History of Rome

​All crossed over and followed Decius, who was proceeding through the places left unguarded by the sentries.

​They had already escaped the middle of the camp, when a soldier, climbing over the bodies of the sentries stretched in sleep, struck his shield and made a noise; aroused by this, a sentry shook his neighbor, and those who stood up aroused others, ignorant of whether they were citizens or enemies, whether the garrison was breaking out or the consul had captured the camp. ​Decius, since they were no longer deceiving the enemy, ordered his soldiers to raise a shout, and paralyzed with fear those already numb with sleep, so that, hindered by this, they could neither take up arms quickly, nor resist, nor pursue.

​Amidst the panic and confusion of the Samnites, the Roman garrison, having slain the sentries they encountered, made their way to the consul’s camp.

​A good deal of the night still remained, and they already seemed to be in safety, when Decius said: “May you be blessed in your valor, Roman soldiers;

​all ages will carry your march and return with praises; but to behold such great valor, light and day are needed, nor are you worthy that silence and night should cover your return to the camp with such great glory.

​Here we shall await the light in quiet.” His words were obeyed; and as soon as it dawned, a messenger having been sent ahead to the consul, the camp was aroused with immense joy, and when the watchword was given that those who had exposed their bodies to certain danger for the safety of all were returning safe, everyone rushed out to meet them, praising, congratulating, calling them individually and collectively their saviors, giving praise and thanks to the gods, and extolling Decius to the heavens.

​This was Decius’s camp-triumph, as he marched through the middle of the camp with his armed garrison, with the eyes of all cast upon him, and everyone equaling the tribune to the consul in every honor.

​When they came to the headquarters, the consul summoned the assembly by trumpet, and having begun the well-deserved praises of Decius, he postponed the assembly at the interruption of Decius himself, ​who, urging that all things should be postponed while the opportunity was in their hands, persuaded the consul to attack the enemy, who were both terrified by the night-panic and scattered in small groups around the hill; he also said he believed that some who had been sent to pursue them were wandering through the pass.

​The legions were ordered to take up arms, and having marched out of the camp, since the pass was now better known through the scouts, they were led to the enemy by a more open path. ​Attacking the off-guard enemy by surprise, while most of the Samnite soldiers, scattered here and there, were unarmed and could neither assemble, nor take up arms, nor retreat within the rampart, they first drove the terrified enemy into their camp, and then captured the camp itself, throwing the guards into confusion. The shout was carried around the hill, putting everyone to flight from their posts.

​Thus a large part yielded to an absent enemy; those whom panic had driven within the rampart—there were about thirty thousand of them—were all slain, and the camp was plundered.