Ab urbe condita

M. Foslius Flaccina and L. Plautius Venox were the next consuls. In this year several communities amongst the Samnites made overtures for a fresh treaty. These deputations, when admitted to an audience, prostrated themselves on the ground, and their humble attitude influenced the senate in their favour.

Their prayers, however, were by no means so efficacious with the Assembly, to which they had been referred by the senate.

Their request for a treaty was refused, but after they had spent several days in appealing to individual citizens, they succeeded in obtaining a two years' truce.

In Apulia, too, the people of Teanum and Canusium, tired of the constant ravages which they had suffered, gave hostages and surrendered to the consul, L. Plautius.

It was in this year also that prefects were first appointed for Capua and a code of laws given to that city by the praetor, L. Furius.

Both these boons were granted in response to a request from the Campanians themselves as a remedy for the deplorable state of things brought about by civic discord.

Two new tribes were formed, the Ufentine and the Falernian. As the power of Apulia was declining, the people of Teate[*](this form of the nameLivy probably found in the annalist whom he was consulting at the time. It is, however, in all probability the Teanum mentioned above which is found inscribed on coins as Teate.) came to the new consuls, C. Junius Bubulcus and Q. Aemilius Barbula, to negotiate for a treaty.

They gave a formal undertaking that throughout Apulia peace would be maintained towards Rome, and the confident assurances they gave led to a treaty being granted, not, however, as between two independent states; they were to acknowledge the suzerainty of Rome.

After the subjugation of Apulia —for Forentum, also a place of considerable strength, had been captured by Junius —an advance was made into Lucania, and the consul, Aemilius, surprised and captured the city of Nerulum.

The order introduced into Capua by the adoption of Roman institutions had become generally known amongst the states in alliance with Rome, and the Antiates asked for the same privilege, as they were without a fixed code of laws or any regular magistrates of their own. The patrons of the colony[*](Probably Romans of high standing, who were chosen by individual cities or by cantons to act as their agents-general in the City. Or possibly the term denotes the three comissioners (triumviri) who had supervised the settlement of the colony.) were commissioned by the senate to draw out a system of jurisprudence. Not only the arms of Rome but her laws were spreading far and wide.

At the termination of their year of office the consuls did not hand the legions over to their successors, Sp. Nautius and M. Popilius, but to the Dictator, L. Aemilius.

In conjunction with M. Fulvius, the Master of the Horse, he commenced an attack on Saticula, and the Samnites at once seized this opportunity to renew hostilities.

The Romans were threatened by a double danger; the Samnites, after getting a large army together, had entrenched themselves not far from the Roman camp in order to relieve their blockaded allies, whilst the Saticulans suddenly flung their gates open and made a tumultuous attack on the Roman outposts.

The two bodies of combatants, each relying more on the help of the other than on its own strength, united in a regular attack on the Roman camp. Though both sides of the camp were attacked, the Dictator kept his men free from panic, owing to his having selected a position which could not easily be turned, and also because his men presented two fronts.

He directed his efforts mainly against those who had made the sortie, and drove them back, without much trouble, behind their walls. Then he turned his whole strength against the Samnites.

Here the fighting was more sustained and the victory was longer in coming, but when it did come it was decisive. The Samnites were driven in disorder to their camp, and after extinguishing all the camp fires they departed silently in the night, having abandoned all hope of saving Saticula. By way of retaliation they invested Plistica, a city in alliance with Rome.

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.