Battle of the Lipari Islands

Battle of the Lipari Islands
Part of the First Punic War
the Lipari islands, also known as the Aeolian Islands
Date 260 BC Location Lipara Harbour, Sicily 38°28′21″N 14°57′39″E / 38.47250°N 14.96083°E / 38.47250; 14.96083 Result Carthaginian victory
Belligerents
Carthage	Roman Republic
Commanders and leaders
Boödes Hannibal Gisco	Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Asina (POW)
Strength
20 ships	17 ships
Casualties and losses
None	17 ships captured Scipio captured

The Battle of the Lipari Islands or Battle of Lipara was a naval encounter fought in 260 BC during the First Punic War. A squadron of 20 Carthaginian ships commanded by Boödes surprised 17 Roman ships under the senior consul for the year Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio in Lipara Harbour. The inexperienced Romans made a poor showing, with all 17 of their ships captured, along with their commander.

The Romans had recently built a fleet in order to contest the Carthaginians' maritime control of the western Mediterranean and Scipio had impetuously ventured to the Liparas with the advance squadron. The battle was little more than a skirmish, but is notable as the first naval encounter of the Punic Wars and the first time Roman warships had engaged in battle. Scipio was ransomed after the battle and known thereafter as Asina (Latin for "female donkey"). The Romans went on to win the two, larger, naval encounters that followed and establish a rough sea-going parity.