Siege of Nola
The siege of Nola refers to various Roman attempts to regain control of the city following its loss during the Social War.
Background
was captured by Samnite forces under Gaius Papius Mutilus in 90 BC. The captors were able to induce the defection of most of the 2000 Roman soldiers, with the officers refusing and starved to death.First Roman operations (89–87 BC)
In 89 BC, in the Battle of Nola, the Roman commander Sulla defeated an Italian force led by Lucius Cluentius. The survivors of the battle tried to flee into the city, although around 20,000, including Cluentius himself, failed and were killed outside the walls. The siege continued and in 88 BC Sulla used the besieging forces for his March on Rome.Final surrender (80 BC)
Major Roman commanders in the siege were Sulla and Appius Claudius Pulcher.It was the last city to hold out against Rome with Rome not re-establishing control until 80 BC, after Sulla's civil war ended. It is possible that the city surrendered to avoid the consequences of a siege rather than being starved out by a siege.