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Glite Dictionary
Battle of the Caudine Forks

Battle of the Caudine Forks

9.9
A battle in the Apennine Mountains in 321 BC where the Samnites defeat the Roman army
  • proper noun
: Batalla de las Horcas Caudinas
  • The Battle of the Caudine Forks was a pivotal conflict where the Samnites outmaneuvered the Romans in 321 BC.

Examples

  • The Battle of the Caudine Forks is remembered as a major humiliation for the Roman Republic.

  • Roman defeat at the Battle of the Caudine Forks led to significant military reforms.

  • Many historians discuss the tactics used by the Samnites during the Battle of the Caudine Forks.

  • The Battle of the Caudine Forks was a significant event in Roman history.

  • Did the Battle of the Caudine Forks change the course of the war?

  • Historians regard the Battle of the Caudine Forks as a turning point in the battle strategies of the Roman army.

  • After the Battle of the Caudine Forks, Rome faced pressure to adapt its military tactics against the Samnites.

Synonyms

Caudine Forks
vsBattle of the Caudine Forks
9.9

A mountain pass in Italy where the Samnites defeated the Roman army in 321 BC

refers to the actual military engagement rather than just the location

Surface Forms

Battle of the Caudine Forks main

Morphology

battle + of + the + Caudine + fork

The phrase follows the clear and cross-linguistic pattern 'Battle of [place]': a B1 learner who knows 'battle' and 'forks' can infer this names a military engagement that occurred at a place called the Caudine Forks. Specific historical details (date, combatants) are not derivable from the constituents, but the core referential meaning—a battle at a location—is directly compositional and predictable.

Etymology

Battle of the Caudine Forks comes from a narrow mountain pass called the Caudine Forks, where in 321 BC the Roman army was trapped by the Samnites. Because the Romans had to surrender in that tight pass, the battle is remembered as a great 'defeat' and 'humiliation' for Rome.