Rome and Italy by Titus Livy

Author:Titus Livy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group USA, Inc.
Published: 2010-10-21T16:00:00+00:00

BOOK IX

1. This year was followed by the Caudine Peace, the notorious outcome of a Roman catastrophe. The consuls were Titus Veturius Calvinus and Spurius Postumius.1 The Samnites had as general that year Gaius Pontius, whose father Herennius was outstanding for his wise foresight, while the son was unrivalled in military ability and leadership. When the envoys who had been sent to Rome to make restitution returned without having been granted peace, Pontius spoke to the Samnites as follows: ‘You should not think that this mission has achieved nothing. Any anger we incurred from the gods by breaking a treaty2 has been expiated. I am certain that whatever gods wished us to be forced to make restitution of what was demanded of us under the terms of the treaty, it was not their wish that our attempts at reparation should have been so contemptuously rejected by the Romans. For what more could have been done to placate gods and appease men than what we did? The enemy’s property which we captured as booty, and believed to be ours by right of war, we returned; those responsible for the war, as we could not hand them over alive, we surrendered after they had met their end, and their possessions we carried to Rome, lest any guilt should linger amongst us from contact with them. What more do I owe you, Romans, what more do I owe the treaty or the gods who witnessed it? Whom can I offer you to judge between your anger and the punishment I deserve? I reject no one, neither people nor individual. But if no common justice is left to the weak when dealing with the powerful, I can still turn to the gods who exact vengeance for intolerable pride, and beg them to direct their wrath against those who are satisfied neither by the restoration of their own property nor by its increase from what belongs to other men; whose savage fury will not be sated by the death of the guilty, and surrender of their lifeless bodies, nor by the owners’ property following on that surrender, unless we give them our blood to drink and our vitals to tear. War is just, Samnites, when it is necessary, and arms are righteous for those whose only hope remains in arms. Since, then, it is of the greatest importance in men’s affairs whether what they do has the favour or the disfavour of the gods, rest assured that you fought your previous wars against gods rather than men, but you will fight this one now threatening you with the gods themselves for your leaders.’

2. With these prophetic words, no less true than they were encouraging, he led out his army and set up camp near Caudium with the greatest possible secrecy. From there he sent ten soldiers disguised as shepherds in the direction of Calatia, where he kept hearing that the Roman consuls were already encamped, with orders to scatter and graze their flocks not far from the Roman outposts.

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