vernatians, contrary to custom, were treated with indulgent favour by the Senate. Their deputies, being asked by the Consul, "What was due to such conduct as theirs?" boldly replied by another question :-"What is due to brave men who have fought for freedom?" "Well, but if we spare you," rejoined the Consul, "what are we to expect?" 'Peace," was

66

the reply, "if you treat us well; but if ill, a speedy return to war." Then the Senate voted that the people of Privernum should be admitted to be Roman citizens; and not long after, they were included in two new Oscan Tribes, which, being added to the Roman territory, made the Tribes thirty-one in all. Probably this conduct was rather politic than magnanimous. It was evidently well calulated to make the Oscan nations satisfied with Roman sovereignty, and willing to take part with Rome rather than with the Samnites.

§ 6. Shortly after this the Senate placed a Colony of 300 Roman citizens in the strong city of Anxur, or Terracina. This Colony was of a different sort from those of Cales and Fregellæ (as shall hereafter be explained). It was intended to command the lower or coast road from Latium into Campania, as Fregellæ did the upper or inland. A Colony, planted in Antium at the close of the Latin war, had a similar effect.

§ 7. In the year 327 B.C. began the dispute which was the immediate cause of the great Samnite War. Parthenopé was an ancient Greek colony founded by the Chalcidians of Cuma on the northern part of the Bay of Naples. In after years another city sprung up a little to the south, whence the original Parthenopé was called Palæpolis or Old-town, while the New Town took the name of Neapolis. The latter preserves its name in the modern Naples; the former has so utterly disappeared that its site is a matter of guess. These two cities (as has been stated, were considered to be free and independent, though the main part of the country above had been seized by the Samnites. Now at the time just mentioned the Senate sent to Palæpolis to complain of piracies and other outrages committed upon Roman subjects in Campania. But the Greek city,

a

"Duæ Romæ additæ Tribus, Ufentina et Falerina."-Liv. ix. 20.

being closely allied with her sister Neapolis and the great Oscan town of Nola (which had almost become Greek), seeing also that she might count on the aid of the Samnites against Rome, and being secretly instigated by the Tarentines, refused to give any satisfaction for the alleged injuries. On this the Senate declared war, and ordered L. Publilius Philo, the plebeian Consul, to besiege Palapolis; and this city on her part received a garrison, consisting (it was said) of 2000 Nolans and 4000 Samnites.

§ 8. The Consul encamped between the two cities, the new and the old: but the Romans were at this time unskilful in sieges, and the year drew on without any great advance being made. Publilius Philo, however, was a deserved favourite of the people, and in order to enable him to continue the war, he received the title of Pro-consul, with the command of the besieging army for the next year, the first example of a practice which afterwards became common. Still all his efforts might have been vain, had not two traitor Greeks, holding high offices. in Palæpolis, offered to betray the city. This offer was eagerly accepted, and the Romans were admitted into the old town at one gate, while the Samnite garrison left it by the opposite side. From this time we hear no more of Palæpolis. The Neapolitans, foreseeing the ascendency of Rome, entered into a treaty of peace with the Senate; and Publilius returned home completely successful. He was the first Pro-consul; he was also the first general who was allowed to triumph before he had laid down his office.

§ 9. While these affairs were going on, war broke out with the Samnites. The Senate sent ambassadors to complain of the conduct of these people in encouraging the men of Privernun to revolt, and in supporting the Greeks of Palæpolis against Rome. The Samnites denied both charges, and fiercely retorted upon Rome for daring to colonise Fregellæ, which they had taken and destroyed. "What need of further trifling?" said they "war is the only way to settle our disputes, and the plain of Campania must be our battle-ground. There let us meet, between Capua and Suessula, and decide which is to be mistress of Italy, Samnium or Rome." But the Romans, coldly replying

:

that it was their custom to choose their own field of battle, contented themselves with declaring war; and the colleague of Publilius was ordered to enter the Samnite frontiers. Thus in the year 326 B.C. was war again begun between Rome and Samnium. This time it lasted, not two years, as before, but twenty-two. It was a desolating warfare, which brought both nations to the last stage of exhaustion. But Rome remained the conqueror.

CHAPTER XXII.

THE GREAT SAMNITE WAR, COMMONLY CALLED THE SECOND. (326-304 B.C.)

§ 1. Part taken in war by nations of Southern Italy. § 2. Leading men at Rome: M. Valerius Corvus, M. Papirius Cursor, Q. Fabius, P. Decius the younger, etc. § 3. War divided into three periods. § 4. FIRST PERIOD (326-322), in which Romans gain the upper hand. § 5. SECOND PERIOD (B.C. 321-315): great Defeat of Roman Army at Furculæ Caudinæ. § 6. Pontius passes Romans under yoke, and releases them on conditions of peace. § 7. Peace repudiated by Senate. § 8. Remarks on their conduct. § 9. Continued success of Samnites, till 315. § 10. THIRD PERIOD (314304): precautionary measures: Capua called to account: Colonists sent to Fregellæ, Casinum, Interamna, Suessa. § 11. War declared by Etruscans. § 12. Great defeat of Samnites by Papirius. § 13. Of Etruscans by Fabius. § 14. Samnites sue for Peace. § 15. Why Senate was ready to come to terms.-Thirty-three Tribes.

§ 1. WAR being declared, the Senate hastened to detach from the cause of the Samnites such of the Sabellian tribes as would listen to their diplomacy. They appear to have been successful with some of the Lucanian and some of the Apulian communities. We find indeed, that the Lucanians soon after took part with the Samnites: but their aid seems to have been of an uncertain and unstable character. The alliance formed with the Apulian tribes was more serviceable to Rome.

Tarentum, which was now the chief of the Greek cities in the South of Italy, took no direct part in the war, but regarded it with no common interest. Lately the Samnites and Lucanians had been her chief enemies; but the conquests of Rome, and especially the fall of Palæpolis, had excited the interest and the fears of the Greek cities in the south, and their good wishes were on the side of Samnium. Indeed, we are expressly told that it was by the arts of the Tarentines that the Lucanians were detached from their alliance with Rome."

VOL. I.

Liv. viii. 27, fin.

§ 2. Such was the state of the neighbouring nations when war broke out. It will be useful here to notice the men whom the Romans expected to lead them to victory.

Of T. Manlius Torquatus, the conqueror of the Latins, we hear not. Either he was dead, or the horror caused by the ruthless execution of his son prevented his being again elected Consul. But M. Valerius Corvus, the conqueror of the Samnites in the First War, was still in the vigour of life. He had been first elected Consul in the year 346, at the early age of twenty-three, now, therefore, he was little more than forty-four. Four times

had he been Consul; and as Dictator, in the year after his Samnite victory, he had quelled a dangerous insurrection without bloodshed. In the course of this war he was once more Dic

tator and twice Consul.

But the general in whom the Senate seem to have placed most confidence was M. Papirius Cursor. Four times was he made Consul in this war, and once Dictator, and his services. were usually called for in the greatest emergencies. He was a man of little education, of great bodily strength, and especially remarkable for his swiftness of foot (whence his name of Cursor); able to endure all extremes of hunger, cold, and fatigue; and not without a rough sort of humour. Once, it is said, the troops asked for some remission of duty in reward for good service: "Very well," said he, "you need not stroke your horses on the back when you dismount." Again, an offender was brought before him as he was walking up and down in front of his tent, and straightway he bade the lictor get ready his axe. The culprit, pale with fear, stood expecting his death-blow, when Papirius said: "Here, lictor, cut away this root, or 'twill trip me up as I walk;" and then dismissed the trembling wretch. A man of this kind was sure to be popular with the soldiers; yet often he lost their good-will by his violent and overbearing conduct.

Q. Fabius Maximus was perhaps the most considerable man of the time. He was a patrician, but the warm friend of the plebeian P. Decius, the son of that Decius who devoted himself so nobly in the Latin War. Fabius more than once proved b Also called Rullianus. From this name it should seem that he was adopted by a Fabius from the Gens Rullia.