Gaius Atilius Regulus pursued a Carthaginian fleet with ten ships while the rest of his crews were still embarking. The Carthaginians turned on this isolated force and sank every ship except his, which escaped with a full rowing complement. The remaining Roman vessels kept together, formed a line, and captured ten enemy ships while sinking eight. Both sides then believed they were evenly matched and increased their commitment to fleet construction. This encounter preceded the mass mobilization for Ecnomus.
Notable Point · 1:04:30-1:05:32
An isolated Roman advance meets a Carthaginian counterattack
Gaius Atilius Regulus's exposed ten-ship advance suffered heavily before the rest of the Roman fleet recovered the engagement.