Ab urbe condita

When these nations which lie between us are subjugated —and your courage and fortune are a guarantee that this will soon come about — you will have an unbroken dominion up to our frontier.

Painful and humiliating is the confession which our fortunes compel us to make; but it has come to this, senators, we Campanians must be numbered either amongst your friends or your enemies. If you defend us we are yours, if you abandon us we shall belong to the Samnites.

Make up your minds, then, whether you would prefer that Capua and the whole of Campania should form an addition to your strength or

should augment the power of the Samnites It is only right, Romans, that your sympathy and help should be extended to all, but especially should it be so to those who, when others appealed to them, tried to help them beyond their strength and so have brought themselves into these dire straits.

Although it was ostensibly on behalf of the Sidicines that we fought, we really fought for our own liberty, for we saw our neighbours falling victims to the nefarious brigandage of the Samnites, and we knew that when the Sidicines had been consumed the fire would sweep on to us.

The Samnites are not coming to attack us because we have in any way wronged them, but because they have gladly seized upon a pretext for war.

Why, if they only sought retribution and were not catching at an opportunity for satisfying their greed, ought it not to be enough for them that our legions have fallen on Sidicine territory and a second time in Campania itself?