10.45
The
contents of these despatches were listened to with every manifestation of
delight, both in the senate and in the Assembly. A four days' thanksgiving
was appointed as an expression of the public joy, and festal observances
were kept up in every house. These successes were not only of great
importance in themselves, but they came most opportunely for Rome, as it
so happened that at that very time information was received that Etruria had
again commenced hostilities. The question naturally occurred to people's
minds, how would it have been possible to withstand Etruria if any reverse
had been met with in Samnium? The Etruscans, acting upon a secret
understanding with the Samnites, had seized the moment when both consuls
and the whole force of Rome were employed against Samnium as a
favourable opportunity for recommencing war. Embassies from the allied
states were introduced by M. Atilius the praetor into the senate and
complained of the ravaging and burning of their fields by their Etruscan
neighbours because they would not revolt from Rome. They appealed to the
senate to protect them from the outrageous violence of their common foe,
and were told in reply that the senate would see to it that their allies had no
cause to regret their fidelity, and that the day was near when the Etruscans
would be in the same position as the Samnites. Still, the senate would have
been somewhat dilatory in dealing with the Etruscan question had not
intelligence come to hand that even the Faliscans, who had for many years
been on terms of friendship with Rome, had now made common cause with
the Etruscans. The proximity of this city to Rome made the senate take a
more serious view of the position, and they decided to send the fetials to
demand redress. Satisfaction was refused, and by order of the people with
the sanction of the senate war was formally declared against the Faliscans.
The consuls were ordered to decide by lot which of them should transport
his army from Samnium into Etruria.
By this time Carvilius had taken from the Samnites three of their
cities, Velia, Palumbinum, and Herculaneum. Velia he took after a few days'
siege, Palumbinum on the day he arrived before its walls. Herculaneum gave
him more trouble; after an indecisive battle in which, however, his losses
were somewhat the heavier he moved his camp close up to the town and
shut up the enemy within their walls. The place was then stormed and
captured. In these three captures the number of killed and prisoners
amounted to 10,000, the prisoners forming a small majority of the total loss.
On the consuls casting lots for their respective commands, Etruria fell to
Carvilius, much to the satisfaction of his men, who were now unable to stand
the intense cold of Samnium. Papirius met with more resistance at Saepinum.
There were frequent encounters, in the open field, on the march, and round
the city itself when he was checking the sorties of the enemy. There was no
question of siege operations, the enemy met him on equal terms, for the
Samnites protected their walls with their arms quite as much as their walls
protected them. At last by dint of hard fighting he compelled the enemy to
submit to a regular siege, and after pressing the siege with spade and sword
he finally effected the capture of the place. The victors were exasperated by
the obstinate resistance, and the Samnites suffered heavily, losing no less
than 7400 killed, while only 3000 were made prisoners. Owing to the
Samnites having stored all their property in a limited number of cities there
was a vast amount of plunder, the whole of which was given to the soldiery.