It took a long time of 500 years for Rome to unify the Italian peninsula.
Among them, it was the Samnium people, a mountain tribe with power in central Italy, who afflicted Rome, and it took about 40 years for Rome to conquer the Samnium people.
This time, let's take a look at the "Samnium War" that took place between Rome and the Samnite people.
Republican Rome defeated by Samniums-Battle of the Caudine-
Rome is a terrifyingly war-resistant people, including republics and empires. During the 1000 years leading up to the destruction of West Rome, the defeats on the Roman side were one of the best, and the decisive defeats were even less.
The few defeats occurred in the battle with the Samniums, and later on the Roman side, " Caudine's Humiliation . It develops into an incident called.
The Romans and Samniums have fought a total of three times in 40 years.
Numbers are attached, such as the First Samnite War and the Second Samnite War, and the first battle begins in 343 BC.
It was about 50 years after the so-called Celtic shock, when the Celts took half of Rome.
It all started with a skirmish between Samniums and Campanians in central Italy.
Rome set out to negotiate with the Samnite to mediate the skirmish, but was dismissed and the two races were in a state of war.
The battle on the flat ground was an overwhelming victory on the Roman side.
The Campanians were given Roman citizenship, the Campania region could be under its control, and Capua, an important city in central Italy, was obtained.
This put Rome on the chart and gave lessons to the Samnite.
The Samniums are hill tribes in the first place and are not suitable for battles on flat ground. I learned that.
The second battle is said to have started in 326 BC.
The Samniums and Campanians skirmished again, and the Campanians asked Rome for help.
The Samniums avoided fighting on flat ground and fought guerrilla warfare in the mountains. Rome ambushed to fight on the plains, but the Samniums did not come out of the mountains.
The strength of the Roman army is Legion It is in a dense tactic by heavy infantry called. It is unrivaled on level ground, but not effective on mountainous lands.
There was a five-year entanglement between Rome, who wanted to deploy a large force, and the Samniums, who refused to respond.
At one point, one piece of information was brought to the Roman side. It is information that Samnium people are gathering in the Apulian plain.
Rome went immediately, but this was a trap. The Samniums assault while marching through the valley terrain called Caudine.
As a result, the Roman army was destroyed and defeated in the subsequent Battle of Lautulae, leaving no choice but to surrender to the Samnium side.
The Romans were taken hostage by 600 soldiers at the request of the Samniums and forced to withdraw from Central Italy.
It was later said to be the humiliation of Caudium.
Finally win Rome
The strength of Rome is to recover quickly with minimal damage.
Six years after the humiliation, Rome was regaining power.
Rome first occupied Capua, who was lying on the Samnium side, and ordered the leaders to die.
Then, the construction of the "Appian Way", which is especially famous among the Roman roads, which is said to be "the roads of Rome do not lead to everything", started. This will allow Rome to quickly dispatch troops to Central Italy.
Rome wanted to complete the Samnium capture at once, but the Gauls began to rampage in the north. Moreover, this time it is a joint front with the Etruscans.
At this time, Rome was in a state of four-sided humor, with the Samniums in the south, the Gauls and Etruscans in the north, and the Umbro tribes also stripped their fangs to Rome.
Quintus Fabius, one of the most prestigious Fabius families in Rome, was appointed to the Consul during this period.
When he was appointed Consul, he first attempted to divide Etruria.
As a result, in 297 BC, Etruria sought peace from Rome, which decided to prioritize the fight against Samnium.
The Roman army's march speed is fast, probably because of the maintenance of the Appian Way.
The Samnium side is Tifernum Ambush and assault Rome in a nearby valley. He set out to lure him with a fake unit, but the Romans saw this and did not fall into a trap this time.
The Samnium people have an advantage in the troops at this time. Perhaps that made him upset, and the Samniums set out to fight Rome in the plains (Battle of Tifernum).
The result is a Roman victory.
In the subsequent Battle of Sentinum, the Samniums also fought Rome with the Gauls, Etruria, and Umbro, but it was Samnium's side that caused overwhelming damage.
Rome won.
As a result of the battle, the Etruscan Umbro became an ally of Rome, and the Samniums also became an ally in search of peace with Rome.
It is said that what makes Rome Roman is its identity with its generous policies towards the nations and nations that have been oppressed.
Rome welcomes the Samniums who fought so hard as part of their allies without any penalty. It was Rome that was no different from Rome after accepting the Sabines in the Romulus era, assimilated other peoples, and gradually grew larger.
For Rome, which also incorporated Samnium, the only remaining enemy on the Italian peninsula was the Greek city-state built in southern Italy.
And there, Rome will experience defeat again.