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And so that the terms of the agreement might be confirmed also by the senate, they held six hundred of the knights as hostages. The consuls Spurius Postumius and Tiberius Calvinus withdrew at once with the army, and by night they themselves and the most distinguished of the others 2.168 entered Rome, but the rest of the soldiers were scattered throughout the countryside. Those in the city, learning what had been done, could neither rejoice at the salvation of the soldiers nor be grieved. For on the one hand they were deeply pained at the terrible event, and because they had suffered such things at the hands of the Samnites, their pain became greater; but reflecting that if it had happened that all were lost, they would have been in danger in every respect, they rejoiced at their own safety. But concealing for a time their joy, they went into mourning, and did nothing in the established manner, neither immediately nor later, until they gained the upper hand. They immediately deposed the consuls, and choosing others in their place, they held a council. And it seemed best to them not to accept the treaty, but since it was impossible to do this without turning the blame on those who had made it, they hesitated to condemn the consuls and the others who, holding certain offices with them, had made the truce, and they hesitated also to let them go, lest they should bring the violation of the truce upon themselves. Therefore, they communicated with those very consuls, and they brought the vote first to Postumius, so that he might declare his opinion against himself, out of shame lest he fill all with disgrace. And he, coming forward into the midst, said that the things done by them should not be ratified by the senate and the people; for they had not done them willingly, but constrained by necessity, which the enemy had brought upon them not by valor, but by deceit and ambush. Those, therefore, who deceived, if they were deceived in turn, could not justly complain against those who deceived them in turn. When he had said these and many such things, the senate was at a loss. But when Po2.169 stumius and Calvinus took the blame upon themselves, it was decreed that the agreement should not be ratified and that they should be surrendered. Therefore both the consuls and the other officials who had been present at the oaths were led away to Samnium. The Samnites, however, did not receive them, but demanded back all the prisoners, and they called upon the gods and invoked their divine power, and finally they sent back those who had been surrendered. The Romans received them back gladly, but in anger brought battle upon the Samnites. And having conquered, they did the same things to them, and sent them in turn under the yoke, and let them go, having done them no other harm. And their own knights, whom the Samnites were holding as hostages, they recovered unharmed. After several years, again; the Romans, warring against the Samnites with Gaius Junius leading them, fell into a disaster. For as Junius was ravaging their country, the Samnites carried their possessions into the Aornian woods, so called because not even a bird could fly into them due to the density of the trees. And being there, by setting out some flocks without shepherds or guards and by sending in false deserters, they lured them on to what seemed an easy prey. And when they were inside the wood, they surrounded them and did not cease killing them until they were completely exhausted. And at other times the Samnites often warred against the Romans, and though defeated did not keep quiet, but taking on other allies, including Gauls, they prepared to march even against 2.170 Rome itself. When the Romans learned this, they fell into fear, with many signs leading them to this. For on the Capitol, from the altar of Jupiter, blood for three days, and on one day honey and on another milk, is said to have been given forth, if these things are credible to anyone; and in the forum a certain bronze statue of Victory, set up on a stone base, was found of its own accord standing below on the ground; and it happened to be looking in the direction from which the Gauls were already approaching. These things, therefore, terrified the people anyway, but more so having been judged inauspicious by the seers. Manius

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ινα δὲ τὰ τῆς ὁμολογίας καὶ παρὰ τῆς γερουσίας βεβαιωθῶσι, τῶν ἱππέων ἑξακοσίους εἰς ὁμηρείαν κατέσχον. Οἱ δ' υπατοι Σπούριός τε Ποστούμιος καὶ Τιβέριος Καλουῗνος μετὰ τῆς στρατιᾶς εὐθὺς ἀνεχώρησαν, καὶ νυκτὸς αὐτοί τε καὶ τῶν αλλων οἱ ἀξιολογώτατοι 2.168 εἰς τὴν ̔Ρώμην εἰσήλθοσαν, οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ στρατιῶται κατὰ τοὺς ἀγροὺς ἐσκεδάσθησαν. οἱ δ' ἐν τῇ πόλει τὰ πεπραγμένα μαθόντες ουτε ἡσθῆναι τῇ τῶν στρατιωτῶν σωτηρίᾳ ουτ' ἀχθεσθῆναι ἠδύναντο. πρὸς μὲν γὰρ τὸ δεινὸν ὑπερήλγουν, καὶ οτι παρὰ τῶν Σαυνιτῶν τοιαῦτα πεπόνθασι, μεῖζον σφίσι τὸ αλγος ἐγίνετο· λογιζόμενοι δὲ ὡς εἰ πάντας ἀπολέσθαι συνέβη, καὶ περὶ πάντα αν ἐκινδύνευσαν, ἐπὶ τῇ σφῶν ηδοντο σωτηρίᾳ. ἐπικρύπτοντες δὲ τέως τὸ ηδεσθαι, πένθος ἐπεποιήκεσαν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐν τῷ καθεστηκότι τρόπῳ επραξαν, ουτ' αὐτίκα ουθ' υστερον, εως ἀντεπεκράτησαν· τοὺς δ' ὑπάτους μὲν παραχρῆμα επαυσαν, ἑτέρους δ' ἀνθελόμενοι βουλὴν ἐποιήσαντο. καὶ ἐδόκει μὲν σφίσι μὴ δέξασθαι τὴν σύμβασιν, ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀδύνατον ην τοῦτο δρᾶσαι μὴ οὐχὶ πρὸς τοὺς πράξαντας αὐτὴν τρέψαντας τὴν αἰτίαν, ωκνουν μὲν τῶν ὑπάτων καταψηφίσασθαι καὶ τῶν αλλων, οι μετ' αὐτῶν ὡς ἀρχάς τινας αρχοντες τὰς σπονδὰς ἐποιήσαντο, ωκνουν δὲ καὶ ἀφεῖναι, ινα μὴ ἐφ' ἑαυτοὺς τὸ παρασπόνδημα περιστήσωσιν. αὐτοῖς ουν ἐκείνοις τοῖς ὑπάτοις ἐπεκοινώσαντο, καὶ πρώτῳ γε τῷ Ποστουμίῳ τὴν ψῆφον ἐπήγαγον, οπως αὐτὸς καθ' ἑαυτοῦ γνώμην ἀποφήνηται, αἰσχύνῃ τοῦ μὴ πάντας ἀδοξίας ἀναπλῆσαι. ὁ δὲ παρελθὼν εἰς τὸ μέσον εφη μὴ δεῖν κυρωθῆναι τὰ ὑπ' αὐτῶν πεπραγμένα παρὰ τῆς γερουσίας καὶ τοῦ δήμου· μηδὲ γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἑκουσίως πρᾶξαι αὐτά, ἀλλ' ἀνάγκῃ συνεχομένους, ην αὐτοῖς ἐπήγαγον οἱ πολέμιοι οὐκ ἐξ ἀρετῆς, ἀλλ' ἐκ δόλου καὶ ἐξ ἐνέδρας. οἱ γοῦν ἀπατήσαντες, εἰ ἀντηπατήθησαν, οὐκ αν δύναιντο δικαίως ἐπεγκαλεῖν τοῖς ἀνταπατήσασι. ταῦτα τοίνυν εἰπόντος καὶ τοιαῦτα πολλά, ἐν ἀμηχανίᾳ ἡ γερουσία ἐγένετο· τοῦ δὲ Πο2.169 στουμίου καὶ τοῦ Καλουίνου εἰς ἑαυτοὺς τὴν αἰτίαν ἀναδεχομένων, ἐψηφίσθη μήτε κυρωθῆναι τὰ ὡμολογημένα ἐκείνους τε ἐκδοθῆναι. ̓Απήχθησαν ουν καὶ αμφω οἱ υπατοι καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ αρχοντες οἱ ἐπὶ τοῖς ορκοις παρουσιάσαντες εἰς τὸ Σαύνιον. οὐ μέντοι αὐτοὺς οἱ Σαυνῖται ἐδέξαντο, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἁλόντας ἀπῄτουν απαντας, καὶ τοὺς θεοὺς ἐπεβοῶντο καὶ ἐπεθείαζον, καὶ τέλος τοὺς ἐκδοθέντας ἀντέπεμψαν. οἱ δὲ ̔Ρωμαῖοι ἐκείνους μὲν ἀσμένως ἀπέλαβον, τοῖς δὲ Σαυνίταις ὀργῇ τὴν μάχην ἐπήγαγον. καὶ κρατήσαντες τὰ ομοια σφίσιν ἐποίησαν, καὶ ὑπὸ τὸν ζυγὸν αὐτοὺς ἀνθυπήγαγον, καὶ ἀφῆκαν, μηδὲν αλλο κακὸν δράσαντες. καὶ τοὺς σφετέρους ἱππεῖς, ους ὡς ὁμήρους κατεῖχον οἱ Σαυνῖται, ἀπαθεῖς ἐκομίσαντο. Μετὰ δὲ χρόνους πλείονας αυθις· τοῖς Σαυνίταις πολεμοῦντες οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι, Γαΐου ̓Ιουνίου ἡγουμένου αὐτῶν, συμφορᾷ περιέπεσον. πορθοῦντος γὰρ τοῦ ̓Ιουνίου τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν, εἰς τὰς υλας τὰς ̓Αόρνους τὰ προσόντα οἱ Σαυνῖται ἀνεκομίσαντο, ουτω καλουμένας ἀπὸ τοῦ μηδ' ορνις εἰσπέτεσθαι εἰς αὐτὰς τῇ τῶν δένδρων πυκνότητι. ἐκεῖ δὲ οντες, ποίμνιά τινα ποιμένων η φρουρῶν ανευ προκαθιστάντες καὶ ψευδαυτομόλους ὑποπέμποντες, ὡς ἐφ' ἑτοίμην λείαν αὐτοὺς ὑπηγάγοντο. εισω δὲ γενομένους τῆς υλης περιέσχον τε σφᾶς καὶ οὐ πρότερον ἐπαύσαντο κτείνοντες πρὶν τέλεον ἐκκαμεῖν. καὶ αλλοτε δὲ πολλάκις τοῖς ̔Ρωμαίοις πολεμήσαντες οἱ Σαυνῖται καὶ ἡττηθέντες οὐκ ἐφησύχασαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ συμμάχους αλλους τε προσλαβόμενοι καὶ Γαλάτας, ὡς καὶ πρὸς τὴν 2.170 ̔Ρώμην αὐτὴν ἐλάσοντες ἡτοιμάζοντο. ο οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι μαθόντες ἐς δέος κατέστησαν, καὶ σημείων πολλῶν ἐς τοῦτο αὐτοὺς ἐναγόντων. ἐν γὰρ τῷ Καπιτωλίῳ ἐκ τοῦ βωμοῦ τοῦ ∆ιὸς αιμα τρισὶν ἡμέραις, μιᾷ δὲ μέλι καὶ ἐν ἑτέρᾳ γάλα θρυλεῖται ἀναδοθῆναι, ει τῳ ταῦτα πιστά· καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ Νίκης τι αγαλμα χάλκεον ἱδρυμένον ἐπὶ βάθρου λιθίνου αὐτομάτως εὑρέθη κάτω ἑστὸς ἐπὶ γῆς· ἐτύγχανε δὲ ἐκεῖ ἀποβλέπον οθεν οἱ Γαλάται ηδη ἐπῄεσαν. ταῦτ' ουν καὶ αλλως ἐξεφόβει τὸν δῆμον, πλέον δ' ὑπὸ τῶν μάντεων κεκριμένα ἀπαίσια. Μάνιος