The epic struggle between Carthage and Rome, two of the superpowers of the ancient world, is most famous for land battles in Italy, on the Iberian peninsula and in North Africa. But warfare at sea, which played a vital role in the First and Second Punic Wars, rarely receives the attention it deserves. And it is the monumental clashes of the Carthaginian and Roman fleets in the Mediterranean that are the focus of Christa Steinby's absorbing study.

She exploits new evidence, including the latest archaeological discoveries, and she looks afresh at the ancient sources and quotes extensively from them. In particular she shows how the Romans' seafaring tradition and their skill, determination and resourcefulness eventually gave them a decisive advantage. In doing so, she overturns the myths and misunderstandings that have tend to distort our understanding of Roman naval warfare

迦太基和罗马这两个古代世界的超级大国之间的史诗般的斗争，最著名的是在意大利、伊比利亚半岛和北非的陆战。但在第一次和第二次布匿战争中发挥了重要作用的海上战争却很少得到应有的关注。迦太基和罗马舰队在地中海的不朽冲突才是克里斯塔-斯坦比这本引人入胜的研究的重点。

她利用了新的证据，包括最新的考古发现，她重新审视了古代资料，并广泛地引用了这些资料。她特别展示了罗马人的航海传统以及他们的技能、决心和足智多谋最终使他们获得了决定性的优势。这样一来，她就推翻了那些往往扭曲我们对罗马海战理解的神话和误解。