9.22
The year
having expired, the war was thenceforward carried on by the Dictator, Q.
Fabius, whilst the new consuls, like their predecessors, remained in Rome.
Fabius marched with reinforcements to Saticula to take over the army from
Aemilius. The Samnites did not remain before Plistica; they had called up
fresh troops from home, and trusting to their numbers they fixed their camp
on the same ground as in the previous year and endeavoured to distract the
Romans from their siege operations by a series of harassing attacks. This
made the Dictator all the more determined to press the siege, as he
considered that the reduction of the place would largely affect the character
of the war; he treated the Samnites with comparative indifference, and
merely strengthened the pickets on that side of the camp to meet any attack
that might be made. This emboldened the Samnites; they rode up to the
rampart day after day and allowed the Romans no rest. At last they almost
got within the gates of the camp, when Q. Aulius, the Master of the Horse,
without consulting the Dictator, charged them furiously from the camp with
the whole of his cavalry and drove them off. Though this was only a
desultory conflict, Fortune influenced it so largely that she inflicted a signal
loss on both sides and brought about the deaths of both commanders. First,
the Samnite general, indignant at being repulsed and put to flight from the
ground over which he had ridden with such confidence, induced his cavalry
by entreaties and encouragement to renew the combat. Whilst he was
conspicuous amongst them as he urged on the fighting, the Master of the
Horse levelled his lance and spurred his horse against him with such force
that with one thrust he hurled him from his saddle dead. His men were not,
as often happens, dismayed at their leader's fall. All who were round him
flung their missiles on Aulius, who had incautiously ridden on amongst them,
but they allowed the dead general's brother to have the special glory of
avenging his death. In a frenzy of grief and rage he dragged the Master of
the Horse out of his saddle and slew him. The Samnites, amongst whom he
had fallen, would have secured the body had not the Romans suddenly
leaped from their horses, on which the Samnites were obliged to do the
same. A fierce infantry fight raged round the bodies of the two generals in
which the Roman was decidedly superior; the body of Aulius was rescued,
and amidst mingled demonstrations of grief and joy the victors carried it into
camp. After losing their leader and seeing the unfavourable result of the trial
of strength in the cavalry action, the Samnites considered it useless to make
any further efforts on behalf of Saticula and resumed the siege of Plistica. A
few days later Saticula surrendered to the Romans and Plistica was carried
by assault by the Samnites.