Because the Romans were not originally a maritime people, as the Carthaginians were, Rome had no appreciable navy of warships in the Monarchy and early Republic. Only when the Romans perceived an urgent need did they build such ships, and then they did so with amazing speed and on a grand scale. These were the 120 warships that Polybius tells us they produced in only two months to meet the challenge of fighting Carthage in the First Punic War. "The Romans are an anomaly in maritime history," remarks Lionel Casson,

a race of [land]lubbers who became lords of the sea in spite of themselves. Only a nation of born landsmen would have dared, as they did, to pit against one of the greatest navies afloat [i.e., Carthage's] a jerry-built fleet, manned by green crews fresh...