History of Rome

​Only then at last were the enemy aroused, as both the rain was subsiding and dawn was approaching.

​There was a garrison of Hannibal in the city, of about five thousand armed men, and the Arpini themselves had armed three thousand men. The Carthaginians, lest there should be any treachery from behind, opposed them first to the enemy.

​At first there was fighting in the darkness and narrow streets. Since the Romans had occupied not only the streets but also the roofs nearest to the gate, so that they could not be attacked from above and wounded, ​certain individuals among both the Arpini and the Romans recognized each other, and therefrom conversations began to take place, with the Romans asking ​what the Arpini wanted for themselves, for what offense on the part of the Romans, or for what merit on the part of the Carthaginians, they, as Italians, were waging war on behalf of foreigners and barbarians against their ancient allies, the Romans, and making Italy a tributary and taxpayer to Africa;

​while the Arpini pleaded that, ignorant of everything, they had been sold to the Carthaginian by their leading men, and had been captured and oppressed by a few.

​Once a beginning was made, more people began to converse with more; at last the Arpinian praetor was conducted by his own men to the consul, and after a pledge was given, between the standards and the lines of battle the Arpini suddenly turned their arms for the Romans against the Carthaginian.

​The Spaniards also, a little less than a thousand men, having bargained nothing further with the consul than that the Carthaginian garrison should be sent away without harm, transferred their standards to the consul.

​The gates were opened for the Carthaginians, and having been sent away safely on parole, they arrived unharmed at Salapia to Hannibal.

​Thus Arpi, without the loss of anyone except one old traitor and new deserter, was restored to the Romans.

​Double rations were ordered to be given to the Spaniards; and the republic very often made use of their brave and faithful service.

​While one consul was in Apulia and the other among the Lucanians, one hundred and twelve noble Campanian horsemen, having set out from Capua by permission of their magistrates under the pretense of plundering the enemy’s territory, came to the Roman camp which was above Suessula, and told the guard of soldiers who they were:

​that they wished to converse with the praetor. Gnaeus Fulvius was in command of the camp; when this was reported to him, having ordered ten of that number to be brought to him unarmed, and having heard what they requested—moreover they asked for nothing else than that, when Capua was recovered, their property should be restored to them—they were all received into protection.

​And by the other praetor, Sempronius Tuditanus, the town of Atrinum was taken by storm. More than seven thousand men were captured, and a certain amount of coined bronze and silver.

​At Rome a terrible fire lasted for two nights and one day; everything between the Salinae and the Carmental gate was leveled to the ground, along with the Aequimaelium and the Jugarian street, and from there the temples of Fortuna and of Mother Matuta.

​And the fire, having spread widely outside the gate, consumed many sacred and profane things.