For this we’re goin’ to the good old days back In the 3rd century BCE, Rome was not an empire power and was just limited to central and some if Southern Italy and without a navy. 

When Rome was a new, baby republic, Carthage (TODAYS LYBIA!!) –a powerful city-state in northern Africa–had established itself as the leading maritime power in the Mediterranean region. And they fought with each other.

It all started on a conflict over control on Sicily.

You know the Analogy of WWI? well, here's the First Punic War. 

The Mamertines punch Messana in the crotch.

When Syracuse comes over to calm things down, the Mamertines punch him in the face,

calling out for Carthage and Rome to help him out.

Carthage comes over and tells Syracuse he'll calm Mamertines down,

Rome comes over and punches Carthage in the face (well, tries to. Rome didn't have boats which made the punch a bit hard to land at first... this analogy is falling apart). 

Then Rome and Carthage start their First Punic War fistfight. 

But Carthage was easily the greatest naval power of the time whereas the Roman navy was non-existent. So the Romans come up with Perhaps their greatest as they invented one cute little idea of a device that shifted the balance in their favor in one move:

The Corvus

The Corvus meaning "crow" or "raven" in Latin was a device with a grappling spike or hook in the forward end, thus providing a boarding ramp. Basically, this Corvus device was a bridge that swung down onto the other ship. It had a big spike so that it would stick. Then the Romans would just fight on land in the ocean. 

This turned a sea battle into a land battle in one fell swoop. Basically, they realized that being on a boat is sort of like being on an island. And an island. And they can fight on land. 

They put 1 and 1 and 1 together and realized that if they could get onto the enemy’s ship, they would fight them on land.

In 241 B.C. the Roman fleet was able to win a decisive victory against the Carthaginians at sea, breaking their legendary naval superiority. At the end of the First Punic War, Sicily became Rome’s first overseas province. 

“the senate and people of Rome”

As a result of the First Punic War, Rome got Sicily and started to expand and go on to become one of the greatest empires in world history. If Rome had lost, the most influential empire of the world would have been from Africa rather than Europe! I'd say that makes them important.

Rome at its peak.