§7.31.1Submotis deinde legatis cum consultus senatus esset, etsi magnae parti urbs maxima opulentissimaque Italiae, uberrimus ager marique propinquus ad varietates annonae horreum populi Romani fore videbatur, tamen tanta utilitate fides antiquior fuit, responditque ita ex auctoritate senatus consul: §7.31.2“auxilio vos, Campani, dignos censet senatus; sed ita vobiscum amicitiam institui par est, ne qua vetustior amicitia ac societas violetur.
Then, when the ambassadors had been dismissed and the senate was consulted, although to a great part of them the greatest and most opulent city of Italy, with its extremely fertile land near the sea, seemed likely to become a granary of the Roman people against fluctuations in the grain supply, yet good faith was more ancient than such great utility, and the consul replied as follows on the authority of the senate: "The senate deems you worthy of aid, Campanians; but it is right that friendship be established with you in such a way that no older friendship and alliance be violated.
Samnites nobiscum foedere iuncti sunt; itaque arma, deos prius quam homines violatura, adversus Samnites vobis negamus; §7.31.3legatos, sicut ius fasque est, ad socios atque amicos precatum mittemus, ne qua vobis vis fiat. ” ad ea princeps legationis — sic enim domo mandatum attulerant —: “quando quidem” inquit “nostra tueri adversus vim atque iniuriam iusta vi non vultis, vestra certe defendetis; §7.31.4itaque populum Campanum urbemque Capuam, agros, delubra deum, divina humanaque omnia in vestram, patres conscripti, populique Romani dicionem dedimus, quidquid deinde patiemur, dediticii vestri passuri. ” §7.31.5sub haec dicta omnes, manus ad consules tendentes, pleni lacrimarum in vestibulo curiae procubuerunt. §7.31.6commoti patres vice fortunarum humanarum, si ille praepotens opibus populus, luxuria superbiaque clarus, a quo paulo ante auxilium finitimi petissent, adeo infractos gereret animos, ut se ipse suaque omnia potestatis alienae faceret. §7.31.7tum iam fides agi visa deditos non prodi; nec facturum aequa Samnitium populum censebant, si agrum urbemque per deditionem factam populi Romani oppugnarent.
The Samnites are joined to us by a treaty; therefore, we refuse you arms against the Samnites, which would violate gods before men. We shall send ambassadors, as is human and divine law, to our allies and friends to request that no violence be done to you." To this, the chief of the embassy—for they had brought such an instruction from home—said: "Since indeed you are unwilling to defend our property with just force against violence and injustice, you will certainly defend your own. Therefore, Conscript Fathers, we surrender the Campanian people and the city of Capua, the fields, the shrines of the gods, and all things divine and human into your power and that of the Roman people, so that whatever we suffer hereafter, we shall suffer as your surrenderers." Upon these words, all of them, stretching out their hands to the consuls, full of tears, prostrated themselves in the vestibule of the senate house. The Fathers were deeply moved by the turn of human fortunes, that a people so prepotent in resources, famous for luxury and pride, from whom neighboring peoples had shortly before sought aid, should bear spirits so broken that they made themselves and all their possessions subject to foreign power. Now indeed it seemed that good faith was at stake, not to betray those who had surrendered; nor did they think the Samnite people would act justly if they attacked the territory and city of the Roman people, acquired through surrender.
legatos itaque extemplo mitti ad Samnites placuit. §7.31.8data mandata, ut preces Campanorum, responsum senatus amicitiae Samnitium memor, deditionem postremo factam Samnitibus exponerent; §7.31.9peterent pro societate amicitiaque, ut dediticiis suis parcerent neque in eum agrum, qui populi Romani factus esset, hostilia arma inferrent; §7.31.10si leniter agendo parum proficerent, denuntiarent Samnitibus populi Romani senatusque verbis, ut Capua urbe Campanoque agro abstinerent. §7.31.11haec legatis agentibus in concilio Samnitium adeo est ferociter responsum, ut non solum gesturos se esse dicerent id bellum, sed magistratus eorum e curia egressi stantibus legatis praefectos cohortium vocarent iisque clara voce imperarent, §7.31.12ut praedatum in agrum Campanum extemplo proficiscerentur.
Therefore, it was decided that ambassadors be sent immediately to the Samnites. Instructions were given that they should set forth to the Samnites the entreaties of the Campanians, the response of the senate mindful of the friendship with the Samnites, and finally, the surrender that had been made; they were to ask, in the name of alliance and friendship, that they spare their surrenderers and not bring hostile arms into the territory which had become the property of the Roman people; if they accomplished little by acting gently, they should announce to the Samnites in the name of the Roman people and the senate that they must abstain from the city of Capua and the Campanian territory. While the ambassadors were presenting these matters in the council of the Samnites, the response was so fierce that they not only declared they would wage that war, but their magistrates, having gone out of the senate house while the ambassadors were standing there, called the commanders of the cohorts and ordered them in a loud voice to set out immediately to plunder the Campanian territory.