Rostrata
Encyclopedia
Rostratus Rostrata (feminine) or Rostratum (neuter) is a Latin
adjective meaning "beaked, curved, hooked, with a crooked point, or with a curved front"
In marine warfare, the term "beak" (rostrum) referred to the ram bows on warships, which were metal or metal-covered beams projecting from ships' bows, used to pierce enemy vessels by ramming.
)
After the Battle of Mylae
in 260 BC during the First Punic War
, a columna rostrata (a victory column
), was placed in the Roman Forum
in honour of Gaius Duilius
. It was so called because it was adorned with the beaks (ram bows) of the captured Carthaginian vessels. The columna rostrata became a favourite site for speeches.
Corona rostrata
A corona rostrata was a golden wreath, decorated with small golden prow and beak of a ship. These were awarded to commanders who were victorious in naval warfare.
In modern usage the adjective is used in Linnaean taxonomy
to refer to a wide variety of species because of the beaked form of part of their anatomy. Examples include:
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
adjective meaning "beaked, curved, hooked, with a crooked point, or with a curved front"
Roman usage
Columna rostrata (Rostral columnRostral column
A rostral column is a type of victory column, originating in ancient Greece and Rome where they were erected to commemorate a naval military victory. Traditionally, rostra — the prows or rams of captured ships — were mounted on the columns...
)
After the 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...
in 260 BC during 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...
, a columna rostrata (a victory column
Victory column
A victory column is a monument in the form of a column, erected in memory of a victorious war or battle. The column stands on a base and is crowned with a victory symbol in the form of a statue...
), was placed in the Roman Forum
Roman Forum
The Roman Forum is a rectangular forum surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum...
in honour of Gaius Duilius
Gaius Duilius
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...
. It was so called because it was adorned with the beaks (ram bows) of the captured Carthaginian vessels. The columna rostrata became a favourite site for speeches.
Corona rostrata
A corona rostrata was a golden wreath, decorated with small golden prow and beak of a ship. These were awarded to commanders who were victorious in naval warfare.
Modern usage
Linnaean taxonomy
Linnaean taxonomy can mean either of two related concepts:# the particular form of biological classification set up by Carl Linnaeus, as set forth in his Systema Naturæ and subsequent works...
to refer to a wide variety of species because of the beaked form of part of their anatomy. Examples include:
- Abrotanella rostrataAbrotanella rostrataAbrotanella rostrata is a species of cushion plant belonging to the family Asteraceae. This tiny plant, only reaching 5 cm in height, is restricted to rocky places in the high mountains of southern South Island, New Zealand. It can be distinguished from its congeners by the combination of...
is a species of cushion plant in the AsteraceaeAsteraceaeThe Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
family whose white florets produce distinctively beaked cypselae (fruiting bodies) - Bembix rostrataBembix rostrataBembix rostrata is a protected species of sand wasp native to Central Europe. The genus Bembix - of which B. rostrata is among the most distinctive species - has over 340 species worldwide and is found mostly in warm regions with open, sandy soils; Australia and Africa have a particularly rich...
is a species of sand waspSand waspThe Bembicini, or Sand wasps, are a large tribe of crabronid wasps, comprising 20 genera. Bembicines are predators on various groups of insects. The type of prey captured tends to be rather consistent within each genus, with flies being the most common type of prey taken...
native to Central Europe whose labrum is extended into a narrow beak - Canthigaster rostrataCanthigaster rostrataCanthigaster rostrata, commonly known as the Caribbean Sharp-Nose Puffer, is a pufferfish from the Western Central Atlantic. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 12cm in length....
, known as the Caribbean Sharpnose-Puffer fish, lives in the Western Central Atlantic and is a puffer fish in the fish family Tetraodontidae - Carex rostrataCarex rostrataCarex rostrata, bottle sedge, is a perennial species of sedge in the family Cyperaceae native to Holarctic fens....
, known as Beaked Sedge or Bottle Sedge, is a large waterside grasslike perennial whose fruits have a beaked shape - Helicina rostrataHelicina rostrataHelicina rostrata is a species of tropical land snail with an operculum, a terrestrial gastropod mollusk in the family Helicinidae.This is an endangered species.-Distribution:This land snail is found in Guatemala and Nicaragua....
is a species of tropical land snail with a small beak-like projection on one side of the aperture of its shell (see image) - Heliconia rostrataHeliconia rostrataHeliconia rostrata is an herbaceous perennial native to the north western region of South America. Other Heliconias grow in the upright position , their cup-shaped flowers storing water for birds and insects...
, known as Patujú or Lobster claw, is a herbaceous perennial native to north west South America, with characteristic claw-shaped or beak-shaped flowers (see image) - Yucca rostrataYucca rostrataYucca rostrata, also called Beaked yucca, is a tree-like plant belonging to the Yucca genus native to southern U.S. and northern Mexico....
, the Beaked Yucca, is a tree-like plant belonging to the YuccaYuccaYucca is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. Its 40-50 species are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white or whitish flowers. They are native to the hot and dry parts of North...
genus in southern U.S. and northern Mexico - Zebrasoma rostratumZebrasoma rostratumThe longnose surgeonfish or black tang is a marine reef tang in the fish family Acanthuridae. They may live at water depths of 10 - 61 m or more. The fish grow to a maximum length of 21 cm...
, known as the Longnose Surgeonfish or Black Tang, is a marine reef tang in the fish family AcanthuridaeAcanthuridaeAcanthuridae is the family of surgeonfishes, tangs, and unicornfishes. The family includes about 80 species in six genera, all of which are marine fish living in tropical seas, usually around coral reefs...
. It is so called because of its protruding snout.
External links
- Image of the Columna Rostrata of C. Duilius taken from A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. William Smith, LLD. William Wayte. G. E. Marindin. Albemarle Street, London. John Murray. 1890