SAMNITES sam-ni'-tes, Or SAMNIT,E, sain-ni'-ter, the Sabine immigrants into SAM NIUM, sane-WI-um, a district of central Italy, bounded on W. by Latium and Campania, N. by the Marrucini, Peligni, and Marsi, E. by the Frentani and Apulia, S. by Lucania. These migratory mountaineers were very for midable to Rome, with which they engaged in three destructive wars. The First Samnite war, 343-30 B.C., arose from the aid ren dered by the Campanians (themselves of Sam nite origin) to the Sidicini when attacked by the Samnites. The Samnites then attacked Capaa, which appealed for aid to Rome ; the Romans gained a great victory at Mount Gaurus, and two others before peace was con cluded. The Second, 326-304, was from the aid given by the Samnites to Neapalis and Palxopiilis against Rome, for which the latter declared war. The Romans, under Papirius Cursor and Fabius Maximus, were very uric.
cessful ; but in 321 C. Pontius inclosed the army under T. Veturius and Spurius Postu mius in the Cautiine Forks pass, and compelled them to pass under the yoke. The trey y he imposed was repudiated by the Senate, and the tide again turned, and, after the reduction of Bovianum, the Samnites had to sue for peace. But, alarmed by the conquests of Rome in central Italy, a coalition of the Etruscans, Umbrians, and Samnites was formed in 300, whence the Third Samnite war, 298-290, decided by the battle of Sentinum, 295, where the younger Decius nobly sacrificed himself. In 292, C. Pontius was taken prisoner and put to death. The Samnites remained quiet till the Marian wars, when they were defeated by Sulla, 82, after which the whole population was sold into slavery, and their towns were assigned to Roman colonists.