Appius Claudius Caudex
Encyclopedia
Appius Claudius Caudex was a patrician member of the Claudii
. He was the grandson of Appius Claudius Caecus
through his father Gaius Claudius
, and served as consul
in 264 BC.
In that year, he drew Rome
into conflict with Carthage
over possession of Sicily
. In 265 BC, Hiero II of Syracuse
had attacked Messina
in an attempt to capture it from the Mamertines
, mercenaries from Campania
who had taken it some years before. The Mamertines allied with a nearby Carthaginian fleet and held off the Syracusans
, but when the Carthaginians did not leave, the Mamertines appealed to Rome in 264 BC.
Some senators
were opposed to helping them, but Appius Claudius persuaded the citizens to support them. He led a force to Messina and, as the Mamertines had convinced the Carthaginians to withdraw, he met with only a symbolic resistance. The Mamertines handed the city over to Appius Claudius, but the Carthaginians returned and laid siege to Messana. The Syracusans, meanwhile, were also stationed outside the city. Claudius tried to send ambassadors to both the Carthaginians and the Syracusans, but he was ignored. He then led his troops outside the city, defeated the Syracusans in battle, and Hiero retreated back to Syracuse. The next day Claudius also defeated the Carthaginians. Following these victories Appius laid siege to Echetla
but after the loss of many troops returned to Messana.
This dispute was one of the immediate causes of the First Punic War
.
Interestingly enough his name "Caudex" means "blockhead" or "idiot" in Latin.
His brother was Publius Claudius Pulcher, consul in 249 BC.
Claudius (gens)
The gens Claudia, sometimes written Clodia, was one of the most prominent patrician houses at Rome. The gens traced its origin to the earliest days of the Roman Republic...
. He was the grandson of Appius Claudius Caecus
Appius Claudius Caecus
Appius Claudius Caecus was a Roman politician from a wealthy patrician family. He was dictator himself and the son of Gaius Claudius Crassus, dictator in 337 BC.-Life:...
through his father Gaius Claudius
Gaius Claudius
Gaius Claudius Centho was a 3rd century BC member of a prominent and wealthy patrician Roman Republic family. He was the third son of Appius Claudius Caecus, and a member of the Claudii. He was consul in the year 240 BC. He was Roman censor in 225, interrex in 217 and Roman dictator in 213....
, and served as 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...
in 264 BC.
In that year, he drew Rome
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...
into conflict with Carthage
Carthage
Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
over possession of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. In 265 BC, Hiero II of Syracuse
Hiero II of Syracuse
Hieron II , king of Syracuse from 270 to 215 BC, was the illegitimate son of a Syracusan noble, Hierocles, who claimed descent from Gelon. He was a former general of Pyrrhus of Epirus and an important figure of the First Punic War....
had attacked Messina
Messina, Italy
Messina is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, Italy and the capital of the province of Messina. It has a population of about 250,000 inhabitants in the city proper and about 650,000 in the province...
in an attempt to capture it from the Mamertines
Mamertines
The Mamertines were mercenaries of Italian origin who had been hired from their home in Campania by Agathocles, the king of Syracuse. After Syracuse lost the Third Sicilian War, the city of Messana was ceded to Carthage in 307 BC. When Agathocles died in 289 BC he left many of his mercenaries idle...
, mercenaries from Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
who had taken it some years before. The Mamertines allied with a nearby Carthaginian fleet and held off the Syracusans
Syracuse, Italy
Syracuse is a historic city in Sicily, the capital of the province of Syracuse. The city is notable for its rich Greek history, culture, amphitheatres, architecture, and as the birthplace of the preeminent mathematician and engineer Archimedes. This 2,700-year-old city played a key role in...
, but when the Carthaginians did not leave, the Mamertines appealed to Rome in 264 BC.
Some senators
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
were opposed to helping them, but Appius Claudius persuaded the citizens to support them. He led a force to Messina and, as the Mamertines had convinced the Carthaginians to withdraw, he met with only a symbolic resistance. The Mamertines handed the city over to Appius Claudius, but the Carthaginians returned and laid siege to Messana. The Syracusans, meanwhile, were also stationed outside the city. Claudius tried to send ambassadors to both the Carthaginians and the Syracusans, but he was ignored. He then led his troops outside the city, defeated the Syracusans in battle, and Hiero retreated back to Syracuse. The next day Claudius also defeated the Carthaginians. Following these victories Appius laid siege to Echetla
Echetla
Echetla was a town in ancient Sicily located between Carthaginian and Syracusan territory during the First Punic War. In 263 BC The Roman consul Appius Claudius Caudex unsuccessfully laid siege to Echetla but was forced to withdraw to Messana after suffering many losses....
but after the loss of many troops returned to Messana.
This dispute was one of the immediate causes of 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...
.
Interestingly enough his name "Caudex" means "blockhead" or "idiot" in Latin.
His brother was Publius Claudius Pulcher, consul in 249 BC.