tat 



SAMNIUM. 



SAMOS. 



410 



totally defeated, when the Samuite cavalry, seeing the baggage of the 

 Romans moving away in the rear without protection, rushed forward 

 in disorder for the sake of plunder. The dictator, who expected this, 

 allowed them to begin plundering, and then ordered his own cavalry, 

 which he had kept in reserve, to fall upon the enemy's horse, which 

 ware eat to pieced. The Koman caralry then returning, attacked the 

 Sainnite infantry in the rear, while the Koman legiona pressed them 

 in front with renewed ardour. At lat the SamniU-s gave way, and 

 the defeat was complete. (Ldvy, viii. 23, 39.) 



In the following year, B.C. 321, the Samuite* having made great 

 preparations for war, gave the command of their forces to Caius 

 Pontius, son of Herennius, an experienced officer, who had already 

 served against the Romans. He placed his troops in ambucad in a 

 defile between Mount Tabornus and an offset of the Tifata ridge, 

 through which flows the small river Isclerus, an affluent of the Vul- 

 turous. This was the direct road for the Roman army, which was 

 posted at Calatia, north of the Vulturous, to proceed by to Haluen- 

 tuin. [BsJfBVMTU.] Pontius sent emissaries disguisxd as shepherds 

 towards the Roman outposts, who, being seised and questioned, said 

 that the Samnite forces were then engaged in besieging Luceria, a town 

 of Apulia, which was in alliance with Rome. The consuls, T. Veturius 

 Calvinos and Sp. Poethumius, after some consultation, resolved to 

 march to the assistance of Lnceria by the most direct way, which was 

 across the Vulturous, at the confluence of the Isclerus, and then 

 through the defile towards Jlaluenturn. Advancing through a narrow 

 gorge, they came to a little valley between the mountains, and farther 

 on to another narrow defile, which they found barricaded with truuks 

 of trees and pieces of rock ; and looking up they saw the Samnites 

 posUd on the hills. The Humana thought of retracing their steps, and 

 racrooing the little valley ; but they found the other narrow pass, 

 hatling to the banks of the Vulturous, also barricaded and defended. 

 The consuls then ordered the army to encamp in the plain and to 

 fortify themselves. The Romans, after attempting to break through 

 the surrounding enemy, and, feeling the want of provisions, sent 

 messengers to ask for honourable conditions. Pontius told them 

 that they must consider themselves his prisoners, and as such give 

 up their arms and file off, under a yoke, in presence of the whole 

 Samnite army, after which they would be allowed to return home ; 

 and this, the greatest disgrace that ever befell the armies of Rome, 

 they submitted to. The spot on which this transaction occurred 

 tseasns known by the name of the Funulx Caudina (Caudine Forks), 

 from its being in the neighbourhood of Caudium. The war was con- 

 tinned with varying snnnsss. bat, on the whole, in favour of the 

 Romans, till nc. SOI, when, after the submission of most of their 

 fortified towns and the defeat of the Samnite army by the consul 

 Postumtos stegillas, who lost his colleague Minucius Auguriuus 

 in IVr hattlff, th-t Samnitea sued for peace, which was granted. 



In the year B.C. 8, the Roman senate obtained information from 

 the Lucanians and the Picentes, that the Samnite* had urged them to 

 join in a new war againt Rome, and a new war snsned The Etruscans 

 having joined the Samnites with a large force, in which were auxiliaries 

 from Cisalpine Oanl, the Romans chow for their new consul* Q. Fabius 

 Maxiiuus. notwithstanding his great age, and P. Uecius Mus (B.C. 21*7). 

 After ravaging a Urge tract of country, Fabius met the .Samnite army 

 on the banks of the Tifemus, and for a long time the Romans could 

 make no impression on the enemy's ranks ; but at last Fabius, having 

 sent the hastati of the first legion round a mountain to attack the 

 Samnites in the rear, the latter, thinking that the other consul with 



ecipitate retreat, leaving 3040 killed 

 Decius, who had marched through 



his army had arrived, made a precipitate retreat, leaving 3040 killed 

 on th field and 330 prisoners. 



Campania, also entered 8amniiim, and the two consular armies spread 

 themselves over the country, which they ravaged for five months. At 

 sait those Samnites who were still in arms, being unable any longer to 



" their country, migrated in a body under their leader Uellius 

 into Etruria. For several years afterwards the war with Sain- 



however gave the Roman armies occupation, without any decisive 

 either side. The Samnite host which had migrated into 

 Etruria fought bravely in conjunction with the Etruscans sod Gaols ; 

 and on one nocaeinn, near Santinum, the (Kllo-SauiniU army spread 

 disorder into the Roman ranks, when the consul P. Decius, perceiving the 

 critical moment, devoted himself to the infernal gods, and, rushing into 

 the thickest of the fight, fell covered with wounds. This act restored 

 tnT*"**""* to the Romans, and they finally routed the enemy after a 

 even loss on both sides. In the year u.< . 293, the consul L. Papiriui, 

 son of the former conqueror of the Samnites, marched into Samniuin, 

 and laid siege to Aquilonia, near the Apulian borders, whilst bis 

 colleague Carvilius besieged Cominium. An army of 40,000 Sam- 

 mtee, 18,000 of whom were picked men and bound by solemn oaths 

 to fight to the last, moved to the relief of Aquilonia. Papirius, 

 having attacked them, met with a desperate resistance ; but ultimately 

 the Samnites were rooted, after losing a great number of men. The 

 naisiinlsi of the Samnite infantry took refuge within Aquilonia, 

 whilst the cavalry rode off toward* Boviannm. Both Aquilonia and 

 taken by the Romans and burnt Papiriui next 

 Sepinnm, which he entered after a brave resistance ; and his 

 colleague, Carvilius, took Volaoo, Palumbinum, and Ilerculaneuin. 

 The snow, which fell deep in the mountain*, obliged the Romans to 

 evacuate Samnium. 



la the following year, B.C. 292, one of the new consuls, Fabius 

 G urges, son of Fabiug Maximus, marched against the Samuites, and 

 was defeated by them with a severe loss. The senate proposed to 

 deprive him of hia command: but his veteran father, deprecating this 

 humiliation, offered to serve under his son as his legatus. A uew 

 battle was fought, in which the Samnites were finally routed. Pontius, 

 the conqueror at the Furculie Caudiiue, was taken prisoner. After 

 taking Veuusia, to which the Romans sent a colony, the two Fabii, 

 father and son, returned to Rome, and the senate granted to Fabius 

 Ourges the honour of a triumph, in which Pontius appeared with his 

 hands tied behind his back : after the ceremony he was beheaded. 



In the year B.& 290, the Samuites, worn out by their repeated 

 defeats, sued for peace, which the Romans, likewise exhausted by their 

 dearly-bought victories, felt disposed to grant. The consul M. Curius 

 Dentatus, being charged with the negotiation, concluded a peace, the 

 conditions of which are not known. (Livy, ' Epitome,' XL) In the 

 war of Pyrrhus, the Samuitea joined that prince, after whose second 

 retreat from Italy and subsequent death they found themselves 

 attacked by two Roman armies, under their old antagonists L. Papi- 

 riu< Cursor the younger and S. Carvilius, who utterly defeated them 

 (11.1. . '272\. It was then that Samnium became a conquered country, 

 and the Romans sent colonies to Malucutum and other places. In the 

 war of Hannibal the Hirpiui joined the Carthaginians after the battle 

 of Canne, but the Peutri did not At last, in the Social War, the 

 Samnites having joined the Harsi, Vestini, Peligni, and others in the 

 common league against Rome, remained hut in the livid, and were 

 defeated and slaughtered without mercy by Sulla. The devastation of 

 Samnium by Sulla was most effectual ; the towns were burnt and 

 raxed to the ground; Beneventum alone was spared. During the war 

 of Sulla against the younger Marius, Pontius Telesinus, who had 

 joined the latter at the head of 40,000 Ssmnites and Lucauians. stole 

 a. march upon Sulla, who was besieging Pneneate, and advanced 

 within ten stadia of Rome, which was without any adequate defence. 

 Sulla however came in time to save the city. A desperate buttle 

 ensued : the Samnites defeated the left wing of the Romans, com- 

 manded by Sulla himself; but Crassus, who commanded the right 

 wing, baviug defeated Carina, a Roman officer of the party of Mariur, 

 who was opposed to him, fell upon the flank of the Samnites, who 

 were obliged to retire to Autetunx, where Teleainus was killed. 

 Between 7000 and 8000 Samuitea surrendered to Sulla, who mnrched 

 them to Rome ; and, having shut them up in the Circus Maximus, 

 had them all butchered in cold blood, while he was haranguing the 

 senate in the neighbouring temple of Bellona. The remainder of the 

 Samnites were slaughtered in the same manner at tho taking of 

 Pneneste. 



8AMOOITIA, an extensive tract of tho ancient duchy of Lithuania, 

 was bounded N. by Courland and the Baltic, W. by the Haiti 

 Prussia, and S. and . by I jthuauia Proper. It now forms part of the 

 Russian government of Wilna. The inhabitants have retained the 

 peculiar customs and language of the Lithuanians. 



SAMOS, an island in the Archipelago, situated near tho coast of 

 Asia Minor, between 37* 35' and 37* 48' N. lat, 26* 36' and 27" 8' 

 E. long., at the distance of about a mile from the promontory of 

 Trogilium, or Cape Saute Maria, which lies between the Uulf of Scala 

 Nova and that of Balat Its early history is mixed with fable. The 

 earliest inhabitants according to ancient tradition were Carians and 

 Leleges, with whom some Lesbians and lonisus were incorporated in 

 the 10th century ac. Very soon after tho year H.C. 77<J, tho Sainiana 

 became remarkable for maritime enterprise and commerce. They 

 traded with Egypt under the protection of Psammetichus, who gave 

 them a settlement there : about ac. 630, a Samian merchant, Coloeus, 

 made a successful voyage to Tartessus (Herod, iv., 152). During this 

 period they founded several colonies, Sauiothrace, Anoea, I'eriuthus, 

 Bisanthe, Amorgus, and joined the confederacy on the Asiatic con- 

 tinent, called the Panionium, consisting of twelve cities. 



In the time of Cyrus and Pisistratua, the government of the island 

 was in the bonds of Polycrates, the most remarkable of the tyrants 

 of his day. He extended his sway over the neighbouring states, 

 Lesbos, Miletus, 4c., and had a larger navy than any other Grecian 



prince or state of his time; he was also strengthened by his alliance 

 with Amssis, king of Egypt. Shortly after the invasion of Egypt by 

 Cambyses, Polycrates became engaged in a war with Lncodamion, in 

 which the Spartans were finally repulsed from the island. His 

 increasing power at length provoked the jealousy of the Persian 

 monarch Dariux, whose Satrap, Oroetcs, allured him by treacherous 

 promises to trust himself in his power, and then murdered him. 

 (Herod, iii. 125 ; Athemciu, lib. xii., 540, Can.) After the death of 

 Polycrates, the island fell into the hands of Darius, who appointed 

 Syloson, the brother of Polycrates, as governor. The resistance of 

 the inhabitants to this measure led Utanes, the Persian general in 

 command, to order a general massacre, and Samoa was delivered up 

 to Syloson almost unpeopled. Shortly after the Samians joined tho 

 revolt of Ionia. At the battle of Lade, however, they treacherously 

 withdrew from the engagement, to obtain favour with Darius, to 

 whose empire they were again mode subject, but were released from 

 it after the battle of Mycalc. 



The maritime strength of Samoa was broken, and their government 

 made deiuocratical by Pericles, B.C. 440. After the battle of 



