Battle of Aquilonia

According to Livy[1] a feeder of the sacred chickens (pullarius) in the Roman army falsely reported favorable auspices to the consul, and that this falsification was discovered prior to battle.

Before the battle the Samnite commander had despatched 20 cohorts (about 8,000 men) to aid the garrison in nearby Cominium which was under attack from Papirus's co-consul Spurius Carvilius Maximus.

One of his tribunes, Spurius Nautius, was sent with three auxiliary cohorts (probably extraordinary - elite troops) and hundreds of camp followers on pack animals on a circuitous route to the Samnite rear.

The Roman commanders spurred their men on to defeat the enemy before the other army arrived and could share in their glory.

This allowed the Roman cavalry commanders to sent some of their men to attack the flanks of the Samnite infantry.

Papirius Cursor was unanimously decreed a triumph, and a period of seven days thanksgiving was declared in his honor.

[2] There was also a Roman city called Aquilonia, which is modern Lacedonia in Campania, so it was previously supposed it was the site of the battle.