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By the end of the First Punic War, while the Romans were besieging the Sicilian city of Libybaeum, an adventurous Carthaginian officer, Hannibal the Rhodian, entered the city by sea, in full sight of the Romans, to deliver provisions to the besieged inhabitants. Thanks to his ship’s superior speed, he escaped the Roman troops.
Hannibal the Rhodian was an officer in the Carthaginian army during the First Punic War. His nickname “the Rhodian” probably comes from his amazing navigation skills: the inhabitants of the island of Rhodes were known as great seamen. Hannibal the Rhodian was also a skilled inventor: his ship, which he built himself, was equipped with special functions to make it even faster than the other ships of the Carthaginian fleet.
Around 250, after over 10 years of fighting in the First Punic War, the Romans had taken control of most of Sicily. The Roman army then decided to besiege Lilybaeum (modern-day Marsala), one of the last Carthaginian cities on the island.
It was during this siege that Hannibal the Rhodian became famous. The historian Polybius tells how he entered the port of Lilybaeum, in the middle of the day, without even trying to hide from the enemy, to deliver provisions to the besieged Carthaginian troops. Then, alone on his ship, he left, and easily escaped the Roman ships attacking him: his ship was so fast that nobody could catch up with him. Polybius mentions he even stopped to insult and provoke his enemies.
After Hannibal the Rhodian’s exploit, others followed his example. These expeditions not only enabled the Carthaginians to provide food to the besieged city, but also to obtain useful intelligence on their enemies. The Romans, overwhelmed by such audacity, tried unsuccessfully to close up the entrance of the port.
One day, a Carthaginian ship was stranded on a sand bank. The Romans seized it and used it to pursue other ships delivering provisions to the city. Hannibal the Rhodian himself was finally captured during one of his expeditions. The Romans built their own fleet based on the model of his ship, which enabled them to prevent further expeditions.
