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After 249 BC, Rome faced continuous difficulties in naval warfare and could not easily capture Carthage's Lilybaeum in Sicily. To end the war, they had to restore their naval power. Despite the nation's depleted finances, Rome decided to build a new fleet. According to historical accounts, wealthy citizens voluntarily contributed their assets to fund the construction of the fleet. In 241 BC, Rome advanced west of Sicily with its newly built fleet and attacked the Carthaginian fleet at the Battle of the Aegates Islands. The Carthaginian fleet had many sailors who were not sufficiently trained for battle and could not withstand the Roman fleet's assault. Carthage suffered heavy losses in this battle, decisively breaking the balance of the long-standing war. Carthage found it increasingly difficult to supply troops to Sicily, and eventually began peace negotiations with Rome. The Battle of the Aegates Islands became the de facto final major naval engagement of the First Punic War.

As the war dragged on, key Carthaginian and Roman strongholds in Sicily found themselves in a standoff. Carthage maintained its defensive line centered around Lilybaeum and Drepanum in the west, while Rome continued to pressure the island's east and north. In 249 BC, the Carthaginian fleet decisively defeated the Roman fleet at the Battle of Drepanum. Although Rome had initial success with its corvus boarding device in earlier naval engagements, the disadvantages of this contraption and their lack of fleet operational experience became apparent over time. Furthermore, cumulative losses from storms and shipwrecks significantly weakened Rome's naval power. Carthage, too, faced financial strain as war expenses mounted. Neither side could decisively crush the other, and the war continued, with the inhabitants of Sicily suffering from prolonged combat and pillaging. The conflict was evolving beyond a mere dispute between cities into an all-out war for dominance over the Mediterranean.

Even after their defeat in the African campaign, Rome and Carthage could not end the war. Rome attacked Carthaginian strongholds in Sicily, while Carthage used its navy to threaten Roman troops and supply lines. In 254 BC, the Roman army captured Palermo, securing a crucial base in northern Sicily. In the subsequent battle, the Roman army defeated Carthage's war elephants, achieving success in land warfare. However, the situation at sea was different. The Roman fleet suffered significant damage from storms multiple times, with the naval disasters of 255 BC and 253 BC particularly causing the loss of many troops and ships. Rome continued to build fleets, but Carthage did not easily give up its naval superiority. Both nations repeatedly engaged in battles across Sicily without achieving a decisive victory. The war dragged on longer than expected, consuming vast amounts of manpower and finances. The structure solidified with Rome maintaining its army and Carthage its navy, giving the war a strong long-term character.

Following their victory at the Battle of Mylae, Rome felt the need to directly pressure Carthage's homeland. In 256 BC, Rome assembled a large fleet and sailed to Africa, once again defeating the Carthaginian fleet in a naval battle. The Roman army landed on the North African coast and advanced inland, with the army led by Consul Marcus Atilius Regulus threatening Carthage. As the war reached Carthaginian territory, Carthage attempted peace negotiations, but deemed Rome's proposed terms too harsh and continued the war. Subsequently, Carthage hired Xanthippus, a Spartan mercenary commander, who reorganized the Carthaginian forces and exploited the weaknesses of the Roman army. In 255 BC, at the Battle of the Bagradas River, the Carthaginian army decisively defeated Regulus's forces and captured him. Although the African campaign failed, the war's focus remained on Sicily and the Western Mediterranean.

Carthage had long dominated maritime trade in the Western Mediterranean and possessed a powerful fleet. In contrast, Rome had very little experience in large-scale naval battles up to that point. However, to continue the war in Sicily, they needed a fleet to cut off Carthage's sea supply lines and transport troops. Rome built warships modeled after Carthaginian vessels and introduced a boarding device called the 'corvus,' which allowed their soldiers, accustomed to land combat, to leverage their strengths in naval battles. This device acted as a bridge to enemy ships, enabling soldiers to cross over and engage in close-quarters combat. In 260 BC, at the Battle of Mylae, the Roman fleet achieved victory against the Carthaginian fleet. The Roman army fought in a manner similar to land battles, achieving unexpected results. This victory demonstrated that Rome was not just a land power but could also compete with Carthage at sea. Following this, Rome more aggressively pursued operations to secure naval dominance around Sicily.

In 264 BC, the Roman army crossed the Strait of Messina and entered Sicily, marking the full-scale beginning of the First Punic War. After securing Messina, the Romans fought against Syracuse. However, King Hiero II of Syracuse soon negotiated with Rome and formed an alliance. This gave Rome an advantageous position to confront Carthage directly in Sicily. Carthage had several strongholds in western and southern Sicily, with Agrigentum being a particularly important military base. The Roman army besieged this location, and a large-scale battle ensued when the Carthaginian forces attempted a rescue. In 262 BC, Rome captured Agrigentum, gradually shifting the initiative in Sicily towards Rome. However, Carthage possessed a powerful navy, so Rome's land successes alone could not determine the war's outcome. Rome needed to build up its naval strength.

By the mid-3rd century BC, Rome had nearly unified the Italian peninsula but had not yet extended its influence to the western Mediterranean. Carthage, on the other hand, was a powerful maritime nation based in North Africa, controlling Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, parts of Hispania, and maritime trade in the western Mediterranean. While the two powers had no immediate need for full-scale war, Sicily became a region where their interests converged, increasing the possibility of conflict. Notably, the city-state of Syracuse in eastern Sicily competed with Carthage, sometimes shifting its alliances, while the mercenary group Mamertines maintained its power in Messana. In 264 BC, when the Mamertines faced pressure from Syracuse, they requested support from both Rome and Carthage, triggering a crisis. Rome dispatched troops to Sicily, prompting a response from Carthage, and a dispute in a small city escalated into a war between the two great powers.

The Battle of Actium, a decisive naval engagement in the Roman civil war fought in 31 BC, was a clash between Octavian and the allied forces of Antony and Cleopatra for dominance over the Mediterranean world. Agrippa's command of Octavian's fleet, with its maneuverability and naval blockade, played a crucial role. In contrast, Antony's side struggled with a fleet centered on large warships and long-term supply issues. During the battle, Antony and Cleopatra's escape to Egypt led to a rapid weakening of the resistance from the remaining fleet and land forces. The following year, Octavian's capture of Alexandria and securing of Egypt led to the complete demise of Antony and Cleopatra's power. Octavian then remained as Rome's sole supreme ruler, establishing a new political order by receiving the title of Augustus in 27 BC. The Battle of Actium was not merely an isolated naval event but a critical turning point in the process of effectively concluding the prolonged civil wars of the Roman Republic and transitioning to an imperial system centered around the emperor.

After eliminating his rivals, Octavian did not immediately declare a monarchy. He chose a method to institutionalize the power concentrated in himself while formally maintaining the traditional institutions of the Roman Republic and the authority of the Senate. In 29 BC, he held a triumphal procession to celebrate his victories in Actium and Egypt, emphasizing to the Roman citizens that the long civil war had ended. Then, in 27 BC, after showing a gesture of returning some of his powers to the Senate, he received the title of Augustus. However, in reality, he maintained immense military power and control over several provinces. While the Roman political system retained much of the republican form, it practically transformed into a system where a single supreme leader controlled the military and major provinces. The victory at the Battle of Actium provided the decisive opportunity for this change to occur. Afterward, Augustus ended the prolonged civil war and reorganized Rome's administrative and military systems. Rome, escaping the chaos of the late Republic, began to enter the era of the Empire.

After the deaths of Antony and Cleopatra, Egypt fell under Roman rule. The Ptolemaic dynasty had ruled Egypt since around 305 BC, but their reign ended with Cleopatra's death. Octavian treated Egypt differently from a typical Roman province, placing it under his direct control. Egypt was a crucial region for Rome due to its abundant grain production and substantial financial revenue. By securing Egypt, Octavian significantly strengthened his economic foundation. Simultaneously, the military power and political network Antony held in the East were dismantled. The last rival who could have ended Rome's long civil wars was gone. Octavian used the wealth and grain from Egypt to further expand his support base and began preparations to return to Rome and establish a new political system. The Battle of Actium and the fall of Alexandria, therefore, were not just military victories but also pivotal moments that fundamentally altered the political order of the Eastern Mediterranean.