The Romans were trapped in an enclosed valley by the Samnites before they knew what was happening and nothing remained but to negotiate an unfavorable surrender.

Worse, they chose the quicker route, along a road later to become the Appian Way, through the Caudine Forks (Furculae Caudinae), a narrow mountain pass near Benevento, Campania.

Herennius insisted that any middle way would be utter folly and would leave the Romans smarting for revenge without weakening them.

[2] Neither defile leading to the central plain is as narrow and steep as Livy's dramatic description would suggest.

Even the eastern end, which is narrower, is wide enough to make it possible to march through while keeping out of range of missiles thrown from the hills on either side.

Horsfall suggests that Livy's geography may have been influenced by accounts of the campaigns of Alexander the Great which were contemporary with this event.