Publius Claudius Pulcher

Who was Publius Claudius Pulcher?

Publius Claudius Pulcher was a Roman general. His father was Gaius Claudius. He was the brother of the famous Roman politician Appius Claudius Caudex. He was the first of the Claudii to be given the cognomen "Pulcher".

He was curule aedile in 253 BC and consul in 249. As consul he was given command of the Roman fleet during the First Punic War. He lost the Battle of Drepana against the Carthaginians after ignoring a bad omen when the sacred chickens refused to eat. According to Valerius Maximus, Suetonius and Cicero, Claudius threw them into the sea, ut biberent, quando esse nollent. He was recalled to Rome and ordered to appoint a dictator; his nomination of his subordinate Marcus Claudius Glicia was overruled. He was tried for incompetence and impiety and was fined, and died soon afterwards, possibly by suicide.

He was the father of Appius Claudius Pulcher, consul in 212 BC