The war which followed (the so-called first Punic War) lasted twentyfour years. It was fought out on the high seas and in the beginning it seemed that the experienced Carthaginian navy would defeat the newly created Roman fleet. Following their ancient tactics, the Carthaginian ships would either ram the enemy vessels or by a bold attack from the side they would break their oars and would then kill the sailors of the helpless vessel with their arrows and with fire balls. But Roman engineers invented a new craft which carried a boarding bridge across which the Roman infantrymen stormed the hostile ship. Then there was a sudden end to Carthaginian victories. At the battle of Mylae their fleet was badly defeated. Carthage was obliged to sue for peace, and Sicily became part of the Roman domains.
隨之而來的戰爭一共持續了24年，這就是歷史上著名的第一次布匿戰爭。先是海上的短兵相接。初看起來，訓練有素的迦太基海軍將毫不費力地摧毀新建不久的羅馬艦隊。依照沿用已久的海戰法，迦太基戰船要么猛撞敵人的船只，要么從敵艦的側面發動猛攻，折斷對方的船漿，爾后用密如疾雨的弓箭和火球殺死對方那些驚慌失措、逃生無路的水手。不過，羅馬的工程師發明了一種攜帶吊橋的戰船，能夠讓精于肉搏的羅馬士兵順吊橋沖上對方的船只，迅速地殺死迦太基弓箭手。這樣，迦太基海戰勝利的好日子就突然到頭了。在米拉戰役中，羅馬人重挫了迦太基艦隊。迦太基人被迫求和，西西里就此歸人了羅馬帝國的版圖。
Twenty-three years later new trouble arose. Rome (in quest of copper) had taken the island of Sardinia. Carthage (in quest of silver) thereupon occupied all of southern Spain. This made Carthage a direct neighbour of the Romans. The latter did not like this at all and they ordered their troops to cross the Pyrenees and watch the Carthaginian army of occupation.
23年后，兩國又發生了新的爭端。羅馬為開發銅礦占據了撒丁島，迦太基為尋找白銀占領了整個西班牙南部。兩大強權突然變成了鄰居。羅馬人可不喜歡與迦太基人為鄰，他們派軍隊越過比利牛斯山，去監視迦太基軍隊的一舉一動。
The stage was set for the second outbreak between the two rivals. Once more a Greek colony was the pretext for a war. The Carthaginians were besieging Saguntum on the east coast of Spain. The Saguntians appealed to Rome and Rome, as usual, was willing to help.
戰爭的舞臺已經布置就緒，就差一個小火星來點燃兩國之間的第二次戰爭了。一個孤懸海外的希臘殖民地再度成為戰爭的導火索。迦太基人圍困了西班牙東海岸的薩貢特，于是薩貢特人向羅馬求救。與往常一樣，羅馬人向來是樂于助人的。
來源:可可英語 http://www.ccdyzl.cn/Article/201701/490004.shtml
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