There was a series of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage, called the Carthaginian Wars or the Punic Wars. At the start of these wars, Carthage was dominant on the west side of the Mediterranean, while Rome was quickly gaining more and more power in Italy. To become more dominant, Rome needed the naval power that Carthage possessed. So, the First Punic War was fought for control over Corsica and Sicily, two strategic islands that would give Rome the territory they needed for naval dominance.