Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/913

 SAMNIUM. other Volscians [Privernum]. But the power of the Volscians seems to have been by this time very much broken up; and it was apparently durins: this interval that the Samnites on their .side carried on successful hostilities against that people, and wrested from them or destroyed the cities of Sora and Fregellae in the valley of the Liris, while they threatened Fabrateria with the same fate (Liv. viii. 19, 23, X. 1). This movement, however, gave umbrasre to the Romans, while the Samnites on their side could not view with indifference the reduction of the Sidicini, and it was evident that a fresh rupture between the two nations could not be long de- layed (Id. viii. 17, 19). The attention of the Samnites was, however, drawn off for a time by the danger that threatened them from another quarter, and they joined with their kinsmen the Lucanians to oppose the arms of Alexander, king of Epirus, who was advancing from Faestum into the heart of the country. Both Samnites and Lucanians were defeated by him in a pitched battle; but he subsequently turned his arms towards the south, and his death in B. c. 326 relieved the Samnites from all appre- hension in that quarter. (Liv. viii. 17, 24.) The same year (b. c. 326) witnessed the outbreak of the Second Samnite War. The immediate occasion of this was the assistance furnished by the Samnites to the Greek cities of Palaepolis and Neapolis, airainst which the Romans had declared war, when the Samnites and Nolans (who were at this time in alliance with Samnium) threw into their cities a strong body of auxiliaries as a garrison. They did not, however, avert the fall of Palaepolis ; while Nea- polis escaped a similar fate, only by espousing the alliance of Rome, to which it ever after steadily adliered (Liv. viii. 22 — 26). The Romans had about the same time secured a more important alliance in another quarter; the Lucanians and Apulians, with whom, as Liyy remarks, the republic had previously had no relations, either friendly or hostile, now con- cluded an alliance with Rome (/i. 2.5). The Lu- canians indeed were soon persuaded by the Tarentines to abandon it again {lb. 27), but the Apulians continued steadfast; and though it is evident that the whole nation was not united, and that many of the chief towns took part with the Samnites, while others continued to side with Rome, yet such a diversion must have been of the greatest consequence. Hence throughout the war we find the contest divided into two portions, the Romans on the one side being engaged with the Samnites on the frontiers of Cam- pania, and in the valley of the Vultumus, from whence they gradually pushed on into the heart of Samnium; and on the other carrying on the war in Apulia, in support of their allies in that country, against the hostile cities supported by the Samnites. It is evident that the Frentani must have at this time already separated themselves from the Samnite alliance, otherwise it would have been impossible for the Romans to march their armies, as we find them repeatedly doing, along the coast of the Adriatic into Apulia. (Liv. ix. 2, 1 3.) The first operations of the war were unimportant; the Romans conquered some small towns in the valley of the Vultumus (Liv. viii. 2.5); and we are t(ild that Q. Fabius and L. Papirius gained repeated victories over the Samnites, so th.at they even sued for peace, but obtained only a truce for a year, and, without observing even this, resumed the contest with increased forces. {Ih. 30, 36, 37.) It is evident therefoi'e that no real impression had been made SAMNIUM. 893 upon their power. Nor did the victory of A. Cor- nelius Arvina in the following year (b. c. 322), though it again induced them to sue for peace without success, produce any permanent eflect; for the very next year (b. c. 321) the Samnites under the command of C. Pontius were not only able to take the field with a large army, but inflicted on the Romans one of the severest blows they had ever sustained in the celebrated pass of the Caudine Forks. [Cauditim.] There can be little doubt that the circumstances and character of that disaster are greatly disguised in the accounts transmitted to us; but, whatever may have been its true nature, it is certain that it caused no material interruption of the Roman arms, and that, after repudiating the treaty or capitulation concluded by the consuls, the Romans renewed the contest with undiminished vigour. It is impossible here to follow in detail the operations of the succeeding campaigns, which were continued for seventeen years with many fluctuations of fortune. The disaster at Caudium shook the faith of many of the Roman allies, and was followed by the defection even of their own colonies of Sa- tricum, Fregellae, and Sora. Some years later (b. c. 315) the capture of Saticula by the Romans and of Plistia by the Samnites shows that both armies were still engaged on the very frontiers of Samnium ; while the advance of the Samnites to the pass of Lautulae, and the victory which they there a second time obtained over the Romans (Liv. ix. 22, 23; Diod. xix. 72), once more gave a shock to the power of the latter, and for a moment endan- gered their supremacy in Campania. But they speedily recovered the advantage, and the victory gained by them at a place called Cinna (of uncertain site) decided the submission of the revolted Cam- panians. (Liv. ix. 27 ; Uiod. xix. 76.) Their arms had meanwhile been successful in Apulia, and had ultimately eftiected the reduction of the whole province, so that in b. c. 31 6 the consul Q. Aemilius Barbula was able to carry the war into Lucania, where he took the town of Nerulum. (Liv. ix. 20.) The decisive victory of the consuls of b. c. 314 had also for the first time opened the way into the heart of Samnium, and they laid siege to Bovianum, the capital of the Pentri. The next year was marked by the fall of Nola, followed by that of Atina and Calatia {Cajazzo); and it seemed pro- bable that the war was at length drawing to a close in favour of tlie Romans, when the outbreak of a fresh war with the Etruscans in B.C. 311 divided the attention of that people, and, by occupying a large part of their forces in another quarter, operated a powerful diversion in favour of the Samnites. To these additional enemies were added the Umbrians as well as the Marsi and Peligni; yet the Romans not only made head against all these nations, but at the same time carried their victorious arms into the heart of Samnium. Bovianum, the capital city of the Pentri, was twice taken and plundered, once in 31 1 by C. Junius, and again in 305 by T. Minucius. At the same time Sora and Arpinum were finally added to the Roman donnnion. These successive defeats at length compelled the Samnites to sue for peace, which was granted them in B.C. 304; i)Ut on what terms is very uncertain. It seems inipo.ssibic to believe that the Romans, sus asserted by Livy, should have restored them their ancient treaty of alliance, and it is probable that they in .some form consented to acknowledge the supremacy of Rome. (Liv. ix. 45; Dionys. Exc. p. 2331 ; Niebuhr, vol. iii.p. 269.)