In 241, the Romans under Gaius Lutatius Catulus had rebuilt their fleet and intensified their siege to Drepana forcing the Carthaginians to send a fleet for support.
12.
En route, the Romans seized and burned the Carthaginian hold-out cities of Eryx, near Drepana, was seized thus menacing that important city as well.
13.
The Battle of Drepana in 249 BC resulted in the only major Carthaginian sea victory, forcing the Romans to equip a new fleet from donations by private citizens.
14.
Subsequent guerilla warfare kept the Roman legions pinned down and preserved Carthage's toehold in Sicily, although Roman forces which bypassed Hamilcar forced him to relocate to Eryx, to better defend Drepana.
15.
Hamilcar Barca gathered the Carthaginian soldiers from Drepana and Eryx at Lilybaeum, surrendered his command, returned to Carthage and retired to private life, leaving Gisco and the Carthaginian government to pay off his soldiers.
16.
The fleet that brought these reinforcements sailed to the Carthaginian base at modern day Trapani ( then called Drepana ) and were able to consistently run the Roman blockade of Lilybaeum to bring supplies to the town.
17.
After the disastrous defeat of Publius Claudius Pulcher's fleet at the First Battle of Drepana, where his colleagues fleet was almost completely destroyed by the Carthaginian navy, Pulcher was recalled to Rome and fined for his incompetence.
18.
During the beginning of the siege, the naval victory of the Carthaginians over the Roman Republic at the Battle of Drepana destroyed the Roman naval blockade and allowed the Carthaginians to provide support for the two besieged ports via the sea.
19.
The senior consul, First Battle of Drepana which turned into the worst naval disaster for the Roman fleet in the entire war . 93 of their ships were captured by the Carthaginian navy, with a mere 30 Roman ships escaping destruction or capture.
20.
Even after the great losses that the Romans suffered at Lilybaeum, back in Rome, Lucius Manlius was quickly able to recruit about 10, 000 sailors and sent them to Sicily, where they planned to attack Drepana, which was a port town about 24 miles north of Lilybaeum.
