d of two narrow defiles or gorges, between which
was a tolerably spacious plain, but shut in on each side by mountains.
The Romans, thinking the Samnites to be far distant, had marched through
the first pass and the plain; but when they came to the second they
found it blocked up by works and trunks of trees, so as to be quite
impassable. Retracing their steps to the pass by which they had
entered, they found that the enemy had meantime taken possession of this
also. They were thus blocked up at either end, and, after making vain
attempts to force their way through, were obliged to surrender at
discretion. Thus both Consuls and four legions fell into the hands of
the Samnites. C. Pontius made a merciful use of his victory. He agreed
to dismiss them in safety upon their promising to restore the ancient
alliance on equal terms between the two nations, and to give up all the
places which they had conquered during the war. The Consuls and the
other superior officers swore to these terms in the name of the
Republic, and six hundred Roman knights were given as hostages. The
whole Roman army was now allowed to depart, and each Roman soldier
marched out singly under the yoke.

When the news of this disaster reached Rome the Senate refused to ratify
the peace, and resolved that the two Consuls and all the officers who
had sworn to the peace should be delivered up to the Samnites as persons
who had deceived them. They were conducted to Caudium by a Fetialis; and
when they appeared before the tribunal of C. Pontius, Postumius, with
superstitious folly, struck the Fetialis with his foot, saying that he
was now a Samnite citizen, and that war might be renewed with justice by
the Romans, since a Samnite had insulted the sacred envoy of the Roman
people. But Pontius refused to accept the persons who were thus offered,
and told them, if they wished to nullify the treaty, to send back the
army to the Caudine Forks. Thus Postumius and his companions returned to
Rome, and the 600 knights were alone left in the hands of the Samnites.

The disaster of Caudium shook the fate of many of the Roman allies, and
the fortune of war was for some years in favor of the Samnites. But in
B.C. 314 the tide of success again turned, and the decisive victory of
the Consuls in that year opened the way into the heart of Samnium. From
this time the Romans were uniformly successful; and it seemed probable
that the war was drawing to a close, when the Etruscans