Veii, the richest city of the Etruscan League, on the southern border of Etruria, is the nearest Etruscan city to Rome, and has been more or less continually at war with Rome for nearly three hundred years years.

Following a battle in 480 BCE, in which the Roman army was close to defeat, and saved by consul Kaeso Fabius Vibulanus, the Veientes kept on raiding Roman territory, retreating in front of Roman legions to deny them open battle.

Engaged in a conflict with Aequi and Volsci, the Romans had been fighting on two fronts.

Thus, in 479 BCE, the gens Fabia had offered to deal with Veii on its own, while the Republican legions had to fight against the other enemies.

Livy says that all of the 306 adult (i.e., more than fifteen years old) Fabii went to the war, together with their clients.

The Fabii have built a stronghold on the river Cremera, close to Veii, from which they have managed to limit Veii raids.

The Veientes had engaged in open battle near the Roman stronghold, but were defeated by Fabii and a Roman army led by consul Lucius Aemilius Mamercinus, and obliged to ask for a truce.

After the truce had been broken, the Veientes had renewed their raids, but were repeatedly defeated by the Fabii, who, encouraged by the successes, became bold and attacked and pillaged Veii territory.

In the end, however, the Fabii fall in the trap laid by the Veientes in 477.

Considering the enemies far from the stronghold, the Romans exit from the stronghold to capture a herd, scattering in pursue of the animals.

In that moment, the outnumbering Veientes exit and surround the Fabii.

Adopting the wedge formation, the Romans break through and reach a hill, where they successfully repulse the Etruscan attacks, until a Veientean formation arrives to their back.

All of the Fabii are slaughtered but Quintus Fabius Vibulanus, who had been too young to be sent to war.