to the nearest mountains; and, by an ascent concealed from view, to gain the heights, and show himself suddenly on the rear of the enemy.  The cavalry, led on by the tribunes, rushing forward unexpectedly before the van, caused scarcely more confusion among the enemy than among their friends.  The line of the Samnites stood firm against the furious onset of the squadrons; it neither could be driven from its ground, nor broken in any part.  The cavalry, finding their attempts fruitless, withdrew from the fight, and retired behind the line of infantry.  On this the enemies’ courage increased, so that the Roman troops in the van would not have been able to support the contest, nor the force thus increasing by confidence in itself, had not the second line, by the consul’s order, come up into the place of the first.  These fresh troops checked the progress of the Samnites, who had now began to gain ground; and, at this seasonable juncture, their comrades appearing suddenly on the mountains, and raising a shout, occasioned in the Samnites a fear of greater danger than really threatened them; Fabius called out aloud that his colleague Decius was approaching; on which all the soldiers, elated with joy, repeated eagerly, that the other consul was come, the legions were arrived!  This artifice, useful to the Romans, filled the Samnites with dismay and terror; terrified chiefly lest fatigued as they were, they should be overpowered by another army fresh and unhurt.  As they dispersed themselves in their flight on every side, there was less effusion of blood than might have been expected, considering the completeness of the victory.  There were three thousand four hundred slain, about eight hundred and thirty made prisoners, and twenty-three military standards taken.

15.  The Apulians would have joined their forces to the Samnites before this battle, had not the consul, Publius Decius, encamped in their neighbourhood at Maleventum; and, finding means to bring them to an engagement, put them to the rout.  Here, likewise, there was more of flight than of bloodshed.  Two thousand of the Apulians were slain; but Decius, despising such an enemy, led his legions into Samnium.  There the two consular armies, overrunning every part of the country during the space of five months, laid it entirely waste.  There were in Samnium forty-five places where Decius, and eighty-six where the other consul, encamped.  Nor did they leave traces only of having been there, as ramparts and trenches, but other dreadful mementos of it—­general desolation and regions depopulated.  Fabius also took the city of Cimetra, where he made prisoners two thousand four hundred soldiers; and there were slain in the assault about four hundred and thirty.  Going thence to Rome to preside at the elections, he used all expedition in despatching that business.  All the first-called centuries voted Quintus Fabius consul.  Appius Claudius was a candidate, a man of consular rank, daring and ambitious; and as he