10.34
Amongst the latter was Milionia, which
Postumius unsuccessfully attempted to carry by assault. He then attacked the
place by regular approaches, and after his vineae were brought up to the
walls he forced an entrance. From ten o'clock in the morning till two in the
afternoon fighting went on in all quarters of the town with doubtful result; at
last the Romans got possession of the place; 3200 Samnites were killed and
4700 made prisoners, in addition to the rest of the booty. From there the
legions marched to Feritrum, but the townsfolk evacuated the place quietly
during the night, taking with them all their possessions, everything which
could be either driven or carried. Immediately on his reaching the vicinity,
the consul approached the walls with his men prepared for action, as though
there was going to be as much fighting there as there had been at Milionia.
When he found that there was a dead silence in the city and no sign of arms
or men was visible in the towers or on the walls, he checked his men, who
were eager to get into the deserted fortifications, for fear he might be
rushing blindly into a trap. He ordered two troops of cavalry belonging to
the Latin contingent to ride round the walls and make a thorough
reconnaissance. They discovered one gate open and another near it also
open, and on the road leading from these gates traces of the enemy's
nocturnal flight. Riding slowly up to the gates they obtained an uninterrupted
view of the city through the straight streets, and brought back report to the
consul that the city had been evacuated, as was clear from the unmistakable
solitude and the things scattered about in the confusion of the night-evidence
of their hasty flight. On receiving this information the consul led his army
round to that side of the city which the cavalry had examined. Halting the
standards near the gates, he ordered five horsemen to enter the city, and
after going some distance three were to remain where they were, and two
were to return and report to him what they had discovered. They reported
that they had reached a point from which a view was obtained in all
directions, and everywhere they saw a silent solitude. The consul
immediately sent some light-armed cohorts into the city, the rest of the army
received orders to form an entrenched camp. The soldiers who had entered
the place broke open some of the houses and found a few old and sick
people and such property left behind as they found too difficult to transport.
This was appropriated, and it was ascertained from the prisoners that several
cities in the neighbourhood had mutually agreed to leave their homes, and
the Romans would probably find the same solitude in other cities. What the
prisoners had said proved to be true, and the consul took possession of the
abandoned towns.