The Romans in the Second Punic War

In three 27 b c. the early momentum was clearly in roman hands. Samnite allies were peeled off, and the romans won victory after victory on the battle field. The only major defeat for the romans came as a result not of samnites strength, but of a psychological mutiny by the roman army against their own commander. A dictator, lucius purius curser, was appointed to over the war effort. And quintus fabius maximus, the grandfather of the more famous fabius maximUS, was named his master of horse. They set out for samnium, but the taking of the auspices had been done poorly or was messed