Fortunes, had recourse to Religion._
The Samnites, who before had met with many defeats at the hands of the
Romans, were at last decisively routed by them in Etruria, where their
armies were cut to pieces and their commanders slain. And because their
allies also, such as the Etruscans, the Umbrians, and the Gauls, were
likewise vanquished, they “_could now no longer_” as Livius tells us,
“_either trust to their own strength or to foreign aid; yet, for all
that, would not cease from hostilities, nor resign themselves to
forfeit the liberty which they had unsuccessfully defended, preferring
new defeats to an inglorious submission._” They resolved, therefore, to
make a final effort; and as they knew that victory was only to be
secured by inspiring their soldiers with a stubborn courage, to which
end nothing could help so much as religion, at the instance of their
high priest, Ovius Paccius, they revived an ancient sacrificial rite
performed by them in the manner following. After offering solemn
sacrifice they caused all the captains of their armies, standing
between the slain victims and the smoking altars, to swear never to
abandon the war. They then summoned the common soldiers, one by one,
and before the same altars, and surrounded by a ring of many centurions
with drawn swords, first bound them by oath never to reveal what they
might see or hear; and then, after imprecating the Divine wrath, and
reciting the most terrible incantations, made them vow and swear to the
gods, as they would not have a curse light on their race and offspring,
to follow wherever their captains led, never to turn back from battle,
and to put any they saw turn back to death. Some who in their terror
declined to swear, were forthwith slain by the centurions. The rest,
warned by their cruel fate, complied. Assembling thereafter to the
number of forty thousand, one-half of whom, to render their appearance
of unusual splendour were clad in white, with plumes and crests over
their helmets, they took up their ground in the neighbourhood of
Aquilonia. But Papirius, being sent against them, bade his soldiers be
of good cheer, telling them “_that feathers made no wounds, and that a
Roman spear would pierce a painted shield;_” and to lessen the effect
which the oath taken by the Samnites had upon the minds of the Romans,
he said that such an oath must rather distract than strengthen those
bound by it, since they had to fear, at once, their enemies, their
comrades, and their Gods. In the battle which ensued, the Samnites were
routed, any firmness lent them by religion or by the oath they had
sworn, being balanced by the Roman valour, and the terror inspired by
past defeats. Still we see that, in their own judgment, they had no
other refuge to which to turn, nor other remedy for restoring their
broken hopes; and this is strong testimony to the spirit which religion
rightly used can arouse.
Some of the incidents which I have now been considering may be thought
to relate rather to the foreign than to the domestic affairs of Rome,
which last alone form the proper subject of this Book; nevertheless
since the matter connects itself with one of the most important
institutions of the Roman republic, I have thought it convenient to
notice it here, so as not to divide the subject and be obliged to
return to it hereafter.