Titus Livius (Livy), Ab urbe condita, Rev. Canon Roberts (Translator), 10.41

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[1] A savagely fought contest ensued. The two sides were, however, animated by very different feelings. The Romans went into battle eager for the fray, confident of victory, exasperated against the enemy and thirsting for his blood. The Samnites were, most of them, dragged in against their will by sheer compulsion and the terrors of religion, and they adopted defensive rather than aggressive tactics.

[2] Accustomed as they had been for so many years to defeat, they would not have sustained even the first shout and charge of the Romans had not a still more awful object of fear possessed their minds and stayed them from flight.

[3] They had before their eyes all that paraphernalia of the secret rite —the armed priests, the slaughtered remains of men and beasts scattered about indiscriminately, the altars sprinkled with the blood of the victims and of their murdered countrymen, the awful imprecations, the frightful curses which they had invoked on their family and race —these were the chains which bound them so that they could not flee.

[4] They dreaded their own countrymen more than the enemy. The Romans pressed on from both wings and from the centre and cut down men who were paralysed by fear of gods and men. Only a feeble resistance could be offered by those who were only kept from flight by fear.

[5] The carnage had almost extended to the second line where the standards were stationed when there appeared in the side distance a cloud of dust as though raised by the tread of an immense army. It was Sp. Nautius —some say Octavius Maecius —the commander of the auxiliary cohorts.

[6] They raised a dust out of all proportion to their numbers, for the camp-followers mounted upon the mules were dragging leafy boughs along the ground. At first the arms and standards gradually became visible through the beclouded light, and then a loftier and thicker Cloud of dust gave the appearance of cavalry closing the column.

[7] Not only the Samnites but even the Romans were deceived, and the consul endorsed the mistake by shouting to his front rank so that the enemy could hear: “Cominium has fallen, my victorious colleague is coming on the field, do your best to win the victory before the glory of doing so falls to the other army!”

[8] He rode along while saying this, and commanded the tribunes and centurions to open their ranks to allow passage for the cavalry. He had previously told Trebonius and Caedicius that when they saw him brandish his spear aloft they should launch the cavalry against the enemy with all the force they could.

[9] His orders were carried out to the letter; the legionaries opened their ranks, the cavalry galloped through the open spaces, and with levelled spears charged the enemy's centre. Wherever they attacked they broke the ranks. Volumnius and Scipio followed up the cavalry charge and completed the discomfiture of the Samnites At last the dread of gods and men had yielded to a greater terror, the “linen cohorts” were routed;

[10] those who had taken the oath and those who had not alike fled; the only thing they feared now was the enemy.

[11] The bulk of the infantry who survived the actual battle were driven either into their camp or to Aquilonia, the nobility and cavalry fled to Bovianum. The cavalry were pursued by cavalry, the infantry by infantry; the wings of the Roman army separated, the right directed its course towards the Samnite camp, the left to the city of Aquilonia. The first success fell to Volumnius, who captured the Samnite camp.

[12] Scipio met with a more sustained resistance at the city, not because the defeated foe showed more courage there, but because stone walls are more difficult to surmount than the rampart of a camp. They drove the defenders from their wails with showers of stones.

[13] Scipio saw that unless his task was completed before the enemy had time to recover from their panic, an attack on a fortified city would be a somewhat slow affair. He asked his men whether they would be content to allow the enemy's camp to be captured by the other army, whilst they themselves after their victory were repulsed from the gates of the city.

[14] There was a universal shout of “No!” On hearing this he held his shield above his head and ran to the gate, the men followed his example, and roofing themselves with their shields burst through into the city.¹ They dislodged the Samnites from the walls on either side of the gate, but as they were only a small body did not venture to penetrate into the interior of the city.

Ab urbe condita. Titus Livius (Livy). Rev. Canon Roberts (Translator). Medford, MA. 1997-10-28.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

History of Rome (English) (Volumes 1-2. Roberts, Canon, Rev, translator. London, New York: J. M. Dent and Sons; E. P. Dutton and Co., 1912.)

Editions (3)

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Pars I-IV, Libri I-XL. Editio Stereotypica. Weissenborn, Wilhelm; Mueller, Moritz, editors. Leipzig: Teubner, 1884-1911.) — 10.41 focus

[1] proelium commissum atrox, ceterum longe disparibus animis: Romanos ira, spes, ardor certaminis avidos hostium sanguinis in proelium rapit; Samnitium magnam partem necessitas ac religio invitos magis. resistere quam inferre pugnam cogit.

[2] nec sustinuissent primum clamorem atque impetum Romanorum, per aliquot iam annos vinci adsueti, ni potentior alius metus insidens pectoribus a fuga retineret.

[3] quippe in oculis erat omnis ille occulti apparatus sacri et armati sacerdotes et promiscua hominum pecudumque sttruos et respersae fando nefandoque sanguine arae et dira execratio ac furiale carmen detestandae familiae stirpique conpositum: iis vinculis fugae obstricti stabant, civem magis quam hostem timentes.

[4] instare Romanus a cornu utroque, a media acie, et caedere deorum hominumque attonitos metu; repugnatur segniter, ut ab iis, quos timor moraretur a fuga.

[5] iam prope ad signa caedes pervenerat, cum ex transverse pulvis velut ingentis agminis incessu motus apparuit; Sp. Nautius — Octavium Maecium quidam eum tradunt — cum auxiliaribus cohortibus erat;

[6] pulverem maiorem quam pro numero excitabant; insidentes mulis calones frondosos ramos per terram trahebant. arma signaque per turbidam lucem in primo apparebant; post altior densiorque pulvis equitum speciem cogentium agmen dabat

[7] fefellitque non Samnites modo sed etiam Romanos; et consul adfirmavit errorem clamitans inter prima signa, ita ut vox etiam ad hostis accideret, captum Cominium, victorem collegam adesse: adniterentur vincere, priusquam gloria alterius exercitus fieret.

[8] haec insidens equo; inde tribunis centurionibusque imperat, ut viam equitibus patefaciant; ipse Trebonio Caedicioque praedixerat, ut, ubi se cuspidem erectam quatientem vidissent, quanta maxima vi possent, concitarent equites in hostem.

[9] ad nutum omnia, ut ex ante praeparato, fiunt: panduntur inter ordines viae, provolat eques alque atque infestis cuspidibus in medium agmen hostium ruit perrumpitque ordines, quacumque impetum dedit. instant Volumnius et Scipio et perculsos sternunt.

[10] tum iam deorum hominumque victa vis: funduntur linteatae cohortes, pariter iurati iniuratique fugiunt nec quemquam praeter hostes metuunt.

[11] peditum agmen, quod superfuit pugnae, in castra aut Aquiloniam conpulsum est; nobilitas equitesque Bovianum perfugerunt. equitem eques sequitur, peditem pedes; diversa cornua dextrum ad castra Samnitium, laevum ad urbem tendit.

[12] prior aliquanto Volumnius castra cepit; ad urbem Scipioni maiore resistitur vi, non quia plus animi victis est, sed melius muri quam vallum armatos arcent:

[13] inde lapidibus propulsant hostem. Scipio, nisi in primo pavore, priusquam colligerentur animi, transacta res esset, lentiorem fore munitae urbis oppugnationem ratus, interrogat milites, satin aequo animo paterentur ab altero cornu castra capta esse, se victores pelli a portis urbis.

[14] reclamantibus universis primus ipse scuto super caput elato pergit ad portam; secuti alii testudine facta in urbem perrumpunt deturbatisque Samnitibus quae circa portam erant muri occupavere; penetrare in interiora urbis, quia pauci admodum erant, non audent.

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Conway, Robert Seymour; Walters, Charles Flamstead; Johnson, Stephen Keymer, editors. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1914-1935. (Oxford Classical Texts)) — 10.41 focus

[1]

proelium commissum atrox, ceterum longe disparibus animis: Romanos ira spes ardor certaminis avidos hostium sanguinis in proelium rapit; Samnitium magnam partem necessitas ac religio invitos magis resistere quam inferre pugnam cogit.

[2] nec sustinuissent primum clamorem atque impetum Romanorum, per aliquot iam annos vinci adsueti, ni potentior alius metus insidens pectoribus a fuga retineret.

[3] quippe in oculis erat omnis ille occulti paratus sacri et armati sacerdotes et promiscua hominum pecudumque strages et respersae fando nefandoque sanguine arae et dira exsecratio ac furiale carmen, detestandae familiae stirpique ¹ compositum; iis vinculis fugae obstricti stabant, civem magis quam hostem timentes.

[4] instare Romanus a cornu utroque, a media acie, et caedere deorum hominumque attonitos metu; repugnatur segniter, ut ab iis ² quos timor moraretur a fuga.

[5] iam prope ad signa caedes pervenerat, cum ex transverse pulvis velut ingentis agminis incessu motus apparuit; Sp. Nautius—Octavium Maecium quidam eum tradunt—cum auxiliaribus ³ cohortibus erat;

[6] pulverem maiorem quam pro numero excitabant; incidentes mulis calones frondosos ramos per terram trahebant. arma signaque per turbidam lucem in primo apparebant; post altior densiorque pulvis equitum speciem cogentium agmen dabat fefellitque non Samnites modo sed etiam Romanos;

[7] et consul adfirmavit errorem clamitans inter prima signa, ita ut vox etiam ad hostis accideret, captum Cominium, victorem collegam adesse: adniterentur vincere, priusquam gloria alterius exercitus fieret. haec insidens equo;

[8] inde tribunis centurionibusque imperat, ut viam equitibus patefaciant; ipse Trebonio Caedicioque praedixerat, ubi se cuspidem erectam quatientem vidissent, quanta maxima vi possent concitarent equites in hostem.

[9] ad nutum omnia, ut ex ante praeparato, fiunt; panduntur inter ordines ⁴ viae; provolat eques atque infestis cuspidibus in medium agmen hostium ruit perrumpitque ordines quacumque impetum dedit. instant Volumnius et Scipio et perculsos sternunt.

[10] tum iam deorum hominumque victa vi, funduntur linteatae cohortes; pariter iurati iniuratique fugiunt nec quemquam praeter hostes metuunt.

[11] peditum⁵ quod superfuit pugnae in castra aut Aquiloniam compulsum est; nobilitas equitesque Bovianum perfugerunt. equites eques sequitur, peditem pedes; diversa cornua dextrum ad castra Samnitium, laevum ad urbem tendit.

[12] prior aliquanto Volumnius castra cepit; ad urbem Scipioni maiore resistitur vi, non quia plus animi victis est sed melius muri quam vallum armatos arcent; inde lapidibus propulsant hostem.

[13] Scipio , nisi in primo pavore priusquam colligerentur animi transacta res esset, lentiorem fore munitae urbis oppugnationem ratus, interrogat milites satin aequo animo paterentur ab altero cornu castra capta esse, se victores pelli a portis urbis.

Ab urbe condita Perseus (Livy in Fourteen Volumes. Foster, Benjamin Oliver; Moore, Frank Gardener; Schlesinger, Alfred C., editors. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd., 1919-1959 (printing).) — 10.41 focus

[1]

[2] nec sustinuissent primum clamorem atque impetum Romanorum, per aliquot iam annos vinci adsueti, ni potentior alius metus insidens pectoribus a fuga retineret.

[4] instare Romanus a cornu utroque, a media acie, et caedere deorum hominumque attonitos metu; repugnatur segniter, ut ab iis ² quos timor moraretur a fuga.

[5] iam prope ad signa caedes pervenerat, cum ex transverse pulvis velut ingentis agminis incessu motus apparuit; Sp. Nautius—Octavium Maecium quidam eum tradunt—cum auxiliaribus ³ cohortibus erat;

[10] tum iam deorum hominumque victa vi, funduntur linteatae cohortes; pariter iurati iniuratique fugiunt nec quemquam praeter hostes metuunt.

[12] prior aliquanto Volumnius castra cepit; ad urbem Scipioni maiore resistitur vi, non quia plus animi victis est sed melius muri quam vallum armatos arcent; inde lapidibus propulsant hostem.

Translations (2)

History of Rome Perseus (Foster, Benjamin Oliver; Moore, Frank Gardener; Sage, Evan T.; Schlesinger, Alfred C., translators. Cambridge, Mass.; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann, Ltd., 1919-1959. (Loeb Classical Library)) — 10.41 focus

[2] The battle was fought fiercely, but with far from equal spirit. The Romans were filled with rage and hope and ardour for the combat, and, thirsting for their enemies' blood, rushed into the engagement. as for the Samnites, in most cases it was necessity and the fear of Heaven that compelled them, however reluctant, rather to resist than to attack.

nor would they have held out against the first battle —cry and onset of the Romans, accustomed, as they had now been for some years, to being beaten, had not another yet more powerful fear benumbed their hearts and prevented them from fleeing.

[3] for their eyes beheld all that array of the secret rite, and the armed priests, and the mingled slaughter of men and beasts, and the altars spattered with the blood of victims —and with that other blood —and they could hear the baleful execrations and that dire oath, framed to invoke perdition on ¹ their families and on their stock.

[4] These were the chains that stayed them from flight, and they feared their countrymen more than they feared their foes. on came the Romans from either wing and from the centre, and cut them down as they stood there dazed by the dread of gods and men.

[5] they resisted, but sluggishly, like men whom cowardice restrained from running.

The carnage had now reached almost to the standards, when a cloud of dust appeared on their flank, as though raised by the oncoming of a mighty host.

[6] it was Spurius Nautius —some say Octavius Maecius —with the auxiliary cohorts; they made more dust than their numbers warranted, for the grooms who rode the mules were dragging leafy branches along the ground. arms and standards were made out in the van through the murky air, and behind them another denser cloud of dust seemed to show that cavalry were closing the rear, and deceived not only the Samnites, but the Romans as well.

[7] this mistake the consul confirmed by calling out in the front ranks, so loud that his voice carried even to the enemy, that Cominium was taken, and that his victorious colleague was at hand; let them therefore strive to conquer before the other army won the glory.

[8] he was on horseback as he shouted these words. he then commanded the tribunes and centurions to open a path for the cavalry, having previously admonished Trebonius and Caedicius that when they saw him holding his lance aloft and shaking it, they should make their horsemen run full tilt against the enemy.

[9] everything fell out according to his wishes, as happens when plans are laid beforehand. lanes² were opened up between the files; the cavalry dashed out, and with levelled spears assailed the midst of the enemy's array, and broke his ranks wherever they charged.

[10] hard after them came Volumnius and Scipio, and made havoc of the disordered Samnites.

then at last, overwhelmed by gods and men, the Linen Cohorts were put to rout; the sworn and the unsworn fled alike, and knew no fear but fear of the enemy.

[11] such portion of the foot as survived the battle was driven to the camp or to Aquilonium; the nobles and cavalry escaped to Bovianum. horse were pursued by horse, infantry by infantry. The Roman wings advanced on different objectives, the right on the Samnite camp, the left on their city.

[12] Volumnius succeeded somewhat sooner in capturing the camp. from the city Scipio met with a more violent resistance —not that vanquished men are more courageous, but walls avail better to keep out armed enemies than does a rampart; and from thence they drove their assailants off with stones.

[13] Scipio , fearing that it would be a tedious task to reduce a fortified city, unless the affair were concluded during the first panic of his enemies and before they should collect their spirits, asked his soldiers whether they could be content that the other wing should have taken the camp, while they, though victors, were repulsed from the city gates.

[14] when they all together cried out

no !

he himself led the way to the gate, shield over head, and the others, following him, formed a testudo, burst into the city, and hurling down the defenders seized the walls adjoining the gate; they durst not venture into the middle of the city, because their ³ numbers were so small.

History of Rome Perseus (Spillan, D.; Edmonds, Cyrus; McDevitte, William A., translators. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1849-1868. (Bohn's Classical Library)) — 10.41 focus

[1]

A furious conflict now ensued, but with very unequal spirit [in the combatants]. Anger, hope, and ardour for conquest, hurried on the Romans to battle, thirsting for their enemy's blood; while the Samnites, for the most part reluctantly, as if compelled by necessity and religious dread, rather stood on their defence, than made an attack.

[2] Nor would they, familiarized as they were to defeats, through a course of so many years, have withstood the first shout and shock of the Romans, had not another fear, operating still more powerfully in their breasts, restrained them from flying.

[3] For they had before their eyes the whole scene exhibited at the secret sacrifice, the armed priests, the promiscuous carnage of men and cattle, the altars besmeared with the blood of victims and of their murdered countrymen, the dreadful curses, and the dire- ful form of imprecation, drawn up for calling down perdition on their family and race. Prevented by these shackles from running away, they stood, more afraid of their countrymen than of the enemy.

[4] The Romans pushed on both the wings, and in the centre, and made great havoc among them, stupified as they were, through their fears of the gods and of men. A faint resistance is now made, as by men whom fear alone prevented from running away.

[5] The slaughter had now almost reached to their standards, when, on one side, appeared a cloud of dust, as if raised by the marching of a numerous army: it was Spurius Nautius, (some say Octavius Metius,) commander of the auxiliary cohorts: for these raised a greater quantity of dust than was proportioned to the number of men, the servants of the camp, mounted on the mules, trailing boughs of trees, full of leaves, along the ground.

[6] Through the light thus obscured, arms and standards were seen in front; behind, a higher and denser cloud of dust presented the appearance of horsemen bringing up the rear.

[7] This effectually deceived, not only the Samnites, but the Romans themselves: and the consul confirmed the mistake, by calling out among the foremost battalions, so that his voice reached also the enemy, that

Cominium was taken; and that his victorious colleague was approaching;

bidding his men

now make haste to complete the defeat of the enemy, before the glory should fall to the share of the other army.

[8] This he said as he sat on horseback, and then ordered the tribunes and centurions to open passages for the horse. He had given previous directions to Trebonius and Caedicius, that, when they should see him waving the point of his spear aloft, they should incite the cavalry to charge the enemy with all possible violence.

[9] Every particular, as previously concerted, was executed with the utmost exactness. The passages were opened between the ranks, the cavalry darted through, and, with the points of their spears presented, rushed into the midst of the enemy's battalions, breaking down the ranks wherever they charged. Volumnius and Scipio seconded the blow, and taking advantage of the enemy's disorder, made a terrible slaughter.

[10] Thus attacked, the cohorts, called linteatœ, regardless of all restraints from either gods or men, quitted their posts in confusion; the sworn and the unsworn all fled alike, no longer dreading aught but the enemies.

[11] The body of their infantry which survived the battle, were driven into the camp at Aquilonia. The nobility and cavalry directed their flight to Bovianum. The horse were pursued by the Roman horse, the infantry by their infantry, while the wings proceeded by different roads; the right, to the camp of the Samnites; the left, to the city.

[12] Volumnius succeeded first in gaining possession of the camp. At the city, Scipio met a stouter resistance; not because the conquered troops there had gained courage, but because walls were a better defence against armed men than a rampart. From these they repelled the enemy with stones.

[13] Scipio, considering that unless the business were effected during their first panic, and before they could recover their spirits, the attack of so strong a town would be very tedious, asked his soldiers

if they could endure, without shame, that the other wing should already have taken the camp, and that they, after all their success, should be repulsed from the gates of the city?

[14] Then, all of them loudly declaring their determination to the contrary, he himself advanced, the foremost, to the gate, with his shield raised over his head: the rest, following under the like cover of their shields conjoined, burst into the city, and dispersing the Samnites who were near the gate, took possession of the walls, but they ventured not to push forward into the interior of the city in consequence of the smallness of their number.

Notes on the current edition

History of Rome, books 1-10, 21-45

1. This evolution was frequently practised. The shield ( scutum) of the Roman legionary was a ponderous arrangement of stout planks, convex on the outside, about 4 ft. long and 21/2 broad. In forming the shield roof they held their shields horizontally over thier heads, of course on the left arm, and as the shields were broad enough to touch each other, the appearance was that of a roof of gigantic tiles. This was called by the Romans a testudo (tortoise shell) and was frequently used as a protection for storming parties.

Titus Livius (Livy) Ab urbe condita 10.41

Rev. Canon Roberts (Translator)

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