After decades of uneasy prosperity, the Mediterranean’s two rising superpowers are about to collide. In this episode of History with Dad, the First Punic War erupts when a gang of mercenaries called the Mamertines seize the city of Messana on the island of Sicily.

We’ll see how Rome’s land-based republic and Carthage’s seafaring empire finally put their rival economies to the test. From Senate debates and the invention of the corvus boarding bridge to the colossal sea battles of Mylaeand Ecnomus, this is the moment Rome learns to fight at sea — and Carthage learns what happens when stubborn meets strategic.

Grab your trireme oar and some Dramamine — because we’re heading into history’s first world war of the ancient Mediterranean.

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Overcast — and if you’re enjoying the voyage, support History with Dad at buymeacoffee.com/historywithdad.