Final answer:
The First Punic War between Rome and Carthage occurred from 264-241 BCE. The conflict primarily revolved around the control of Sicily. Despite Carthage's superior naval fleet, Rome utilized a tactical innovation to transform the sea conflict into a land battle, leading to their victory and the annexation of Sicily.
Step-by-step explanation:
The First Punic War was a strategic battle for dominance in the Mediterranean region between Rome and Carthage from 264-241 BCE. After Rome completed its conquest of most of the Italian peninsula, its next major challenge was Carthage, a powerful city-state in North Africa. This conflict kicked off what would be three Punic Wars in total.
The primary focus was to take control of the strategically essential island of Sicily. Despite the Carthaginians possessing the upper hand initially due to their powerful naval fleet, Rome was innovative in transforming a sea battle into a land one. They used a hooked plank, or corvus, which when dropped onto the deck of an opposing ship, allowed Roman soldiers to cross over and combat the enemy in a fashion more familiar to them.
This ingenious military tactic led to a Roman victory, and ultimately, to the destruction of Carthage's fleet. Pressed under the weight of their losses, Carthage sued for peace, leading to the end of the First Punic War with Rome annexing Sicily.
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