Hello, and welcome to the history of Rome.

The Romans licked their wounds, or perhaps more accurately, nursed their egos after the

defeat at Coddine Forks in 321 BC.

Five years passed with the Romans engaging their neighbors and minor skirmishes, but avoiding

another major confrontation with the Samnites.

Although this was because of an official peace treaty, or out of Roman fear, is still

unclear, but whatever the cause, there was a break in the fighting.

All that changed in 316 BC, however, when the Romans, confident once again, marched out

and attempted again to conquer the Samnites.

This second stage of the war started out no better for the Romans than the first had ended

though.

But they soon gained the upper hand, and after ten years of hard fighting, the Romans would

force the Samnites to submit in 304 BC.

In the race to victory, the Romans stumbled out of the gates.

In 315 BC, they met the Samnites near Laudile, and were defeated in convincing fashion.

Details of the battle are sketchy, but it appears certain that the dictator commanding the

Roman legion was killed in the fighting.

Rome's power was now on the verge of completely unraveling.

They had lost a major battle at Coddine without a fight, and now on their big comeback

tour, when they actually took the field against the Samnites, they were soundly beaten.

Things were not looking good for the Romans.

Compania, the territory over which Rome and Samnium had originally clashed, was periscently

...