Drepanon

Drepanum, capital of Trapani province, lies at the north-western extremity of Sicily island, 75 miles west of Palermo along the coast, and 20 miles north of Marsala, again along the coast.

The tongue of land runs out to sea from the slopes of Mont Erice [today, Monte San Giuliano] into the archipelago of the Egadi Islands. Its curve reminds one of a reaping hook, with the handle buried in the low ridge of Mont Erice. This gave rise to the name: 'reaping hook', called Drepanon in Greek. The Sicanians called it Drepano, and the Romans Latinized it to Drepanum.

Imagination has created all sorts of stories to explain the beginnings of Drepanum. The peninsula was thought to be the sickle of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture. Or that the land was created by Saturn, and that Cyclops dwelt here. At some time in the past, legends has it that Elymians, Giants, Trojans and Phoenicians have dwelt here.

Here the great tunny fish are trapped in great net corrals, or tonnare, and clubbed to death by the fishermen. This takes place every year in June when the schools of tunny fish are migrating into the Mediterranean.

Excavations have proved that the shore about Drepanum was inhabited during the Stone Age - the first settlement was that of the native Sicanians. At some time in antiquity, the Greeks laid a proper city. The ancient Drepanon was the port for the Elymian settlement of Eryx until it was captured by the Carthaginians.The entire west end of Sicily was under control of the Phoenicians [Carthaginians] during the trade wars with Greek colonies on the eastern end of Sicily.

It is thought that in ancient times the village was seasonal. The city lies on the littoral, the beach or coast, and was never easily defensible.The city of Erice is situated higher up on the slopes of Mont Erice, and was possibly the actual residence of the migrant native peoples who founded Drepanum as their port. Motya and Marsala, more easily defensible, were of primary importance until the Romans won the sea battle offshore here. Marsala was a fortified site from which the Carthaginians conducted their war campaign. About 10 miles to the southwest of Trapani is the largest of the Egadi Islands, Favignana.

In around 260 BC the town was fortified and made a naval base by the Hamilcar Barca for the Carthaginians. The Romans, who in 249 suffered a severe defeat near by, at the hands of Adherbal at the great sea battle of Drepanum.

Later, in 241 BCE, the Romans won Drapanum in the sea battle of the Engadi. This battle ended with the retreat of Carthage to North Africa, leaving all of Sicily to the Romans.

Also:

http://www.italythisway.com/places/articles/trapani-history.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Drepana

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drepana

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trapani#History

http://www.the-romans.eu/punic/1st-punic-war-roman-setbacks.php