DUILIUS, GAIUS

flourished 3rd century BC Roman commander who won a major naval victory over the Carthaginians during the First Punic War (264241). As consul in 260, Duilius was in charge of the army in Sicily when he was assigned to command Rome's newly created fleet. Realizing that his forces lacked skill in naval warfare, he decided that they must fight under conditions as similar as possible to those of a land engagement. Hence, he invented boarding bridges fitted with grappling irons (corvi). With these devices he decisively defeated the Carthaginian fleet off Mylae on the north coast of Sicily. He celebrated a triumph at Rome that was the first naval triumph in Roman history. In 258 Duilius was censor.