In this episode of *Dave Does History*, we set sail for the **Battle of the Aegates**, the dramatic climax of the **First Punic War** in 241 BCE. Rome, battered but relentless, launches a final naval gamble against Carthage, determined to break their stranglehold on Sicily. With newly built quinqueremes, improved tactics, and sheer Roman grit, the fleet of **Gaius Lutatius Catulus** faces off against Carthage’s desperate relief force. How did this battle reshape the Mediterranean world? What lessons did Rome learn that set the stage for future domination? Strap in for a high-stakes clash on the stormy seas of history!