Gnaeus Fulvius Centumalus was

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throug ...

of the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kin ...

in 229 BC, with Lucius Postumius Albinus as his consular colleague. He led part of the Roman forces in the

First Illyrian War The Illyro-Roman Wars were a series of wars fought between the Roman Republic and the Ardiaei kingdom. In the ''First Illyrian War'', which lasted from 229 BC to 228 BC, Rome's concern was that the trade across the Adriatic Sea increased after the ...

against Queen

Teuta Teuta (Illyrian languages, Illyrian: *''Teutana'', 'mistress of the people, queen'; grc, Τεύτα; lat, Teuta) was the queen regent of the Ardiaei tribe in Illyria, who reigned approximately from 231 BC to 228/227 BC. Following the death ...

Biography

Centumalus was a member of the ''gens Fulvia'', one of the most illustrious of the plebeian families in Rome at the time. Little is known of his life before or after his consulship, though according to the

Fasti Capitolini The ''Fasti Capitolini'', or Capitoline Fasti, are a list of the chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, extending from the early fifth century BC down to the reign of Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Together with similar lists found at Rom ...

he shared his name with his grandfather,

Gnaeus Fulvius Maximus Centumalus Gnaeus Fulvius Maximus Centumalus ( BC) was a military commander and politician from the middle period of the Roman Republic, who became consul in 298 BC. He fought in the final wars against the Etruscans and later led armies in the Third Samnit ...

, who had been consul in 298 BC and

dictator A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a small clique. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to rule the republic in times ...

in 263 BC.

First Illyrian War

Attacks on Italian traders by Illyrian pirates had prompted a Roman embassy to be sent to the court of Queen

of the

Ardiaei The Ardiaei were an Illyrian people who resided in the territory of present-day Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia between the Adriatic coast on the south, Konjic on the north, along the Neretva river and its right ...

in 229 BC. After the assassination of one of the ambassadors on Teuta's orders, Rome enrolled legions and prepared a fleet to retaliate. As consul, Fulvius was entrusted with the command of the naval forces and set sail with 200 ships under his command. The fleet travelled to Corcyra where he secured the surrender of the Illyrian garrison and the defection of

Demetrius of Pharos Demetrius of Pharos (also Pharus) ( grc, Δημήτριος ἐκ Φάρου and Δημήτριος ὁ Φάριος) was a ruler of Pharos involved in the First Illyrian War, after which he ruled a portion of the Illyrian Adriatic coast on beha ...

. He then took the fleet to Apollonia, combining his forces with those of Postumius, who had brought 22,000 troops across from

Brundisium Brindisi ( , ) ; la, Brundisium; grc, Βρεντέσιον, translit=Brentésion; cms, Brunda), group=pron is a city in the region of Apulia in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Histor ...

. After forcing the surrender of cities up the Illyrian coast, the Roman advance forced Teuta to flee to the fortified city of

Rhizon Rhizon ( grc, Ῥίζων; la, Risinium) was a city in classical and Roman antiquity. Rhizon is the oldest settlement in the Bay of Kotor and the modern town of Risan (modern Montenegro) stands near the old city. Originally it was an Illyrian sett ...

. Fulvius and Postumius withdrew to

Epidamnus The ancient Greek city of Epidamnos or Epidamnus ( grc-gre, Ἐπίδαμνος), ( sq, Epidamni) later the Roman Dyrrachium (Δυρράχιον) ( sq, Dyrrahu) (modern Durrës, Albania), was founded in 627 BC in Illyria by a group of colonists ...

. While Postumius wintered there with 40 ships, Fulvius took the bulk of the army and the rest of the fleet back to Italy.Polybius. 2.12.1
/ref> According to the

Fasti Triumphales The ''Acta Triumphorum'' or ''Triumphalia'', better known as the ''Fasti Triumphales'', or Triumphal Fasti, is a calendar of Roman magistrates honoured with a celebratory procession known as a ''triumphus'', or Roman triumph, triumph, in recognit ...

he was awarded a naval Triumph for his victory.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fulvius Centumalus, Gnaeus Centumalus, Gnaeus 3rd-century BC Roman consuls