Plebeians made their power felt, and had obtained one of the two
consulships; but for a long time after, the Patricians, though shorn of
undivided sovereignty, still monopolized most of the great offices of
state--indeed were the controlling power, socially and politically. At
no period was Rome a democratic state; never had Plebeians the
ascendency. But now the plebeian influence begins to modify the old
constitution. All classes, after incessant warfare for a century and a
half, and exposed to innumerable feuds, united in enterprises of
conquest. Rome begins to appear on the stage of political history.

[Sidenote: War with the Samnites.]

[Sidenote: Decisive battle of Sentinum.]

The aggressive nature of Roman warfare commenced with Samnium. The
Samnites were a warlike and pastoral people who inhabited the rugged
mountain district between the valleys of the Vulturnus and the Calor,
but they were nevertheless barbarians, and the contest between them and
the Romans was for the sovereignty of Italy. I need not mention the
alleged causes, or the details of a sanguinary war. The alleged causes
were not the true ones, and the details are complicated and obscure. We
deal with results. The war began B.C. 326, and lasted, with short
intervals of peace, thirty-six years. The Roman heroes were M. Valerius
Corvus, L. Papirius Cursor, Q. Fabius Maximus, and P. Decius the
younger. All of these were great generals, and were consuls or
dictators. As in all great contests, lasting a whole generation, there
was alternate victory and defeat, disgraced by treachery and bad faith.
The Romans fought, assisted by Latins, Campanians, and Apulians. The
Samnites defended themselves in their mountain fastnesses with
inflexible obstinacy, and obtained no assistance from allies until