BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

The Ram of a Roman Warship

New evidence of the battle of the Egadi Islands discovered

Ram of a Roman Warship uncovered from the waters of the Egadi Islands. Courtesy Soprintendenza del Mare.

Excavations off the western tip of Sicily have revealed a bronze rostrum—a type of battering ram attached to the front of a Roman warship—dating to the famous battle of the Egadi Islands in 241 BCE. Uncovered by the Sicilian Soprintendenza del Mare, the rostrum is another piece of history from this famous battle that brought an end to the bloody First Punic War between Rome and Carthage.

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A Roman Ram

The rostrum was found more than 250 feet below the surface of the Mediterranean Sea. Although heavy sea concretions have not allowed archaeologists to determine if there are any inscriptions on the rostrum, they were able to identify a decorative relief depicting a type of helmet that was worn by Roman soldiers at the time. This is the 27th Roman rostrum uncovered from the area over the last two decades, providing evidence of just how deadly was the battle of the Egadi Islands. Thirty Roman helmets, two swords, and a large collection of coins and amphorae have also been found.

The battle of the Egadi Islands (also known as the battle of the Aegates) was the final battle between the Romans and the Carthaginians. The decisive Roman victory ended the 23-year-long war and drove the last Carthaginian forces from Sicily. Over the course of the three Punic Wars, which spanned 264 to 146 BCE, the Carthaginians went from controlling much of North Africa, Spain, and Sicily to being completely destroyed. The second of the three wars saw the famous crossing of the Alps by Hannibal Barca with a contingent of war elephants. Today, the ruins of Carthage lie east of the Tunisian capital of Tunis.

Following the defeat of Carthage, Rome was able to turn its attention elsewhere and began to expand rapidly, taking over the entire Mediterranean and large sections of Europe and the Near East over the next several centuries.

Related reading in Bible History Daily:

Did the Carthaginians Really Practice Infant Sacrifice?

Oldest Deep-Sea Shipwreck Found Near Israel

First Punic War Battle Rams Uncovered Off the Coast of Sicily

Phoenician Shipwreck Located off Coast of Malta

All-Access members, read more in the BAS Library:

“Carthage Must be Destroyed”

New Evidence of the Royal Stoa and Roman Flames

Shipwreck! Recovering 3,000-year-old cargo

The Galilee Boat—2,000-Year-Old Hull Recovered Intact