The Battle of Panormus was fought in 251 BC

251 BC

Year 251 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Metellus and Pacilus...

 between a Roman

Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....

 consular army led by Lucius Caecilius Metellus

Lucius Caecilius Metellus (died 221 BC)

Lucius Caecilius Metellus was the son of Lucius Caecilius Metellus Denter. He was Consul in 251 BC and 247 BC, Pontifex Maximus in 243 BC and Dictator in 224 BC....

 and Carthaginians led by Hasdrubal

Hasdrubal

Hasdrubal was the name of several Carthaginian generals of the First and Second Punic Wars...

 during the First Punic War

First Punic War

The First Punic War was the first of three wars fought between Ancient Carthage and the Roman Republic. For 23 years, the two powers struggled for supremacy in the western Mediterranean Sea, primarily on the Mediterranean island of Sicily and its surrounding waters but also to a lesser extent in...

. The resulting Roman victory allowed for Panormus to remain in Roman control for the remainder of the war.

Prelude

Towards the end of 252 BC or early 251 BC, Carthage had put down a Libyan revolt in Africa and sent an army under the command of Hasdrubal

Hasdrubal

Hasdrubal was the name of several Carthaginian generals of the First and Second Punic Wars...

, son of Hanno the Great

Hanno the Great

There were three leaders of ancient Carthage who were known as Hanno the Great, according to two historians . These figures they call for convenience: Hanno I the Great, Hanno II the Great, and Hanno III the Great...

, to Sicily

Sicily

Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...

. Hasdrubal was present at the Battle of Tunis

Battle of Tunis

The Battle of Tunis, also known as the Battle of Bagrades, between the Roman Republic and Carthage occurred in the spring of 255 BC during the First Punic War. The battle ended in a decisive Carthaginian victory.-Prelude:...

, along with the Greek mercenary

Mercenary

A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...

 general Xanthippus, and learned much from this experience. According to Polybius

Polybius

Polybius , Greek ) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic Period noted for his work, The Histories, which covered the period of 220–146 BC in detail. The work describes in part the rise of the Roman Republic and its gradual domination over Greece...

, Hasdrubal roamed the region of western Sicily around the cities of Lilybaeum and Selinus for two years unopposed by the Romans who kept to high ground. However, Hasdrubal decided to attack a Roman consular army under the command of Consul Lucius Caecilius Metellus

Lucius Caecilius Metellus (died 221 BC)

Lucius Caecilius Metellus was the son of Lucius Caecilius Metellus Denter. He was Consul in 251 BC and 247 BC, Pontifex Maximus in 243 BC and Dictator in 224 BC....

, which was gathering the harvest around Panormus. Hasdrubal marched his men and elephants through the Orethus valley towards Panormus. This operation seemed reasonable because the other consular army was on its way to Rome and the conditions were favourable.

Battle

Having caused the Romans to retreat behind the walls of Panormus, and subsequently ravaged the countryside, Hasdrubal's forces came towards the city by exiting the valley and crossing the Orethus River. Metellus ordered his light troops to harass the Carthaginian vanguard and discharge their javelins into the elephants. In order to do this, the Roman light troops took cover in the ditches that surrounded the city. The commander of the Carthaginian elephants, believing the resistance to be weak, advanced to scatter the light troops. The elephants were now exposed and javelins and missiles discharged upon them from both the city walls and the entrenched light troops caused them to panic and charge into their own ranks. At this point, Metellus and his legions were stationed outside of a city gate facing the Carthaginian left. At the fleeing of the elephants, Metellus ordered the legions to charge the Carthaginian left flank. This manoeuvre broke the Carthaginian line and routed their army. However, the Romans did not pursue the fleeing army but rather captured the remainder of the elephants, who were later slaughtered in the circus in Rome.

Aftermath

As was custom after a defeat, Hasdrubal was recalled to Carthage to be executed. His successor, Adhubal, decided Selinus could no longer be garrisoned and had the town destroyed. With the exception of Hamilcar Barca's guerrilla warfare, this defeat marked the end of significant Carthaginian land campaigning in Sicily.