A Forgotten Roman Historian: L. Arruntius and the ‘True’ Causes of the First Punic War

Ancient historians offered various explanations for the war that broke out in 264 B.C. For Polybius a century later it was the Roman’s first step outside Italy in a drive to world hegemony; also a properly defensive counter to a looming Carthaginian threat to Italy. Much of later Roman historical tradition lauded it as due to piousfidestowards a hapless ally, the ex-Italian Mamertines of Messana, under siege by Punic and Syracusan foes. That, it seems, was already the Roman line in 264 itself. At all events we find King Hiero of Syracuse chiding them then for ‘chattering aboutfides’ even as they allied themselves with the faithless brigands of Messana. For pro-Roman writers, the sanctity of alliances and the right of self-defence made a satisfying pair of historical justifications.