Battle of Alalia

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Alalia
partof=
campaign=


caption=
date=Some time between 540 BC and 535 BC
place=Off the coast of Corsica
casus=Desire for naval control in the western Mediterranean Sea
territory=The Greeks evacuated Corsica, which was captured by the Etruscans, while Carthage maintained its hold on Sardinia
result=Etruscan and Carthaginian Victory
combatant1=The Greek Phocaean Colonies of Massalia, Alalia, and Elea
combatant2=Carthage
Etruscans
commander1=
commander2=
strength1=60 Pentekonters
strength2=Around 120 Ships
casualties1=Almost 40 Pentekonters
casualties2=Unknown

The naval Battle of Alalia took place between 540 BC and 535 BC off the coast of Corsica between Phocaeans and allied Etruscans and Carthaginians. The Punic-Etruscan fleet of 120 ships defeated the Greek force of sixty ships and the nearby colony of Alalia (now Aléria) was taken over by the Etruscans. Corsica was shared by the Carthaginians and Etruscans, and Carthage retained Sardinia.

Background

The establishment of Greek colonies in Sicily and South Italy (Magna Graecia) between 750-550 BC had intensified the three way competition between Carthage, the Etruscan cities of Italy and the Greeks in the Western Mediterranean Sea for control of the sea-borne trade.

The Phocaean Greeks from Asia Minor (Modern Turkey) had founded the colony of Massalia around 600 BC, which had become a thriving trading center and a major rival of Carthage for the Spanish markets and the tin trade through Gaul. Carthage, which had emerged as the leading city among the Phoenician colonies by 600 BC, had failed to prevent the establishment of that colony. When the city of Phocaea itself fell to Cyrus the Great of Persia in 546 BC, most Phocaeans moved to Alalia in Corsica, partly because they were on good terms with the Greek colonies along the Strait of Messina and had even been granted toll free passage. They also founded Elea in southern Italy (Magna Grecia) in 540 BC.

The Phoecaeans had managed to established their base at a time when Carthage was engaged in defending Punic colonies in Sicily (Greeks had started to encroach on Punic cities in 580 BC) and conquering territory in Sardinia [Casson, Lionel, The Ancient Mariners, p 74 id = ISBN 0-691-01477-9] , Tyre was facing Persian domination and the Etruscans were engaged in expansion across Italy, starting with the formation of the Etruscan League. The Greeks started to prey on Carthaginian and Etruscan trade from Corsica, which continued for 5 years. However, fearing that the Greeks would threaten their colonies in North Italy and Sardinia next, the Etruscans and Carthaginians joined forces to oppose the Greeks around 540 BC. It is not known if the Carthaginians had allied with the Etruscan League or with individual Etruscan cities.

The battle

It is assumed that the Phocaean Greeks had 60 Pentekonters (ships with 48 oars and 2 rudders for steering) [Casson, Lionel, The Ancient Mariners, p 79 id = ISBN 0-691-01477-9] , not the trireme that would become famous at the Battle of Salamis, and the allied fleet was twice as large, also made of Pentekonters, not the Bireme normally used by the Phoenicians. Details of the battle are sketchy, but it is known that the Greeks had driven the allied fleet off, but had lost almost two-thirds of their own fleet in doing so. The rams of the surviving ships had been severely damaged. Realizing that they could not withstand another attack, the Greeks evacuated Corsica, and initially sought refuge in Rhegion in Italy. Carthaginian and Etruscan battle losses are not known. A legend describes how Greek prisoners were stoned to death at Caere by the Etruscans, while the Carthaginians sold their prisoners into slavery. This battle is also known as "The Battle of Sardinia Sea".

Aftermath

Corsica passed into Etruscan hands, while Carthage retained Sardinia. Carthage would fight two more major naval battles with Massalia, losing both [Casson, Lionel, The ancient Mariners, p 75 id = ISBN 0-691-01477-9] but still managing to close the Strait of Gibraltar to Greek shipping and thus containing the Greek expansion in Spain by 480 BC. Attempts by Etruscans to conquer Greek areas in Southern Italy would be opposed by the Greek city of Cumae, where the Greeks would defeat an Etruscan invasion in 524 BC. Carthage would defeat the attempt of Spartan prince Dorieus to colonize North Africa (c513 BC) and Western Sicily c510 BC [Baker, G.P Hannibal, p 15 id = ISBN 0-8154-1005-0] . While Carthage was busy in Sardinia after 509 BC dealing with a native uprising, the Greek city of Syracuse under Gelon, allied with the Greek city of Agrigentum under Theron to jointly challenge the Carthaginians in Sicily. This set the stage for the Sicilian Wars (480 - 307 BC) between Carthage and the Greeks. According to Herodotus, it was only after the battle that Phocaeans moved to Italy where they founded Elea. [Herodotus [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hdt.+1.166.1 1.166.1] , [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hdt.+1.167.2 1.167.2] ]

Some authors consider that the Greek defeat and consequent lack of Greek traders in the Gibraltar Strait led to the collapse of the Tartessian civilization in Southern Spain, while the Punic presence remained undisturbed.

Notes

References

* [http://libro.uca.edu/stanislawski/Chap7.htm The Library of Iberian Resources Online]
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