The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08
horse were spread about on every side, that palisades could be brought,
and the work be begun: seeing it, therefore, impracticable, either to
march forward or to settle himself there, he drew up his troops for
battle, removing the baggage out of the line. The enemy likewise formed
their line opposite to his; fully equal both in spirit and in strength.
Their courage was chiefly improved from not knowing that the motive of
the Romans' retreat was the incommodiousness of the ground, so that they
imagined themselves objects of terror, and supposed that they were
pursuing men who fled through fear. This kept the balance of the fight
equal for a considerable time; though, of late, it had been unusual with
the Samnites to stand even the shout of a Roman army. Certain it is,
that the contest, on this day, continued so very doubtful from the third
hour to the eighth, that neither was the shout repeated, after being
raised at the first onset, nor the standards moved either forward or
backward; nor any ground lost on either side. They fought without taking
breath or looking behind them, every man in his post, and pushing
against their opponents with their shields. The noise continuing equal,
and the terror of the fight the same, seemed to denote, that the
decision would be effected either by fatigue or by the night. The men
had now exhausted their strength, the sword its power, and the leaders
their skill; when, on a sudden, the Samnite cavalry, having learned from
a single troop which had advanced beyond the rest, that the baggage of
the Romans lay at a distance from their army, without any guard or
defence; through eagerness for booty, they attack it: of which the
dictator being informed by a hasty messenger, said, "Let them only
encumber themselves with spoils." Afterwards came several, one after
another, crying out, that they were plundering and carrying off all the
effects of the soldiers: he then called to him the master of the horse,
and said, "Do you see, Marcus Fabius, that the fight has been forsaken
by the enemy's cavalry? They are entangled and encumbered with our
baggage. Attack them whilst scattered about, as is the case of every
multitude employed in plundering; you will find few mounted on
horseback, few with swords in their hands; and, while they are loading
their horses with spoil, and unarmed, put them to the sword, and make it
bloody spoil for them. I will take care of the legions, and the fight of
the infantry: yours be the honour which the horse shall acquire."
39. The body of cavalry, in the most exact order possible, charging the
enemy, who were straggling and embarrassed, filled every place with
slaughter: for amid the packages which they hastily threw down, and
which lay in the way of their feet, and of the affrighted horses, as
they endeavoured to escape, being now unable either to fight or fly,
they are slaughtered. Then Fabius, after he had almost entirely cut off
the enemy's horse, led round his squadrons in a small circuit, and
attacked the infantry in the rear. The new shout, raised in that
quarter, terrified the Samnites on the one hand; and when, on the other,
the dictator saw their troops in the van looking behind them, their
battalions in confusion, and their line wavering, he earnestly exhorted
and animated his men, calling on the tribunes and chief centurions, by
name, to join him in renewing the fight. Raising the shout anew, they
pressed forward, and as they advanced, perceived the enemy more and more
confused. The cavalry now could be seen by those in front, and
Cornelius, turning about to the several companies, made them understand,
by raising his voice and hands, that he saw the standards and bucklers
of his own horsemen. On hearing which, and at the same time seeing them,
they, at once, so far forgot the fatigue which they had endured through
almost the whole day, and even their wounds, that they rushed on against
the enemy with as much vigour and alacrity as if they were coming fresh
out of camp on receiving the signal for battle. The Samnites could no
longer sustain the charge of horse and foot together; part of them,
enclosed on both sides, were cut off; the rest were scattered and fled
different ways. The infantry slew those who were surrounded and made
resistance; and the cavalry made great havoc of the fugitives, among
whom fell their general. This battle crushed, at length, the power of
the Samnites so effectually, that, in all their meetings, they said, "it
was not at all to be wondered at, if in an impious war, commenced in
violation of a treaty, when the gods were, with justice, more incensed
against them than men, they succeeded in none of their undertakings.
That war must be expiated and atoned for with a heavy penalty. The only
alternative they had, was whether the penalty should be the guilty blood
of a few, or the innocent blood of all." Some now ventured to name the
authors of the war; one name in particular, by the united voices of all,
was mentioned, that of Brutulus Papius; he was a man of power and noble
birth, and undoubtedly the violator of the late truce. The prætors being
compelled to take the opinion of the assembly concerning him, a decree
was made, "that Brutulus Papius should be delivered into the hands of
the Romans; and that, together with him, all the spoil taken from the
Romans, and the prisoners, should be sent to Rome, and that the
restitution demanded by the heralds, in conformity to treaty, should be
made, as was agreeable to justice and equity." In pursuance of this
determination heralds were sent to Rome, and also the dead body of
Brutulus; for, by a voluntary death, he avoided the punishment and
ignominy intended for him. It was thought proper that his goods also
should be delivered up along with the body. But none of all those things
were accepted, except the prisoners, and such articles of the spoil as
were recognised by the owners. The dictator obtained a triumph by a
decree of the senate.
40. Some writers affirm, that this war was conducted by the consuls, and
that they triumphed over the Samnites; and also, that Fabius advanced
into Apulia, and carried off from thence abundance of spoil. But that
Aulus Cornelius was dictator that year is an undisputed fact. The
question then is, whether he was appointed for the purpose of conducting
the war, or on occasion of the illness of Lucius Plautius, the prætor;
in order that there might be a magistrate to give the signal for the
starting of the chariots at the Roman games. This latter is asserted of
him; and that after performing the business, which in truth reflected no
great lustre on his office, he resigned the dictatorship. It is not
easy to determine between either the facts or the writers, which of them
deserves the preference: I am inclined to think that history has been
much corrupted by means of funeral panegyrics and false inscriptions on
statues; each family striving by false representations to appropriate to
itself the fame of warlike exploits and public honours. From this cause,
certainly, both the actions of individuals and the public records of
events have been confused. Nor is there extant any writer, contemporary
with those events, on whose authority we can with certainty rely.
END OF VOL. I.
JOHN CHILDS AND SON, BUNGAY.