Gaius Duilius
Encyclopedia
Gaius Duilius was a Roman
politician and admiral involved in the First Punic War
.
Not much is known about his family background or early career, since he was a novus homo
, meaning not belonging to a traditional family of Roman aristocrats. He managed, nevertheless, to be elected consul
for the year of 260 BC
, at the outbreak of the first Punic war. As junior partner of the patrician Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Asina
, Duilius was given the command of the rear fleet, not expected to see much action. However, the naivety of Scipio Asina got him captured in the Battle of the Lipari Islands
, leaving Duilius as senior commander. He encountered Hannibal Gisco
and the rest of the Punic fleet soon afterwards.
The following Battle of Mylae
was a stunning victory for Rome, mainly due to the use of the corvus
boarding device. Duilius captured several enemy vessels, including Gisco's flagship and was thus the first Roman successful in a naval engagement. He was awarded with a triumphal parade
featuring the ramming "beaks" of captured Carthaginian warships that later would adorn a column erected in Duilius' honor in the Roman Forum. When in Rome, he also had the honor of being accompanied by a torch-bearer and flute-player whenever he went out at night.
He was censor in 258 BC
with Lucius Cornelius Scipio
. The election of a novus homo
to censorship was a very rare honour.
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
politician and admiral involved in the First Punic War
First Punic War
The First Punic War was the first of three wars fought between Ancient Carthage and the Roman Republic. For 23 years, the two powers struggled for supremacy in the western Mediterranean Sea, primarily on the Mediterranean island of Sicily and its surrounding waters but also to a lesser extent in...
.
Not much is known about his family background or early career, since he was a novus homo
Novus homo
Homo novus was the term in ancient Rome for a man who was the first in his family to serve in the Roman Senate or, more specifically, to be elected as consul...
, meaning not belonging to a traditional family of Roman aristocrats. He managed, nevertheless, to be elected consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
for the year of 260 BC
260 BC
Year 260 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Asina and Duilius...
, at the outbreak of the first Punic war. As junior partner of the patrician Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Asina
Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Asina
Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Asina was a Roman politician involved in the First Punic War.Scipio Asina was a patrician member of the Scipiones branch of the famous Cornelii, a family with a history as old as the Roman Republic itself. He was son of Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus and brother of Lucius...
, Duilius was given the command of the rear fleet, not expected to see much action. However, the naivety of Scipio Asina got him captured in the Battle of the Lipari Islands
Battle of the Lipari Islands
The Battle of the Lipari Islands or Lipara was the first encounter between the fleets of Carthage and the Roman Republic during the First Punic War...
, leaving Duilius as senior commander. He encountered Hannibal Gisco
Hannibal Gisco
Hannibal Gisco was a Carthaginian military commander in charge of both land armies and naval fleets during the First Punic War against Rome...
and the rest of the Punic fleet soon afterwards.
The following Battle of Mylae
Battle of Mylae
The Battle of Mylae took place in 260 BC during the First Punic War and was the first real naval battle between Carthage and the Roman Republic. This battle was key in the Roman victory of Mylae as well as Sicily itself...
was a stunning victory for Rome, mainly due to the use of the corvus
Corvus (weapon)
The corvus or harpago was a Roman military boarding device used in naval warfare during the First Punic War against Carthage....
boarding device. Duilius captured several enemy vessels, including Gisco's flagship and was thus the first Roman successful in a naval engagement. He was awarded with a triumphal parade
Roman triumph
The Roman triumph was a civil ceremony and religious rite of ancient Rome, held to publicly celebrate and sanctify the military achievement of an army commander who had won great military successes, or originally and traditionally, one who had successfully completed a foreign war. In Republican...
featuring the ramming "beaks" of captured Carthaginian warships that later would adorn a column erected in Duilius' honor in the Roman Forum. When in Rome, he also had the honor of being accompanied by a torch-bearer and flute-player whenever he went out at night.
He was censor in 258 BC
258 BC
Year 258 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Calatinus and Peterculus...
with Lucius Cornelius Scipio
Lucius Cornelius Scipio (consul 259 BC)
Lucius Cornelius Scipio , consul in 259 BC during the First Punic War was a consul and censor of ancient Rome. He was the son of Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus, himself consul and censor, and brother to Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Asina, himself twice consul...
. The election of a novus homo
Novus homo
Homo novus was the term in ancient Rome for a man who was the first in his family to serve in the Roman Senate or, more specifically, to be elected as consul...
to censorship was a very rare honour.
Ships
Four Italian warships were named after Duilius:- Battleship DuilioItalian ironclad Caio DuilioCaio Duilio was the lead ship in a class of two ironclad battleships built in Italy for the Regia Marina in the 1870s. A revolutionary design fitted with the largest guns available, 100-ton 450 mm calibre muzzle-loading guns, she and her sister ship were regarded as the most powerful warships...
, of the 19th century. - World War I/II era battleship Caio DuilioItalian battleship Caio DuilioCaio Duilio was an Italian that served in the Regia Marina during World War I and World War II. She was named after the Roman fleet commander Gaius Duilius. Caio Duilio was laid down on 24 February 1912 and after a year and two months of construction, she was launched on 24 April 1913...
. - Missile cruiser Caio DuilioItalian cruiser Caio Duilio (C554)Caio Duilio was an helicopter cruiser of the Marina Militare. Built by Navalmeccanica at Castellammare di Stabia, it was named after the Roman consul Gaius Duilius.Laid down in 1958, the ship was launched in 1962, and commissioned in 1964....
, launched in 1962. - Orizzonte-classHorizon class frigateThe Horizon Common New Generation Frigate is a multi-national collaboration to produce a new generation of anti-air warfare frigates. Originally an alliance of Britain, France and Italy, the project is now a French/Italian effort following the withdrawal of Britain due to differing requirements...
destroyerDestroyerIn naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
Caio DuilioItalian destroyer Caio Duilio (D554)Caio Duilio is a destroyer of the Italian Navy. She and her sister Andrea Doria form the Doria class; in turn these two ships, and the French vessels Forbin and Chevalier Paul, belong to Horizon class....
, commissioned in 2009.