Between the years 440 and 423 B.C., the Samnitcs attacked the Etruscans, who had settled iu the plains of the Oath or Opici about half a century before, and who had founded or colonised Vulturuum. This towu the Samnites took and named Capua. (Livy, iv. 37.) [Came.] About B.C. 340 the first war broke out between the Sam nites and the Romans. After defeating the Sidicini, who were aided by the Campanians of Capua, the Samuites overran the Campauus Ager, and laid siege to Capua. The. Campanians then sent ambassa dors to the Roman senate to ask for aid against their formidable enemies, to which the senate objected, that there existed a previous alliance between the Samnites and Rome. The Campanian ambas sadors in despair made a solemn surrender, in the name of their countrymen, of all they were possessed of to the Roman people. Upon this the senate sent messengers to the Samnites to request them to abstain from molesting the Campanians. The supreme council of the Samnites resolutely refused compliance. The senate then sent the feciales to declare war against the Samnites. Two armies were ordered out—one, under the consul M. Valerius Corvus, into Campania, and the other, under A. Cornelius Cossus, into Samnium. Valerius, after an obstinate fight, routed the Samnites, who abandoned their camp in the night. The Romans acknowledged that they never before met such stubborn enemies. The other consul having entered the confines of Samnium by the valley of Saticula, at the foot of Mount Tifata, found himself surrounded by the Samuites, who were posted on the heights. A legionary tribune named Deems Mus, by his intrepidity and quickness in marching up to a height yet unoccu pied by the enemy, was the means of extricating the Roman army, which attacked and defeated the Samnites. A third battle took place near Suessola, in the plain of Campania, in which the Samnites were again defeated. The two consuls re-entered Rome in triumph. Two years afterwards the consul L. 2Emilius Mamertinus entered the country of the Samnites, who sued for peace, and obtained it.
In the year B.C. 323 a new war broke out with the Samnites, on the occasion of the Romans besieging the Greek town of Palnopolis, which was garrisoned by a party of Samnites, but which the Romans took by a secret understanding with the inhabitants. The Samnites were joined by the Lucanians. L. Papirius Cursor, being appointed dictator to carry ou the war, his master of the horse, Q. Fabius Maximus Rullianus, attacked the Samnites in his absence and against his orders, and defeated them; but for this breach of discipline he was condemned to death by the dictator, and only saved by the interference of the soldiers and of the people of Rome. Papirius himself defeated the Samnites, who asked for and obtained one year's truce ; but before the expiration of the true; the Samnites having again attacked the Roman territory, the dictator, A Cornelius Arsine, with M. Fabius Anabustua, his master of the horse, was sent against them. The Itoman army, being surprised by the enemy iu an unfavourable position, after five hours' desperate fighting was in danger of being totally defeated, when tho Samoite cavalry, seeing the baggage of the Romans moving away in the rear without protection, rushed forward in disorder for the sake of plunder. The dictator, who expected this,
allowed them to begin plundering, and then ordered his own cavalry, which he had kept in reserve, to fall upon the enemy's horse, which were cut to pieces. The Roman cavalry then returning, attacked the Sunnite infantry in the rear, while the Roman legions pressed them in front with renewed ardour. At last the Samnitee gave way, and the defeat was complete. (Livy, viii. 23, 39.) Its the following year, oc. 321, the Samnites having made great preparations for war, gave the command of their forces to Caius Pontius, son of Hereonius, an experienced officer, who had already served against the RODUDS. He placed his troops in ambuscade in a defile between Mount Tabnrnus and an offset of the Titata ridge, through which flows the small river Isclerus, an affluent of the Vul tuning. This was the direct road for the Roman army, which was posted at Calais, north of the Volturno, to proceed by to Melina turn. Pr,...ezverro.) Pontius sent emissaries disguised as ahepherds towards the Remain outposts, who, being seized and questioned, said that the Samnite forces were then engaged in besieging Luceria, a town of Apulia, which was in alliance with Rome. The consuls, 1'. Veturius Calvinus and Sp. Peethumius, after some consultation, resolved to march to the assistance of Luceria by the most direct way, which was acmes the Vulturous, at the confluence of the Isclerus, and then through the defile towards Maluentum. Advancing through a narrow gorge, they came to a little valley between the mountains, and farther on to another narrow defile, which they found barricaded with trunks of trees and pieces of rock ; and looking up they saw the Samoites posted on the hills The Romans thought of retracing their steps, and recrossing the little valley ; but they found the other narrow pass, leading to the banks of the Vulturous, also barricaded and defended. The consuls then ordered the army to encamp in the plain and to fortify themselves. The Romans, after attempting to break through the surroonding enemy, and, feeling the want of provisions, sent messengers to ask for honourable condition,. Pontius told them that they must consider themselves his prisoners, and as such give up their arms and file off, under a yoke, in presence of the whole Samnite army, after which they would be allowed to return home; and this, the greatest disgrace that ever befall the armies of Rome, they submittal to. The spot on which this transaction occurred became known by the name of the Furculee Caudinas (Caudine Fork.), from Its being in the neighbourhood of Caudium. The war was con tinued with varying &moose% belt, on the whole, in favour of the Romans, till s.c. 303, when, after the submission of most of their fortified towns and the defeat of the Samnite army by the consul Postumius Dlegillus, who lost his colleague Minucius Augurinus in the battle, the Samnitee ened for peace, which was granted.