Capture of Neapolis

The Capture of Neapolis took place during the Second Samnite War in 327 BC, when the Romans seized the city of Neapolis from the Samnites, an ancient Italic people who lived in Samnium. The city's fall is attributed to treachery committed by some of its citizens.

Prelude

A treaty between the Romans and the Samnites in 354 BC set a southern border with Samnium, which ran from the middle Liris River valley to southern Campania. However, the Romans confronted the Samnites in the Liris River valley, sparking the Second Samnite War, or Great Samnite War (326–304 BC), which lasted twenty years.[1] In 328 the Romans, clearly looking for another fight with the Samnites, established a colony at Fregellae on the Liris River and another at Cales. Earlier in 334 BC, the Samnites found that to be an unacceptable intrusion by Rome, but were too preoccupied to respond at the time,[2] by a conflict with the Greek colony of Tarentum and its ally, Alexander of Epirus.[3]

Roman-Samnite tensions

The Romans had adopted a policy of supporting the more civilized and peaceful low-landers against their enemies. This led to the incorporation of the cities of northern Campania into the Roman state for fear of the Samintes. The Samnites did not originally see this Roman annexation as a hostile act.[4] However, this contributed to the transgression of the Roman forays at Liris River and eventually led to a protracted struggle between Rome and Samnium. One should note that the Romans used the Samnites' help in subduing the Latins in a previous war. Its incursion into Samnium territory in 328 where the Romans ignored the alliance that they had with the Samnites further aggravated the situation. The Samnites felt that the Roman expansion was extremely outrageous.[5]

Battle

Faced with unspecific demands for help, the Romans failed to capture Neapolis by means of blockade or assault. Thus they resorted to treachery. The city was already shifting; citizens no longer sided with the Samnites. Citizens hatched a plot to allow the Roman forces entry into the city under the cover of night.[6] and let a Roman contingent in through a postern gate.[7] The Samnite forces were at the port awaiting reinforcements and were ambushed by the Roman force. Caught by surprise, the Samnites were defeated and Neapolis fell to Rome. The city was treated favorably for switching sides during the conflict. The capture of Neapolis marked a point in the conflict where power shifted from territories inland and the Tyrrhenian coast towards the inland valleys and the eastern littoral states.[8] The battle, however, was just one of the numerous conflicts within a war that lasted longer than any of the other Samnite Wars and exacted tremendous sacrifice from both sides.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Davis, Gordon. "The Second Samnite War". France. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  2. ↑ Heaton, C. "Second Samnite War". UNRV publisher. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  3. ↑ "Second Samnite War". UNRV History. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  4. ↑ Daviscles, Gorodn. "327 BC- The War Begins". The Second Samnite War:Phase 1. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  5. ↑ Davis, Gordon. "327 BC: The War Begins". The Second Samnite War:Phase 1. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  6. ↑ Davis, Gordon. "326 BC: The Fall of Neapolis". The Second Samnite War: Phase 1. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  7. ↑ Davis, Gordon. "326 BC: The Fall of Neapolis". The Second Samnite War: Phase 1. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  8. ↑ Davis, Gordon. "326 BC: The Fall of Neapolis". The Second Samnite War: Phase 1. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  9. ↑ Salmon, E.T. (1967). Samnium and the Samnites. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-521-06185-8.

Coordinates: 40°50′00″N 14°15′00″E / 40.8333°N 14.2500°E / 40.8333; 14.2500

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