without permission, his head should be devoted to Jupiter." Orders
being then issued, for all to assemble at Aquilonia, the whole
strength of Samnium came together, amounting to forty thousand men.
There a piece of ground, in the middle of the camp, was enclosed with
hurdles and boards, and covered overhead with linen cloth, the sides
being all of an equal length, about two hundred feet. In this place
sacrifices were performed, according to directions read out of an old
linen book, the priest being a very old man, called Ovius Paccius, who
affirmed, that he took these ceremonials from the ancient ritual of
the Samnites, being the same which their ancestors used, when they had
formed the secret design of wresting Capua from the Etrurians. When
the sacrifices were finished, the general ordered a beadle to summon
every one of those who were most highly distinguished by their birth
or conduct: these were introduced singly. Besides the other
exhibitions of the solemnity, calculated to impress the mind with
religious awe, there were, in the middle of the covered enclosure,
altars erected, about which lay the victims slain, and the centurions
stood around with their swords drawn. The soldier was led up to the
altars, rather like a victim, than a performer in the ceremony, and
was bound by an oath not to divulge what he should see and hear in
that place. He was then compelled to swear, in a dreadful kind of
form, containing execrations on his own person, on his family and
race, if he did not go to battle, whithersoever the commanders should
lead; and, if either he himself fled from the field, or, in case he
should see any other flying, did not immediately kill him. At first
some, refusing to take the oath, were put to death round the altars,
and lying among the carcasses of the victims, served afterwards as a
warning to others not to refuse it. When those of the first rank in
the Samnite nation had been bound under these solemnities, the general
nominated ten, whom he desired to choose each a man, and so to proceed