(ĕ´gädē)
or Aegadian Isles
(ēgā´dē n)
, Lat. Aegates, archipelago (1987 est. pop. 5,000), c.15 sq mi (40 sq km), W Sicily, Italy, in the Mediterranean Sea. The chief islands are Favignana, Maretti-mo, and Levanzo. Fishing is the main occupation, and the most important tuna fisheries of Sicily are there. A Roman naval victory over the Carthaginians in the battle of the Aegates, fought near the islands in 241 , ended the first of the Punic Wars.
|