- Battle of Sentinum
Infobox Military Conflict
caption=
conflict=Battle of Sentinum
partof=theThird Samnite War
date=295 BC
place=Sentinum (Sassoferrato ,Marche ),Italy
result= Roman victory
combatant1=Roman Republic
combatant2=Samnium Gaul
commander1=Decius Mus† Fabius Maximus Rullianus
commander2=Egnatius
strength1=about 38,000
strength2=about 38,000
casualties1=
casualties2=The Battle of Sentinum was the decisive battle of the
Third Samnite War , fought in295 BC near "Sentinum " (next toSassoferrato ,Marche ), in which the Romans were able to overcome a formidable coalition ofSamnite s, Etruscans,Umbri ans, and theirGallic allies. The result was a Roman victory and Rome went on to unify CentralItaly .The Romans were commanded by
consuls Decius Mus and Fabius Maximus Rullianus, and amounted to about 38,000 men — 4 legions, a strong contingent of Roman cavalry, 1,000 chosen cavalry men from Campania, 4 allied and Latin legions and a strong contingent of allied and Latin cavalry. Their opponents were Samnites and Gauls, since the Etruscans and the Umbrians had returned to their territories to defend them from another small Roman army.The two armies, of the same strength, arrived at the Plain of Sentinum but waited for two days to battle each other. Finally, unable to control the eagerness of their troops, the Romans attacked. Fabius faced the Samnites; Decius was opposite the Gauls. The Roman line initially buckled under the Gauls'
chariot s. Decius charged into the Gauls anyway. Although he was slain, Decius' charge inspired his men and they restored the Roman line. Fabius routed the Samnites and thenflank ed the Gauls to win the battle.External links
* [http://www.forumromanum.org/history/ Outlines of Roman History]
*"The Battle of Sentinum". [http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=macgregor&book=rome&story=sentinum The Story of Rome at The Baldwin Project] .
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