<P> Shortly after, a brave sailor, identified as Hannibal the Rhodian, openly defied the Roman fleet by sailing around the fleet in order to spy on the town and relay the news of the goings on inside of Lilybaeum to the Carthaginian Senate and the Carthaginian commander at the battle, Adherbal . </P> <P> Pulcher, the senior consul, then decided to launch a surprise attack on the harbour of Drepana, where the defiant ships were garrisoned . The fleet sailed north from Lilybaeum in a moonless night . Carthaginian scouts did not spot the Roman ships but low visibility conditions compromised the battle formation . When they reached Drepana at sunrise, the fleet was scattered in a long, disorganized line with Pulcher's ship in the rear . Punic scouts saw the clumsy approach and the advantage of surprise was lost . </P> <P> Meanwhile, on the flagship, some sources state that Pulcher, as the senior magistrate in command, took the auspices before battle, according to Roman religious requirements . The prescribed method was observing the feeding behaviour of the sacred chickens, on board for that purpose . If the chickens accepted the offered grain, then the Roman gods would be favourable to the battle . However, on that particular morning of 249 BC, the chickens refused to eat--a horrific omen . Confronted with the unexpected and having to deal with the superstitious and now terrified crews, Pulcher quickly devised an alternative interpretation . He threw the sacred chickens overboard, saying, "Let them drink, since they don't wish to eat ." (Latin "Bibant, quoniam esse nolunt .) </P> <P> However, it is not entirely clear if this actually occurred . The contemporary historian Polybius fails to mention it, instead crediting the victory to the superior maneuverability of the Carthaginian warships, making the incident of drowning the chickens at least dubious, although the auspices almost certainly would have been taken . </P>

What was the purpose of the sacred chickens
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