Having posted the Romans here, and shown them a steep and narrow path leading up from the town to the citadel—­“From this ascent,” said he, “even three armed men would keep off any multitude whatever.  Now ye are ten in number; and, what is more, Romans, and the bravest among the Romans.  The night is in your favour, which, from the uncertainty it occasions, magnifies every object to people once alarmed.  I will immediately fill every place with terror:  be ye alert in defending the citadel.”  He then ran down in haste, crying aloud, “To arms, citizens, we are undone, the citadel is taken by the enemy; run, defend it.”  This he repeated, as he passed the doors of the principal men, the same to all whom he met, and also to those who ran out in a fright into the streets.  The alarm, communicated first by one, was soon spread by numbers through all the city.  The magistrates, dismayed on hearing from scouts that the citadel was full of arms and armed men, whose number they multiplied, laid aside all hopes of recovering it.  All places are filled with terror:  the gates are broken open by persons half asleep, and for the most part unarmed, through one of which the body of Roman troops, roused by the noise, burst in, and slew the terrified inhabitants, who attempted to skirmish in the streets.  Sora was now taken, when, at the first light, the consuls arrived, and accepted the surrender of those whom fortune had left remaining after the flight and slaughter of the night.  Of these, they conveyed in chains to Rome two hundred and twenty-five, whom all men agreed in pointing out as the authors, both of the revolt, and also of the horrid massacre of the colonists.  The rest they left in safety at Sora, a garrison being placed there.  All those who were brought to Rome were beaten with rods in the forum, and beheaded, to the great joy of the commons, whose interest it most highly concerned, that the multitudes, sent to various places in colonies should be in safety.

25.  The consuls, leaving Sora, turned their warlike operations against the lands and cities of the Ausonians; for all places had been set in commotion by the coming of the Samnites, when the battle was fought at Lautulae:  conspiracies likewise had been formed in several parts of Campania; nor was Capua itself clear of the charge:  nay, the business spread even to Rome, and inquiries came to be instituted respecting some of the principal men there.  However, the Ausonian nation fell into the Roman power, in the same manner as Sora, by their cities being betrayed:  these were Ausona Minturnae, and Vescia.  Certain young men, of the principal families, twelve in number, having conspired to betray their respective cities, came to the consuls; they informed them that their countrymen, who had for a long time before honestly wished for the coming of the Samnites, on hearing of the battle at Lautulae, had looked on the Romans as defeated, and had assisted the Samnites with supplies of young men and arms;