The Sicily Superintendence of the Sea (which is a real thing, not a mythical creature) revealed the discovery of an ancient Roman battering ram Friday believed to have been used in a major battle.

Researchers uncovered the incredible weapon in August while exploring the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea where the Battle of the Aegates was fought near the island of Levanzo over 2,200 years ago, according to a Facebook post from the Superintendence. The huge bronze battering ram, once attached to an ancient warship, was found approximately 260 feet beneath the surface. Levanzo is one of the Aegadian Islands.

The piece is adorned with an ornamental relief of a Montefortino-style Roman helmet featuring three feathers, as described by Finestre sull’Arte. Despite being beautiful, the ram was used to smash into enemy ships in the hopes of sinking them.

“The [Aegadi] seabed,” Regional Councilor for Cultural Heritage Francesco Paolo Scarpinato told the outlet, “is always a valuable source of information to add further knowledge about the naval battle between the Roman and Carthaginian fleets. Sebastiano Tusa’s intuition continues to this day to receive more and more timely confirmation, corroborating the archaeologist’s studies that had allowed the identification of the theater of the battle that sanctioned the dominance of the Romans over the Mediterranean.”

The Battle of the Aegates was described as a “Roman naval victory” fought in 241 B.C., ending the First Punic War between the rival cities of Rome and Carthage, according to World History. (RELATED: The Fall Of Rome Just Got A Major Historical Update That Changes Everything)

Rome ultimately won the battle after corruption and incompetence hindered Carthage’s success. Their mercenary army would often refuse to fight and, ultimately, Rome was just better than everyone … for a while, at least.