Opimius collected his forces at Piacenza, and marching across the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Apennines&groupId=343&placeId=664">Apennines</a> reached the country of the Oxybii.
Encamping beside the river Apro he waited for the enemy, hearing that they were collecting and were ready to give battle.
Then leading his army to Aegitna, the town in which the legates had been treacherously attacked, he took it by assault, sold the inhabitants into slavery, and sent the ringleaders of the outrage in chains to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a>.
After this success he went to meet the enemy.
The Oxybii, thinking that their offence against the legates was inexpiable, showed extraordinary spirit, and with frenzied eagerness for the fray, before being joined by the Decietae, collected a force of about four thousand men and threw themselves on the enemy.
Opimius, seeing the barbarians attack him so boldly, was amazed at their desperate courage; but knowing that they had no good grounds for this display of valour, felt full of confidence, as he was a practised commander and exceedingly intelligent.
Therefore, leading out his army and exhorting them in terms suitable to the occasion, he advanced slowly to meet the enemy.
Pressing home his attack vigorously he soon got the better of his adversaries, slew many of them and forced the others to headlong flight.
The Decietae now arrived in full force, thinking that they would take part in the battle side by side with the Oxybii, but arriving after all was over, received the fugitives into their ranks;
they shortly afterwards attacked the Romans with great spirit and resolution,
but when worsted in the fight at once unconditionally surrendered themselves and their city.
Opimius having overcome these tribes added as much of their territory as he thought fit to that of Marseilles, and compelled the Ligurians to give the Massaliots in future hostages for certain periods.
He himself, after disarming his adversaries and distributing his forces among the different cities, went into winter quarters in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Liguria&groupId=689&placeId=1259">Liguria</a>.
This campaign, then, both began and ended rapidly.
Walbank Commentary