History of Rome

​During this time, while both sides were preparing themselves for battle, the Tarentine ambassadors intervened, warning the Samnites and the Romans to cease from war: declaring that, on whichever side it should stand through whom they were prevented from departing from arms, they would fight against them on behalf of the other.

​Having heard this embassy, Papirius, just as if moved by their words, replied that he would communicate with his colleague; and having summoned him, when he had spent all the time in preparation for the battle, after conferring on a matter about which there was no doubt, he displayed the signal for battle.

​While the consuls were performing the divine and human duties that are customary when there is to be a conflict in line of battle, the Tarentine ambassadors ran to meet them, expecting an answer;

​to whom Papirius said: “The pullarius announces, Tarentines, that the auspices are favorable; moreover, the sacrifice has been excellently accepted; with the gods as our guides, as you see, we are setting forth to action.”

​He then ordered the standards to be advanced and led out the forces, rebuking the most vain nation which, powerless over its own affairs because of domestic seditions and discords, thought it right to impose the limit of peace and war on others.

​The Samnites on the other side, since they had relaxed all care for war, either because they truly desired peace or because it was expedient to pretend so in order to win over the Tarentines, when they suddenly beheld the Romans drawn up for battle, cried out that they remained under the authority of the Tarentines ​and would neither descend into the field nor carry arms outside the rampart; they would rather, as deceived men, suffer whatever chance might bring, than appear to have despised the Tarentines, the authors of peace. The consuls said they accepted the omen ​and prayed for such a mind for the enemy that they would not even defend the rampart.

​They themselves, having divided the forces among themselves, approached the enemy’s fortifications, and attacking simultaneously from all sides, while some filled the ditches, others tore down the rampart and rushed into the ditches, and not only their innate courage but also their wrath, stimulating minds ulcerated by disgrace, spurred them on, they invaded the camp, and each for himself, ​recalling that these were not the Forks, nor Caudium, nor the trackless passes, where treachery had arrogantly triumphed over error, but Roman courage, which neither rampart nor ditches could keep back, they slew alike those resisting and those routed, ​unarmed and armed, slaves and free men, adults and youths, humans and beasts of burden;

​nor would any living thing have survived, if the consuls had not given the signal for retreat and, by command and threats, driven the soldiers, eager for slaughter, out of the enemy’s camp.

​Therefore, an address was immediately delivered before the men who were incensed because the sweetness of their wrath had been interrupted, in order to show the soldiers that the consuls had by no means yielded, nor would yield, to any of the soldiers in hatred toward the enemy;

​indeed, that the leaders would have been authors of insatiable punishment just as of war, had not regard for the six hundred knights, who were held as hostages at Luceria, restrained their minds, ​lest, with hope of pardon lost, it might drive the enemy blindly to punish them, desiring to destroy before they perished.

​The soldiers praised these words and rejoiced that a limit had been put to their wrath, and confessed that all things ought to be endured rather than that the safety of so many leaders of the Roman youth should be betrayed.