Gaius Pontius, sometimes called as Gavius Pontius or simply Pontius, was a Samnite commander during the Second Samnite War. He is most well known for his victory over the Roman legions at the Battle of the Caudine Forks in 321 B.C.E. He was eventually captured and executed by Fabius Maximus Rullianus. 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. ... See also Legion software and Legion forummer. ... Combatants Roman Republic Samnium Commanders Titus Veturius Calvinus Spurius Postumius Albinus Gaius Pontius Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Insignificant Insignificant {{{notes}}} The Battle of Caudine Forks, 321 BC, was a decisive battle of the Samnite Wars. ... Events Publication of the first blue law by Constantine I of the Roman Empire: trade is forbidden on Sundays; agriculture is allowed The Roman Catholic church is allowed to hold property Births Deaths Categories: 321 ... BCE is a TLA that may stand for: European Central Bank in some Romance languages (e. ... Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus (or Rullus), son of Marcus, of the patrician Fabii of ancient Rome, was five times consul and a hero of the Samnite Wars. ...

Early Command

Gaius Pontius was a Meddix, a Samnite position similar to a Roman Consul or Magistratus at the beginning of the Second Samnite War. He controlled a force of nearly 9,000, including nearly 1000 cavalrymen. With this force, he won a series of early victories, which included taking the towns of Canusium and Gnaitha, and defeating the army under the command of Cornelius Lentulus. The Samnites failed to take advantage of these victories, however, and the Romans continued to press into Samnite territory. Consul (abbrev. ... Magistratus ordinarii (ordinary magistrates) and Magistratus extraordinarii (extraordinary magistrates) were two categories of officials who held political, military, and, in some cases, religious power in the Roman Republic. ... French Republican Guard - May 8, 2005 celebrations Cavalry (from French cavalerie) were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat. ... View of Canosa Canosa is a town in Apulia, population 30,374, in southern Italy, between Bari and Foggia, located in the Province of Bari. ...

Battle of the Caudine Forks

In 321 B.C.E., the Romans were moving into Samnium, and Pontiusk, who was encamped at Caudium, discovered that the army led by the Roman Consuls was near the town of Calatia. He devised a plan to trap the Roman army, and quickly sent ten shepherds to the Roman encampment. They told the Romans that the Samnite army was laying siege to the town of Luceria, in the region of Apulia. Combatants Roman Republic Samnium Commanders Titus Veturius Calvinus Spurius Postumius Albinus Gaius Pontius Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Insignificant Insignificant {{{notes}}} The Battle of Caudine Forks, 321 BC, was a decisive battle of the Samnite Wars. ... Montesarchio (Latin: Caudium; Greek: ) is a commune in the Province of Benevento, Campania, Italy. ... Calatia, an ancient town of Campania, Italy, 6 m. ... The Roman army is the set of land-based military forces employed by the Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic and later Roman Empire as part of the Roman military. ... Country Italy Region Puglia Province Foggia (FO) Mayor Elevation 250 m Area 338 km² Population  - Total (as of 2005) 34,911  - Density 103/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Coordinates Gentilic Lucerini Dialing code 0881 Postal code 71036 Frazioni Regente, San Giusto Patron Santa Maria  - Day August 15 Location of... This article is about the Italian region. ...

The Romans fell for his trap, and founded themselves cornered by the Samnite army in a narrow pass. They were forced to surrender to Pontius.

Aftermath

As recorded by Livy, Pontius was confused as to what should become of the Roman army which had surrendered to him. He sent a letter to his father, the Samnite statesman Herennius Pontius, and the reply was that he should free them all, and therefore make Rome an ally. Pontius did not like this idea, and sent another letter to his father, saying so. Herennius, in a seemingly hypocritical manner, told his son to execute the entire army, saying that it would destroy the threat of Rome for a long time. Pontius knew that the number of Romans were simply too large to have them all executed, so he sent for his father in person, and asked him if there was a middle road. Herennius advised his son not to take that road, as it would not only humiliate the Romans, but leave them with the means to carry out revenge.

Pontius ended up ignoring his father's advice and forcing the Romans to walk under a yoke composed of Roman spears. This was supreme humiliation, as it was seen as cowardly for a Roman soldier to lose his spear, and the army went back to Rome smarting but intact. A spear is an ancient weapon, used for hunting and war. ...

Rome's revenge was swift, and ended up with the Samnites being soundly defeated, and Pontius being executed years after the battle.

Legacy

During the Second Samnite War, the Romans adopted the manipular system of military organization, which the Pontius and the Samnites used throughout the conflict. Maniple (Latin: manipulus) was a tactical unit of the Roman Legion, consisting of two centuriae within a single cohort. ...

Also, Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of the province of Judea and overseer at the trial of Jesus Christ, is commonly believed to be descended from Gaius Pontius. Ecce Homo (Behold the Man!), Antonio Ciseris depiction of Pontius Pilate presenting a scourged Jesus to the people of Jerusalem. ... For other uses, see Governor (disambiguation). ... Map of the southern Levant, c. ... Look up trial in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

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