First Punic War
Even though Rome had drawn up an earlier treaty with Carthage following the First Punic War, a complete disregard to the agreement led it to annex Sardinia and Corsica by force during the Mercenary War. In 238 BC, the Carthaginians, accepting their defeat in the First Punic War, surrendered Corsica and Sardinia, which together became a province of Rome. This marked the beginning of Roman domination in the Western Mediterranean. The Romans ruled the area for 694 years.