". ▁Pap ius ▁became ▁the ▁cons ul ▁for ▁the ▁southern ▁re bel ▁forces , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Sam n ites , ▁in ▁ 9 0 ▁BC . ▁His ▁fellow ▁cons ul ▁was ▁Quint us ▁Po ppa ed ius ▁Sil o ; ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁a ▁cent r ally ▁located ▁army , ▁staff ed ▁mainly ▁by ▁members ▁of ▁Ital ic ▁tribe ▁of ▁Mar si . ▁Both ▁of ▁these ▁men ▁held ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁cons ul ▁into ▁the ▁year ▁ 8 9 ▁BC ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁success ▁during ▁the ▁campaign ing ▁season ▁of ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁ ▁Success ▁in ▁Battle ▁ ▁Pap ius ▁achieved ▁great ▁success ▁as ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Sam n ite ▁army ▁during ▁his ▁advance ▁into ▁Roman ▁territory . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁more ▁famous ▁batt les ▁fought ▁by ▁the ▁southern ▁reb els ▁occurred ▁at ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁N ola . ▁The ▁Sam n ite ▁army ▁captured ▁the ▁city ▁with ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁Roman ▁soldiers ▁remaining ▁inside . ▁The ▁soldiers ▁did ▁not ▁accept ▁Pap ius ' ▁offer ▁to ▁serve ▁under ▁him ▁and ▁were ▁therefore ▁star ved ▁to ▁death . ▁ ▁Following ▁his ▁victory ▁at ▁N ola , ▁Pap ius ▁took ▁the ▁cities ▁of ▁St ab iae , ▁Min er vi um , ▁and ▁Sal ern um ▁while ▁conqu ering ▁the ▁country ▁around ▁N uc eria . ▁The ▁citizens ▁of ▁these ▁cities ▁and ▁those ▁surrounding ▁fe ared ▁the ▁wr ath ▁of ▁Pap ius . ▁He ▁gathered ▁the ▁prisoners ▁and ▁slaves ▁from ▁each ▁city ▁while ▁also ▁being ▁given ▁inf antry ▁and