Rome sent two armies against Samnium led by the experienced consuls Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus and Publius Decius Mus, each with about 20,000 men.
The Samnites hoped to defeat each Roman army in detail: therefore they set an ambush for Rullianus in a valley near 'Tifernum' (Livy here probably intended to use the term Tifernus instead.
With both sides thinking this small detachment heralded the arrival of the army of Decius Mus, the Roman morale soared while that of the Samnites collapsed and they fled the battle.
Fabius saw through the ruse and brought his army up in quadrangular formation before the "hiding place" of the Samnites, who then came down to fight a conventional battle, line-to-line.
Unable to obtain a victory, Fabius withdrew the spearmen of the First Legion from the line and sent them under the command of Barbatus stealthily around the enemy flank into the hills behind, whence the latter had earlier descended.