raetor, brought up relief from the camp, and the
battle being renewed, that the Umbrians, lately victorious, were
defeated, and the prisoners and spoil retaken. But it is more probable
that this blow was suffered from a Gallic than an Umbrian enemy,
because during that year, as was often the case at other times, the
danger principally apprehended by the public, was that of a Gallic
tumult, for which reason, notwithstanding that both the consuls had
marched against the enemy, with four legions, and a large body of
Roman cavalry, joined by a thousand chosen horsemen of Campania,
supplied on the occasion, and a body of the allies and Latin
confederates, superior in number to the Romans, two other armies were
posted near the city, on the side facing Etruria, one in the
Faliscian, the other in the Vatican territory. Cneius Fulvius and
Lucius Postumius Megellus, both propraetors, were ordered to keep the
troops stationed in those places.

27. The consuls, having crossed the Apennines, came up with the enemy
in the territory of Sentinum, their camp was pitched there at the
distance of about four miles. Several councils were then held by the
enemy, and their plan of operations was thus settled: that they should
not encamp together, nor go out together to battle; the Gauls were
united to the Samnites, the Umbrians to the Etrurians. The day of
battle was fixed. The part of maintaining the fight was committed to
the Samnites and Gauls; and the Etrurians and Umbrians were ordered to
attack the Roman camp during the heat of the engagement. This plan was
frustrated by three Clusian deserters, who came over by night to
Fabius, and after disclosing the above designs, were sent back with
presents, in order that they might discover, and bring intelligence
of, any new scheme which should be determined on. The consuls then
wrote to Flavius and Postumius to move their armies, the one from the
Faliscian, the other from the Vatican country, towards Clusium; and to
ruin the enemy's territory by every means in their power. The news of
these depredations drew the Etrurians from Sentinum to protect their
own region. The consuls, in their absence, practised every means to
bring on an engagement. For two days they endeavoured, by several
attacks, to provoke the enemy to fight; in which time, however,
nothing worth mention was performed. A few fell on each side, but
still the minds [of the Romans] were irritated to wish for a general
engagement; ye