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Gaius Duilius was a consul in 260 bce , the victorious commander at Lipari Islands, and the first Roman to be accorded a naval triumph.

Proletarii were Romans who were too poor to be liable for taxation or conscription into the army for infantry service. Their name comes from the fact that the only thing they contributed to the state were proles, or offspring. Despite not being eligible to serve in the infantry, the proletarii apparently did some military service, even before the reforms of Marius.

Gaius Duilius first appears in Roman history as one of the consuls elected in the year 260 BCE . According to Polybius (1.22–3), he was given oversight of the army while the navy then being constructed was placed under the supervision of his colleague Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Asina (although Cassius Dio is quoted by Zonaras as claiming that Scipio too was a land commander; Zonar. 8.11a). When the latter was captured near Lipara due to false reports that the city would be betrayed to him, Duilius assumed command of the fleet (Polyb. 1.23) and hastened to meet the Carthaginians under Hannibal (Zonar. 8.11a).

Proletarii were Romans whose property, according to the Servian reforms, was such that they were too poor to be considered Assidui and were therefore liable neither for taxation nor conscription into the army for infantry service.