Although the official beginning of the conflict is dated to 264 BC, actual fighting, between Rome, Syracuse and Carthage, didn’t begin until the campaigning season of 263 BC. Even then, all of the major parties, Rome, Carthage and Syracuse, tried their best to avoid actual fighting. However, before getting into the military campaign, it’s worth looking at the activity that preceded it in the year before, 264 BC.

After the Mammertines made their overture to the Roman Senate, sometime in winter of 265-264 BC and persuaded the Carthaginians to abandon the Messanian citadel, Hiero of Syracuse decided to make an alliance with Carthage. His intent was to arrive at a final resolution of the Mammertine problem by taking Messana by storm, selling the non-Greek elements into slavery, and incorporating the Greek population of the city into the Syracusan body politic. In this way, Hiero could be seen as a champion of Sicilian Greek rights and a strong leader who was advancing Syracusan interests.

Carthage, by entering into a treaty with Hiero, would be complying with a fait accompli rather than allowing Hiero to unilaterally take Messana. In this way Carthage would be seen by Sicilians as also championing Greek rights against Italic (Mammertine) outsiders. For Carthage this was a way to preserve her legitimacy and interests with the Greek cities within her sphere of influence in Sicily. Also, it would presumably keep Rome from defeating Syracuse and forcing her into an alliance with Rome, thus leaving Carthage alone to face a formidable expansionist strategic power in alliance with a robust regional power.

By investing and destroying Messana quickly, selling the Mammertines into slavery, and absorbing the remaining Greek population before the Senate was able to mobilize an expeditionary force, Hiero would present Rome with a fait accompli, and eliminate the immediate cause for hostilities.