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Barbarian Wars and the Gauls
When the Roman people, in cooperation with the nobles, expelled the last king
and formed a republic with major powers residing in the nobility, the Roman
state really only comprised not more than a few hundred square miles south of the Tiber River. Their were Etruscan attacks from the north, and the Romans lost some territory. War also was
waged with other Latin cities in the surrounding area, but a treaty was drawn up
which remained in force for nearly 150 years. An equal alliance was concluded,
and a partial exchange of citizenship was arranged, which was aimed particularly
at better commercial relations.
This warfare, which gave birth to the infant state of Rome, was to a good
characteristic of Roman history in the centuries to follow. With her new Latin
allies, wars were waged against the Aequi and the Volsci, tribes to the south of Rome. More significant for Rome was the long conflict
with Veii, a strong Etruscan city a few miles to the north. This city probably
was both the main political and economic rival of Rome, and it was not until
the beginning of the fourth century BC, nearly 100 years later, that Rome, after
an 11-year siege, finally captured and destroyed the city. The conquest of
Veii nearly doubled the territory of Rome which allowed them to settle colonies in
this newly acquired territory and they absorbed whatever native peoples
remaining there.
The Invasion of the Barbarous Gauls
Not long after Veii had been overcome a new and greater threat to Roman
existence appeared - the invasion of the barbarous Gauls. These invaders had forced
their way into the Po Valley, in northern Italy, where they overran the country
and settled on the northeastern borders of Italy. Suddenly they thrusted
southward across the Apennines and appeared in Roman territory and defeated the Roman army. The Romans
became stricken with panic and seriously doubting their ability to defend
themselves, deserted their city (387 B.C.) leaving only a garrison in the citadel. The
city was sacked and occupied by the Gauls for several months when, upon a ransom
payment of gold, the Gauls left and returned to the extreme northern sections
of Italy.
The Romans at once occupied and rebuilt their city, and soon after provided it
with more adequate defenses in the form of a new stone wall. For some years,
the Gauls ceased their raids into Roman territory, but in 368 BC and 348 BC, two
more invasions indicated to the Romans that the Gauls still were a serious
danger to the Roman state. In 334, Gauls and Romans concluded formal peace which
lasted for the remainder of the century.
The History of Rome - Part One 743 - 136 B.C. © Bible History Online (http://www.bible-history.com) |