Mamertines of Messana

E538379

The Mamertines of Messana were a band of Campanian mercenaries who seized and controlled the city of Messana in Sicily, playing a pivotal role in triggering the First Punic War between Rome and Carthage.

All labels observed (3)

Label Occurrences
Mamertine occupation 1
Mamertines 1
Mamertines of Messana canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf ancient mercenary group ⓘ
historical people ⓘ
activeDuring 3rd century BC ⓘ
appealedForAidTo Carthage ⓘ
Rome ⓘ
basedIn Messana ⓘ
causeOf Roman intervention in Sicily ⓘ
conflict between Rome and Carthage over Messana ⓘ
conflictWith Syracuse ⓘ
controlled Messana ⓘ
countryOfOrigin Campania ⓘ
enemyOf Hieron II of Syracuse ⓘ
engagedIn raiding in northeastern Sicily ⓘ
ethnicOrigin Campanian ⓘ
eventuallySubordinatedTo Rome ⓘ
geopoliticalSignificance control point between Italy and Sicily ⓘ
governedAs military oligarchy ⓘ
historicalPeriod Hellenistic period ⓘ
knownFor seizing Messana ⓘ
triggering the First Punic War ⓘ
languageOfName Oscan ⓘ
locatedIn Sicily ⓘ
militaryRole mercenaries ⓘ
namedAfter Mars ⓘ
nameMeaning sons of Mars ⓘ
linked to: Mars the Protector
notableEvent invitation of Roman garrison into Messana ⓘ
occupation of Messana ⓘ
occupation soldiers ⓘ
opposedBy Carthaginian forces ⓘ
Hieron II ⓘ
Roman forces (later dominance) ⓘ
originallyServed Agathocles of Syracuse ⓘ
partOf wider phenomenon of Italic mercenaries in the Hellenistic world ⓘ
politicalAlignment shifting between Carthage and Rome ⓘ
politicalStatus ruling military group in Messana ⓘ
regionOfActivity Strait of Messina ⓘ
northeastern Sicily ⓘ
relatedTo Campanian mercenaries in Greek Sicily ⓘ
religiousAssociation cult of Mars ⓘ
linked to: Festivals of Mars
roleIn First Punic War ⓘ
seized Messana ⓘ
seizedCityIn early 3rd century BC ⓘ
sourceMentionedIn Diodorus Siculus ⓘ
Polybius ⓘ
linked to: Πολύβιος
strategicImportance control of the Strait of Messina ⓘ
usedAs pretext for Roman expansion into Sicily ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

First Punic War → involvedPolity → Mamertines of Messana ⓘ
Messana → associatedWithEvent → Mamertine occupation ⓘ
linked to: Mamertines of Messana
Messana → associatedWith → Mamertines ⓘ
linked to: Mamertines of Messana