though less powerful, effect on the Lucanians and Bruttians as on the Campanians.  The objects discovered in the tombs throughout all these regions show how Greek art was cherished there in barbaric luxuriance; the rich ornaments of gold and amber and the magnificent painted pottery, which are now disinterred from the abodes of the dead, enable us to conjecture how extensive had been their departure from the ancient manners of their fathers.  Other indications are preserved in their writing.  The old national writing which they had brought with them from the north was abandoned by the Lucanians and Bruttians, and exchanged for Greek; while in Campania the national alphabet, and perhaps also the language, developed itself under the influence of the Greek model into greater clearness and delicacy.  We meet even with isolated traces of the influence of Greek philosophy.

The Samnite Confederacy

The Samnite land, properly so called, alone remained unaffected by these innovations, which, beautiful and natural as they may to some extent have been, powerfully contributed to relax still more the bond of national unity which even from the first was loose.  Through the influence of Hellenic habits a deep schism took place in the Samnite stock.  The civilized “Philhellenes” of Campania were accustomed to tremble like the Hellenes themselves before the ruder tribes of the mountains, who were continually penetrating into Campania and disturbing the degenerate earlier settlers.  Rome was a compact state, having the strength of all Latium at its disposal; its subjects might murmur, but they obeyed.  The Samnite stock was dispersed and divided; and, while the confederacy in Samnium proper had preserved unimpaired the manners and valour of their ancestors, they were on that very account completely at variance with the other Samnite tribes and towns.

Submission of Capua to Rome—­
Rome and Samnium Come to Terms—­
Revolt of the Latins and Campanians against Rome—­
Victory of the Romans—­
Dissolution of the Latin League—­
Colonization of the Land of the Volsci

In fact, it was this variance between the Samnites of the plain and the Samnites of the mountains that led the Romans over the Liris.  The Sidicini in Teanum, and the Campanians in Capua, sought aid from the Romans (411) against their own countrymen, who in swarms ever renewed ravaged their territory and threatened to establish themselves there.  When the desired alliance was refused, the Campanian envoys made offer of the submission of their country to the supremacy of Rome:  and the Romans were unable to resist the bait.  Roman envoys were sent to the Samnites to inform them of the new acquisition, and to summon them to respect the territory of the friendly power.  The further course of events can no longer be ascertained in detail;(20) we discover only that—­whether after a campaign, or without the intervention of a war—­Rome and Samnium came to an agreement, by which Capua was left at the disposal of the Romans, Teanum in the hands of the Samnites, and the upper Liris in those of the Volscians.