Ecnomus as an invasion operation

Rome assembled roughly 330 decked warships for an invasion of Carthaginian territory. The expedition was intended to shift the main theatre from Sicily to Libya and threaten Carthage's homeland directly. Carthage brought about 350 warships and accepted battle to prevent the crossing. Rome drew an elite force from its land army and divided the expedition into four units, each described as a legion or squadron, with the fourth also called triarii. Polybius's figures imply about 140,000 Romans, with roughly 300 rowers and 120 fighting men on each ship, against more than 150,000 Carthaginians. The opposing fleets were fitted out for different purposes: Rome needed to fight at sea and disembark an army, while Carthage concentrated on naval combat.