Battle of the Caudine Forks 321 BC
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Year | 321 BC | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Ancient (before 500) | derived from year |
| Location | Italy | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Europe | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Second Samnite War | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | Ancient Rome | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 41.1500, 14.5333 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Caudine Forks (321 BC) was a decisive event of the Second Samnite War. Its designation as a battle is a mere historical formality: there was no fighting and there were no casualties. 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. The action was entirely political, with the magistrates on both sides trying to obtain the best terms for their side without disrespecting common beliefs concerning the rules of war and the conduct of peace. In the end the Samnites decided it would be better for future relations to let the Romans go, while the Romans were impeded in the prosecution of their campaign against the Samnites by considerations of religion and honor.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of the Caudine Forks (revision 1378109678), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
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Other battles of the Second Samnite War
- Capture of Neapolis 327 BC
- Battle of Lautulae 315 BC
- Battle of Lake Vadimo (310 BC) 310 BC
- Battle of Bovianum 305 BC
All 5 battles of the Second Samnite War →
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