The Battle of Caudine Forks, 321 BC, was a decisive battle of the Samnite Wars. The Samnite Wars were three wars between the early Roman Republic and the tribes of Samnium. ... Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC - 320s BC - 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 326 BC 325 BC 324 BC 323 BC 322 BC - 321 BC - 320 BC 319 BC 318... The Battle of Caudine Forks, 321 BCE, was a decisive battle of the Samnite Wars. ... Casus belli is a Latin expression from the international law theory of Jus ad bellum. ... See also Roman Republic (18th century) and Roman Republic (19th century). ... Samnite warriors Samnium (Oscan Safinim) was a region of the southern Apennines in Italy that was home to the Samnites, a group of Sabellic tribes that controlled the area from about 600 BC to about 290 BC. Samnium was delimited by Latium in the north, by Lucania in the south... The Samnite Wars were three wars between the early Roman Republic and the tribes of Samnium. ... The Battle of Mount Gaurus was a battle between the ancient Romans and the Samnites in 342 BC. The battle was a success for the Romans, who were led by Marcus Valerius Corvus. ... The Battle of Lautulae was fought in 316 BC between the Romans and the Samnites. ... The Battle of Ciuna was fought in 315 BC between Rome and Samnium. ... The Battle of Bovianum was fought in 305 BC between the Romans and the Samnites. ... The Battle of Camerinum in 298 BC was the first battle of the Third Samnite War. ... The Battle of Sentinum was the final battle of the Third Samnite War, fought in 295 BC near Sentinum (next to Sassoferrato, Marche), in which the Romans were able to overcome a formidable coalition of Samnites, Etruscans, Umbrians, and their Gallic allies. ... The Battle of Aquilonia was fought in 293 BC between Rome and Samnium. ... Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC - 320s BC - 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 326 BC 325 BC 324 BC 323 BC 322 BC - 321 BC - 320 BC 319 BC 318... The Battle of Waterloo by William Sadler. ... The Samnite Wars were three wars between the early Roman Republic and the tribes of Samnium. ...

The Trap

The Samnite commander, Gaius Pontius, hearing that the Roman army was located near Calatia, sent soldiers disguised as shepherds with orders to give the same story which was that the Samnites were besieging Lucera in Apulia. The Roman commanders, completely taken in by this ruse, decided to set off to give aid to Luceria. Worse, they chose the quicker route though the Caudine Forks. The area round the Caudine Forks was surrounded by mountains and could be entered only by two defiles. The Romans entered by one but when they reached the second defile, they found it barricaded. They returned at once to the first defile only to find it now securely held by the Samnites. At this point the Romans, according to Livy, fell into total despair knowing the situation was quite hopeless. Calatia, an ancient town of Campania, Italy, 6 m. ... Lucera is a town in the Puglia region of Italy. ... Apulia (official Italian name: Puglia) is a region in southeastern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Otranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. ... Bust of Livy Titus Livius (around 59 BC - 17 AD), known as Livy in English, wrote a monumental history of Rome, Ab urbe condita, from its founding (traditionally dated to 753 BC). ...

The Samnites' dilemma

According to Livy, the Samnites had no idea what to do to take advantage of their success. Hence Pontius was persuaded to send a letter to his father, Herennius. The reply came back that the Romans should be sent on their way, unharmed, as quickly as possible. This advice was rejected and a further letter was sent to Herennius. This time the advice was to kill the Romans down to the last man.

Not knowing what to make of such contradictory advice the Samnites then asked Herennius to come in person to explain. When Herennius arrived he explained that were they to set the Romans free without harm, they would gain the Roman's friendship. If they killed the entire Roman army then Rome would be so weakened that they would not pose a threat for many generations. At this his son asked was there not a middle way. Herennius insisted that any middle way would be utter folly and leave the Romans smarting for revenge without weakening them.

The Aftermath

According to Livy, Pontius was unwilling to take the advice of his father and insisted that the Romans surrender and pass under a yoke. This was agreed to by the two commanding consuls, as the army was facing starvation. Livy describes in detail the humiliation of the Romans, which serves to underline the wisdom of Herennius's advice. However it is now accepted that, far from the Senate rejecting the agreement made by the consuls (as stated by Livy), Rome kept to the terms for several years until 316 BC. Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC 320s BC 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 321 BC 320 BC 319 BC 318 BC 317 BC 316 BC 315 BC 314 BC 313...

However, Livy's account remains, even if only as a parable, a powerful illustration that the middle course is not always the best. For example Erich Eyck in "A History of the Weimar Republic" uses this example to emphasize the folly of the Entente powers: having defeated Germany in the First World War they humiliated her and thus opened the way to the rise to power of Hitler but without significantly weakening her, so that Germany under Hitler was a threat. Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945, standard German pronunciation in the IPA) was the Führer (leader) of the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party) and of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. ...

External links

• Livy's Book 9 which includes his account of the battle.

References

• Livy