The Largest Naval Battle in History Happened Over 2,250 Years ago
For whatever reason, we associate large battles with modern-day technology. After all, with the dawn of modern transportation, it means that more men can be brought to the battlefield in a short amount of time. But surprisingly, the largest naval battle in history actually happened over 2,250 years ago. This was the Battle of Cape Ecnomus in 256 BC.
During the First Punic War, Carthage was fighting the Roman Republic. A Roman fleet of 330 warships sailed to Carthage, which is modern-day Tunisia. Carthage had 350 warships of their own. In total, there were 290,000 crew and marines involved in the battle, making it the largest naval battle in history, based on the number of people who were involved in the fight. Even though they were slightly outnumbered, the Romans still left with a victory.
