarkably
short space of time of less than two months built and launched one
hundred and thirty vessels of that size! They were clumsy, however, and
the crews that manned them were poorly trained, but, nevertheless, the
bold Romans ventured, under command of Caius Duilius, to attack the
enemy off the Sicilian town of Mylæ, and the Carthaginians were
overwhelmed, what remained of their fleet being forced to seek safety
in flight. The naval prestige of Carthage was destroyed. There was a
grand celebration of the victory at Rome, and a column adorned with the
ornamental prows of ships was set up in the forum.

[Illustration: A ROMAN WAR VESSEL.]

For a few years the war was pursued with but little effect; but in the
ninth year, when the favorite Marcus Atilius Regulus was consul, it was
determined to carry it on with more vigor, to invade Africa with an
overwhelming force, and, if possible, close the struggle. Regulus
sailed from Economus, not far from Agrigentum, with three hundred and
thirty vessels and one hundred thousand men, but his progress was soon
interrupted by the Carthaginian fleet, commanded by Hamilcar. After one
of the greatest sea-fights of all time, in which the Carthaginians lost
nearly a hundred ships and many men, the Romans gained the victory, and
found nothing to hinder their progress to the African shore. The enemy
hastened with the remainder of their fleet to protect Carthage, and the
conflict was transferred to Africa. Regulus prosecuted the war with
vigor, and, owing to the incompetence of the generals opposed to him,
was successful to an extraordinary degree. Both he and the senate
became intoxicated to such an extent, that when the Carthaginians made