Ab urbe condita

The bulk of the infantry who survived the actual battle were driven either into their camp or to Aquilonia, the nobility and cavalry fled to Bovianum. The cavalry were pursued by cavalry, the infantry by infantry; the wings of the Roman army separated, the right directed its course towards the Samnite camp, the left to the city of Aquilonia. The first success fell to Volumnius, who captured the Samnite camp.

Scipio met with a more sustained resistance at the city, not because the defeated foe showed more courage there, but because stone walls are more difficult to surmount than the rampart of a camp. They drove the defenders from their wails with showers of stones.

Scipio saw that unless his task was completed before the enemy had time to recover from their panic, an attack on a fortified city would be a somewhat slow affair. He asked his men whether they would be content to allow the enemy's camp to be captured by the other army, whilst they themselves after their victory were repulsed from the gates of the city.

There was a universal shout of “No!” On hearing this he held his shield above his head and ran to the gate, the men followed his example, and roofing themselves with their shields burst through into the city.[*](This evolution was frequently practised. The shield (scutum) of the Roman legionary was a ponderous arrangement of stout planks, convex on the outside, about 4 ft. long and 21/2 broad. In forming the shield roof they held their shields horizontally over thier heads, of course on the left arm, and as the shields were broad enough to touch each other, the appearance was that of a roof of gigantic tiles. This was called by the Romans a testudo (tortoise shell) and was frequently used as a protection for storming parties.) They dislodged the Samnites from the walls on either side of the gate, but as they were only a small body did not venture to penetrate into the interior of the city.