8.29
The
Samnite war, the sudden dejection of the Lucanians, and the fact that the
Tarentines had been the instigators were quite sufficient in themselves to
cause the senators anxiety. Fresh trouble, however, arose this year through
the action of the Vestinians, who made common cause with the Samnites.
The matter had been a good deal discussed, though it had not yet occupied
the attention of the government. In the following year, however, the new
consuls, L. Furius Camillus and Junius Brutus Scaeva, made it the very first
question to bring before the senate. Though the subject was no new one, yet
it was felt to be so serious that the senators shrank from either taking it up or
refusing to deal with it. They were afraid that if they left that nation
unpunished, the neighbouring states might be encouraged to make a similar
display of wanton arrogance, while to punish them by force of arms might
lead others to fear similar treatment and arouse feelings of resentment. In
fact, the whole of these nations -the Marsi, the Paeligni, and the Marrucini -were quite as warlike as the Samnites, and in case the Vestinians were
attacked would have to be reckoned with as enemies. The victory, however,
rested with that party in the senate who seemed at the time to possess more
daring than prudence, but the result showed that Fortune favours the bold.
The people, with the sanction of the senate, resolved on war with the
Vestinians. The conduct of that war fell by lot to Brutus, the war in
Samnium to Camillus. Armies were marched into both countries, and by
carefully watching the frontiers the enemy were prevented from effecting a
junction. The consul who had the heavier task, L. Furius, was overtaken by a
serious illness and was obliged to resign his command. He was ordered to
nominate a Dictator to carry on the campaign, and he nominated L. Papirius
Cursor, the foremost soldier of his day, Q. Fabius Maximus Rullianus being
appointed Master of the Horse. The two distinguished themselves by their
conduct in the field, but they made themselves still more famous by the
conflict which broke out between them, and which almost led to fatal
consequences. The other consul, Brutus, carried on an active campaign
amongst the Vestinians without meeting with a single reverse. He ravaged
the fields and burnt the farm buildings and crops of enemy, and at last drove
him reluctantly into action. A pitched battle was fought, and he inflicted such
a defeat on the Vestinians, though with heavy loss on his own side also, that
they fled to their camp, but not feeling sufficiently protected by fosse and
rampart they dispersed in scattered parties to their towns, trusting to their
strong positions and stone walls for their defence. Brutus now commenced
an attack upon their towns. The first to be taken was Cutina, which he
carried by escalade, after a hot assault by his men, who were eager to avenge
the heavy losses they had sustained in the previous battle. This was followed
by the capture of Cingilia. He gave the spoil of both cities to his troops as a
reward for their having surmounted the walls and gates of the enemy.