[132] Campania is the district of the Campanians, that is to say, of the inhabitants of Capua (Capani on coins). Campas instead of Campanus is met with in Plautus.
[133] Niebuhr’s positions do not here agree with those in d’Anville.—Transl.
[134] In his Roman history (III. 137.), Niebuhr pronounces much more decidedly for the second view; but it is to be remarked that the same version as that in this passage occurs already in the first edition (1812), whilst that, given in our text, dates from the lectures of 182⁸⁄₉. The detailed account of the battle (of the year 1826), on the other hand, still follows the version adopted before, of which fact, in order to prevent mistakes, we here expressly remind the reader.—Germ. Edit.
[135] VIII, 8. towards the end.—Germ. Edit.
[136] It is a common mistake of the moderns, that, when they hear of cornu dextrum and sinistrum, they think of our system, and then suppose also a main body in the centre (corps de bataille). Yet the Roman host consisted of those two halves only (cornua). All the modern writers on tactics, with the exception of Guischard, are mistaken in this respect.
[137] In one MS. only, there is instead of “in the field,” in campis Tincetanis; but evidently as a subsequent filling up of a gap, which had been left whilst taking the notes. It is therefore probable that Niebuhr quoted the expression in campis Ferectanis, which occurs in Livy, without adding any further remark.—Germ. Edit.
[138] Also Popinia, Festus, s. v. Pupinia tribus, p. 233. M.
[139] The Plautii preserved on their coins the memory of the conquest of Privernum as the most glorious event of their family-history, R. H. III, 201. L. Æmilius Mamercinus Privernas and C. Plautius Decianus triumphed over the Privernates.—Germ. Edit.
[140] Liv. VIII. 37.
[141] Herennius, as it seems, was on the whole considered as a model of wisdom among the Samnites. According to a passage in Cicero De Senectute, he occurs as a speaking personage together with Archytas in a philosophical dialogue of a Pythagorean: a remarkable proof how intimately those Italiote towns were connected with the Sabellian peoples, and how far they were from looking upon them as barbarians. They had a great contempt for the Ὀπικοί, and may therefore have made a broad distinction between them and the Samnites. This intercourse with the Greeks accounts for Numa, the fountain head of Sabellian wisdom, having been imagined to have been a Pythagorean. This is a truly Sabine tradition. They went so far in their friendly connection, that the Greeks affected to consider the Samnites as a Spartan colony.