History of Rome

​Immediately after, there was a war among the Samnites with equal danger and outcome of glory, who, besides other preparations for war, managed so that their battle line should shine with new ornaments of weapons.

​There were two armies; they had engraved the shields of the one with gold, and of the other with silver; the shape of the shield was: wider at the top, where the chest and shoulders are protected, with a flat upper edge; more wedge-shaped towards the bottom for the sake of mobility. A sponge was the covering for the chest, ​and the left leg was covered with a greave; the helmets were crested, so as to add an appearance of majesty to the size of their bodies. The tunics for the gilded soldiers were multicolored, for the silvered ones of white linen. To the latter the right wing was given; the former stood on the left.

​This preparation of splendid weapons had already been known to the Romans, and they had been taught by their leaders that a soldier ought to be dreadful, not engraved with gold and silver, but relying on iron and courage;

​for indeed those things were rather spoil than weapons, shining before action, but deformed amidst blood and wounds;

​valor was the ornament of a soldier, and all those things followed victory, and a rich enemy was the reward of the victor, however poor.

​Cursor, with his soldiers incited by these words, led them into battle. He himself stood on the right wing, and placed the master of the horse in command of the left. As soon as they clashed, ​there was a huge struggle with the enemy, and no less active a rivalry between the dictator and the master of the horse, from which side the victory should begin.

​By chance Junius first moved the enemy, the left wing shaking the right wing of the enemy, who were soldiers consecrated after the manner of the Samnites, and for that reason distinguished by their white dress and weapons of equal whiteness. Junius, repeatedly saying that he was sacrificing them to Orcus, when he had advanced his standards, threw their ranks into confusion and without doubt pushed back their line.

​When the dictator perceived this, he said, “Shall the victory begin from the left wing, and shall the right wing, the dictator’s own line, follow another’s fight, and not drag the greatest share of the victory?”

​He excited the soldiers; nor did the cavalry yield to the valor of the infantry, or the zeal of the lieutenants to that of the leaders.

​M. Valerius from the right, P. Decius from the left wing, both of consular rank, rode up to the cavalry stationed on the wings, and having exhorted them to take a share of the glory with them, rushed into the flanks of the enemy.

​When this new terror had surrounded the battle line on both sides, and the Roman legions, with redoubled shouting, had advanced their steps to terrify the enemy, then the flight of the Samnites began.

​Now the plains were filled with the slaughter of men and splendid weapons. And at first their own camp received the terrified Samnites, but then not even that was retained; it was captured and plundered, and fire was set to it before night.

​The dictator triumphed by decree of the senate, in whose triumph the captured weapons presented by far the greatest spectacle.

​So much magnificence was seen in them, that the gilded shields were distributed to the owners of the silver-shops to decorate the forum. Thence is said to have arisen the custom of decorating the forum by the aediles, when the tensae were led.

​And indeed the Romans used the splendid weapons of their enemies for the honor of the gods; but the Campanians, out of arrogance and hatred of the Samnites, armed their gladiators—which exhibition was served during feasts—with that equipment, and called them by the name of Samnites.

​In the same year, the consul Fabius fought with the remnants of the Etruscans near Perusia, which itself had also broken the faith of the truce, with a victory neither doubtful nor difficult.

​He would have taken the town itself—for as victor he had approached the walls—had not envoys come out surrendering the city.

​Having placed a garrison in Perusia, and having sent the embassies of Etruria seeking friendship ahead of him to Rome to the senate, the consul entered the city triumphing with a victory even more outstanding than that of the dictator;

​nay indeed, the glory of the vanquished Samnites was in great part turned to the lieutenants, P. Decius and M. Valerius; whom the people at the next elections declared, with immense consensus, the one consul, the other praetor.