By place Roman Republic •
Rome aims for a quick end to hostilities in the
First Punic War and decides to invade the
Carthaginian colonies in Northern Africa to force the enemy to accept terms. A major fleet is built, including transports for the army and its equipment, and warships for their protection. Carthage under
Hamilcar tries to intervene but a force under the Roman general and
consul Marcus Atilius Regulus and his colleague
Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus defeat the Carthaginian fleet in the
Battle of Cape Ecnomus off the southern coast of
Sicily.
North Africa • Following the Battle of Cape Ecnomus, the Romans land an army near
Carthage (Tunesia, North Africa) and begin ravaging the Carthaginian countryside. The Roman army soon forces the capitulation of
Clupea, a town east of Carthage. After setting up Roman defenses for the city, the two consuls receive instructions from Rome that Vulso is to set sail for Rome, taking most of the fleet with him. Regulus, on the other hand, is to stay with the infantry and cavalry to finish the war. •
Marcus Atilius Regulus marches to Aspis and takes the town after a
short siege. • From their new base at Aspis the Romans march on towards
Carthage; they encounter and defeat the Carthaginian army at the
Battle of Adys.
China • The
Great Wall of China construction starts. •
Luoyang falls without much resistance to the armies of the
Qin, ending the reign of the emperor
Zhou Nan Wang. Although a successor was appointed as
Dong Zhou Hui Wang, traditionally in
Chinese history this is considered the end of the
Zhou dynasty. • The
Du Jiang Yan Irrigation System is constructed, ending flooding and irrigating thousands of square miles of land through an ingeniously designed system. == Births ==