something of a civil war. The political ramifications were serious, for a victorious Latium could shatter Rome's power. The Latins not only spoke the same language as the Romans, but also used similar military equipment, formations, and strategies. The Latin soldiers
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were formidable opponents. Doubtless too the consuls were nervous about their new allies, the Samnites, with whom they had been at war only a few years earlier. This battle was too important for sloppiness; the consuls therefore issued the order that no soldier was to leave his post to fight the enemy.
Titus Manlius Torquatus, the son of the Torquatus who had killed the huge Gaul (see chapter 10), was on reconnaissance when he happened to meet a Latin soldier whom he knew. The Latin baited Titus Manlius into engaging in a duel with him to show whether the Latin or the Roman cavalry was better; Titus Manlius, fearing he would appear a coward if he refused, accepted the challenge, knowing that in doing so he would be breaking the rules set by the consuls. The two men had their duel, and Titus Manlius won. He stripped the Latin of his armor and proudly rode back to his father, the consul.
"Father," he said, "so that everybody may say that I am my father's son, I bring back these cavalry spoils, taken from the knight whom I killed, after being challenged to a duel."
When the consul heard that, he immediately turned away from his son and ordered that the trumpet be sounded to summon the soldiers to an assembly. When the great crowd had assembled, he spoke:
"You, Titus Manlius, showed no respect either for the consul's power or for your father's authority when you, against our direct orders, deserted your post to fight the enemy, and when you, as much as was in your power, undermined the army discipline that, up to now, has made Rome strong. You have forced me to disregard the needs of either the country or myself. It will be better if we receive the punishment for our error than if the country is punished for our wrong; we will provide a sad, but beneficial, lesson to the youth of the future. I am moved by a father's natural love for his children, as well as by your show of courage, misguided though it was, by a false conception of glory. The consul's power must either be reestablished as inviolable with your death, or destroyed forever by your going unpunished; I therefore think that you (if there is any of my blood in you) will not object to restoring the military discipline which has fallen because of your mistake. Lictor, go and tie him to the stake." (Livy VIII.7.13-20)
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Titus Manlius was then beheaded, as punishment for leaving his post.
Although the Romans won that hard-fought battle close to Mount Vesuvius, the Latins were not yet finished. The survivors regrouped, and more Latin soldiers joined them. They fought another battle against the Romans, this one at Trifanum. Again, the Romans won. The consuls then proceeded through all Latium and Campania, stamping out signs of revolt; Latium and Campania both surrendered. The Romans, however, were wisely gracious in their victory: They granted full Roman citizenship to many Latin and Campanian towns, making citizens of the recently conquered.
One of the cities Rome conquered during this time was Antium. The penalty that Antium paid to the Romans was the loss of its fleet. The prows ( rostra, rostrum originally meant "beak, snout") were taken from the ships and used as decoration on a speaker's platform in the Forum. So the Latin word that originally meant "beak" and had changed to mean "the prow of a ship'' came to mean, first in Latin and later in English, "a speaker's platform."
The Second War with the Samnites
The Romans' second war with the Samnites began with Palaepolis (Old City), a Greek city in Campania that lay close to Neapolis (New City) and may have been part of Neapolis. The Palaepolitans had attacked Rome's allies and had refused to pay reparations. The Palaepolitans no doubt
Page 78
were formidable opponents. Doubtless too the consuls were nervous about their new allies, the Samnites, with whom they had been at war only a few years earlier. This battle was too important for sloppiness; the consuls therefore issued the order that no soldier was to leave his post to fight the enemy.
Titus Manlius Torquatus, the son of the Torquatus who had killed the huge Gaul (see chapter 10), was on reconnaissance when he happened to meet a Latin soldier whom he knew. The Latin baited Titus Manlius into engaging in a duel with him to show whether the Latin or the Roman cavalry was better; Titus Manlius, fearing he would appear a coward if he refused, accepted the challenge, knowing that in doing so he would be breaking the rules set by the consuls. The two men had their duel, and Titus Manlius won. He stripped the Latin of his armor and proudly rode back to his father, the consul.
"Father," he said, "so that everybody may say that I am my father's son, I bring back these cavalry spoils, taken from the knight whom I killed, after being challenged to a duel."
When the consul heard that, he immediately turned away from his son and ordered that the trumpet be sounded to summon the soldiers to an assembly. When the great crowd had assembled, he spoke:
"You, Titus Manlius, showed no respect either for the consul's power or for your father's authority when you, against our direct orders, deserted your post to fight the enemy, and when you, as much as was in your power, undermined the army discipline that, up to now, has made Rome strong. You have forced me to disregard the needs of either the country or myself. It will be better if we receive the punishment for our error than if the country is punished for our wrong; we will provide a sad, but beneficial, lesson to the youth of the future. I am moved by a father's natural love for his children, as well as by your show of courage, misguided though it was, by a false conception of glory. The consul's power must either be reestablished as inviolable with your death, or destroyed forever by your going unpunished; I therefore think that you (if there is any of my blood in you) will not object to restoring the military discipline which has fallen because of your mistake. Lictor, go and tie him to the stake." (Livy VIII.7.13-20)
Page 79
Titus Manlius was then beheaded, as punishment for leaving his post.
Although the Romans won that hard-fought battle close to Mount Vesuvius, the Latins were not yet finished. The survivors regrouped, and more Latin soldiers joined them. They fought another battle against the Romans, this one at Trifanum. Again, the Romans won. The consuls then proceeded through all Latium and Campania, stamping out signs of revolt; Latium and Campania both surrendered. The Romans, however, were wisely gracious in their victory: They granted full Roman citizenship to many Latin and Campanian towns, making citizens of the recently conquered.
One of the cities Rome conquered during this time was Antium. The penalty that Antium paid to the Romans was the loss of its fleet. The prows ( rostra, rostrum originally meant "beak, snout") were taken from the ships and used as decoration on a speaker's platform in the Forum. So the Latin word that originally meant "beak" and had changed to mean "the prow of a ship'' came to mean, first in Latin and later in English, "a speaker's platform."
The Second War with the Samnites
The Romans' second war with the Samnites began with Palaepolis (Old City), a Greek city in Campania that lay close to Neapolis (New City) and may have been part of Neapolis. The Palaepolitans had attacked Rome's allies and had refused to pay reparations. The Palaepolitans no doubt
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