Atlas of Battles

naval engagement, major, ancient

Battle of Cape Ecnomus

Battle of Cape Ecnomus was a naval engagement fought in 256 BC at Licata, in what is now Italy. It was part of First Punic War, which ran from 264 BC to 241 BC. The recorded result: Roman victory. Recorded strength: 330 ships; 138,600–140,000 crew and marines against 350 ships; 147,000–150,000 crew and marines.

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Schematisch overzicht van het stijdverloop van de slag bij kaap Ecnomus in 256 v.Chr.
Schematisch overzicht van het stijdverloop van de slag bij kaap Ecnomus in 256 v.Chr.. Amras Tasardur, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought256 BC
WhereLicata, Italy37.050N, 13.900E
OutcomeRoman victory
BelligerentsRoman RepublicagainstCarthage
Part ofFirst Punic War264 BC to 241 BC

Where it sits in First Punic War

Battle of Messana, 264 BCBattle of Agrigentum, 261 BCSiege of Mytistraton, 261 BCBattle of Mylae, 260 BCBattle of the Lipari Islands, 260 BCBattle of Sulci, 258 BCBattle of Tyndaris, 257 BCBattle of Cape Ecnomus, 256 BCBattle of Bagradas, 255 BCBattle of Adys, 255 BCSiege of Aspis, 255 BCBattle of Panormus, 251 BCSiege of Lilybaeum, 250 BCBattle of Drepana, 249 BCSiege of Drepana, 249 BCBattle of Mount Erice, 249 BCSecond Battle of Drepana, 243 BCBattle of the Aegates Islands, 241 BC264 BC241 BCBattle of Cape Ecnomus, 256 BC
18 placed engagements of First Punic War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date256 BC (year precision)
PlaceLicata, Italy
37.050N, 13.900E
KindNaval engagement, ancient
Strength330 ships; 138,600–140,000 crew and marines350 ships; 147,000–150,000 crew and marines
Casualties and losses24 ships sunk; 10,000 men killed30 ships sunk; 64 ships captured; 30,000–40,000 men killed or captured
Commanders
  • Marcus Atilius Regulus (consul 267 BC)
  • Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus
  • Hamilcar (fortifier of Drepanum)
  • Hanno II the Great
Battle of Cape EcnomusBattle of Cape EcnomusBattle of PhintiasBattle of GelaSiege of AkragasSiege of AgrigentoBattle of AgrigentumSiege of AkragasSiege of AgrigentoPalermoVallettaCataniaMessinaMarsalaRagusa100 km37.050N, 13.900E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Battle of Cape Ecnomus is one of 184 engagements of the 3rd century BC in the atlas and one of 942 in present-day Italy.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q6881, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Cape Ecnomus, revision 1371349589, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.