The Battle of Aquilonia and Cominio

The battle of Aquilonia and Cominio (293 BC) marked a turning point in history, as much as those of Zama, Legnano, Lepanto, etc.

It suffices to observe that only now, having finally overcome the obstacle of the Samnites (Liv. 10, 44, 7-8) and reached the Adriatic Sea, could Rome extend its dominion undisturbed southwards and northwards, and form the «first Italy» from the Rubicon to Sicily.

This is what Livy seems to mean when he closes the first Deca with the flames of Aquilonia and Cominius, as the third with those of Zama. Similarly, Polybius, who defines the conquest of Africa as the foundation of that «lordship» that will one day be called Empire, sees the presupposition in the seventy years that precede it.
It is therefore astonishing why historians set the battle of Sentino (295 B.C.) as the end of the Samnite resistance, and why they pass over the battle of Aquilonia and Cominio in silence, or almost.
Because, apart from the obvious observation that in any war it is the last battle that counts the most, in our case the latter is superior to the former in all other relationships as well.

It is the official behaviour of Rome that first makes us realise that the battle of Sentinus must be regarded as a stage and ours as a goal. It is only after this that Livy notes that the report of the consuls was heard by the Senate and the people with immense jubilation, and the jubilation was celebrated with a solemnity of four days, competing with the private par- ticipation (10:45, 1).
At Sentinus, 25,000 of the enemy were killed, 8,000 were made prisoners (Lev. 10, 29, 17), and 82 copper axes per head, cloaks and tunics were distributed to the soldiers (Lev. 10, 30, 10).
A total of 25,500 enemies were killed in Aquilonia and Cominius, 15,270 prisoners were taken (10, 42, 5; 10, 43, 14), the two armies were allowed to plunder the defeated cities (10, 44, 1), and in particular 102 aces per head were distributed to the soldiers, centurions and horsemen of the consul Carvilius (10, 46, 15). In addition, 2,380,000 pounds of copper and 533,000 pounds of silver were paid into the treasury (10, 46, 5; 10, 46, 13) and a temple was built in honour of Quirinus (10,. 46, 7) and one in honour of Fortune Strong (10, 46, 14). Pliny the Elder also records that Carvillius had a statue erected in honour of Jupiter Capitolinus of such proportions that it could be seen from Monte Cavo (34, 43). The remains were then so many that they were not only used to adorn the aforementioned temple of Quirinus and the Forum, but were also given to the allies and neighbouring colonies (Liv. 10, 46, 8).

Titus Livius already feels the need to dispel the exaggerations about the battle of Sentinus, which has since then entered the realm of myth and legend (10, 3, 4-7), and he emphasises in explicit terms that the battle of Aquilonia and Cominius is one of the most important events in the history of Rome (10, 39, 14; 10, 44, 7-8), putting on the same level Lucius Papirius Cursor the son, the victor of Aquilonia, and Lucius Papirius Cursor the father, the warrior he proclaimed superior to Alexander the Great (9, 17, 8 and 13), who had avenged the shame of the Caudine Forks with the battle of Lucera, and with that of Longula had decided the final fate of the whole Second Samnite War. (10, 38, 1; 10, 39, 13, 14).
As a conclusion, we would like to recall the very symptomatic fact that when the Romans wanted to teach the Samnites, who had attempted yet another uprising by taking advantage of Pyrrhus' ephemeral triumphs, a final lesson, they re-elected as consuls the old generals Lucius Papirius Cursor and Spurius Carvilius Maximus (272 BC), who had become symbols.

Description of the Battle of Aquilonia and Cominio

(Translation from Livy 10:38-45)

The diapason of this narrative is among the highest of the entire Liviana oeuvre, worthy of the titanic ordeal in which Rome's dominion over Italy was decided, touched again only in the description of the battle of Zama, in which its empire over the world was decided.
However, while reading, it should be kept in mind that Titus Livius has anything but sympathy for «our people» on the other side, among whom are also the inhabitants of the Comino Valley.
He is an unconditional exalter of the majesty of Rome, and before this idol everything must yield, everything must disappear. Therefore, just as he is always inclined to change the faults of his Romans into merits, and to seek effects of light to highlight their merits, so he can find nothing good in their enemies: their religion is superstition, their love of freedom, their patriotism and sense of discipline fanaticism. At this rate, we should not be surprised if he goes so far as to state that in this battle the Samnites punished all disobedience with death, and that many soldiers who refused to take an inhuman oath were beheaded.

Proem

The year 461 of Rome was marked by the election of Lucius Papirius Cursor, consul illustrious for his father's glory and his own, by extraordinary military exploits, and by a victory over the Samnites, such as no one until that day had been able to achieve except the father of the said consul. And this time too, as at Longula, the Samnites prepared themselves with a display of rich and dazzling armour, and invoked the help of the gods by means of an oath imposed on the soldiers with an ancient ritual, not unlike a mystery initiation.