Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus

The Gauls reneged and the Etruscans found themselves facing a Roman army under consul Titus Manlius who however died after a fall from his horse in a display of horsemanship.

A day-long battle brought no victory but in the night the Etruscans withdrew to their fortified cities leaving their camp and equipment to the Romans.

The newly elected consuls for 297 BC, Fabius Rullianus and Decius Mus led both armies against Samnium, Barbatus going as lieutenant general (legatus) under Maximus.

As they advanced into Samnium laying waste to the country the Samnites were hoping to catch them in an ambush in a valley at Tifernum (Samniticum).

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.

Calling a meeting of all the chief men in Etruria Egnatius declared that war for freedom was better than peace with servitude and announced his intention to attack Rome.

Receiving intelligence of the new dangerous circumstances the Senate dispatched Appius Claudius into Etruria in command of the First and Fourth Legions and 12,000 allied troops.

The Romans attacked so fiercely with Claudius, it is said, fighting in the front ranks along with the men and continually invoking the goddess of war, Bellona, with hands upraised to heaven, that they routed the combined enemy force and drove them from their camp, killing 7300 and taking 2120 prisoners.

[4][note 2] Meanwhile, the reduced forces of Maximus and Mus failed to restrain the Samnites, who raised another army with which they invaded and plundered Campania.

At dawn Flamma allowed part of the Samnite army to march out, splitting their forces, before he launched an attack that had such a momentum it was soon being fought in the camp.

At the end of the day the Romans had killed 6,000, taken 2,500 prisoners including four military tribunes and the commander, Statius Minacius, and captured 30 standards.

News was received at Rome however that Gellius Egnatius had raised another army in the north consisting of Samnites, Etruscans, Umbrians and Gauls.

Maximus insisted on commanding in Etruria without the casting of lots that normally apportioned duties to consuls and after an intense public debate the Senate granted his request.