The Fleet of Pyrrhus of Epirus during the Sicilian Campaign of 278–276 B.C.

Abstract

Pyrrhus, the ruler of Epirus, led an expedition against the Roman Republic and in defense of Tarentum in 280 B.C. He commanded inadequate and accidentally collected sea forces, as argued by Plutarchos of Cheronea, Pausanias,  Appianus, Iunianus Iustinus and Diodorus Siculus. During the crossing to Sicily, Pyrrhus came into confl ict with  Carthage, avoided clashing at sea with a larger Punic fleet of 100 ships thanks to a clever maneuver, and entered Syracuse afterwards. At the Grand Harbor, he captured 120 warships (κατάφρακτοι ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι) and 20 ships (ἄφρακτοι εἴκοσι), with his fleet’s strength increasing to more than 200 warships. Despite this accomplishment, Pyrrhus did not gain an operational advantage over the still numerous Carthaginian fleet, with his lack of action aimed  at increasing the size of his naval forces preventing the implementation of strategic objectives. The Pyrrhus fleet could not prevent the Roman forces from gaining strength at Rhegium in 279 B.C. or cut Punic reinforcements directed to Lilybaeum in 277 B.C. In the end, the king’s fl eet suff ered a defeat at the naval battle of Messina Straits in 276 B.C.