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- The original Italian peoples are lost in the mists of the past and no one
can be too certain about where they came from.
- When the Romans first showed up in the area of Latium they were a mixed culture of people speaking different languages from among
many cultures such as the Samnites, Umbrians, Latins, Gauls, Greeks, and Etruscans.
- The early Romans were mainly influenced and ruled by the Etruscans who were
highly advanced and the Romans learned so much from them that when the
Etruscans had vanished as a people their practices and ways were still deeply rooted in
the Romans.
- The exact situation of Rome herself atop seven hills and with the Tiber River right there gave them a very powerful position in relation in all the land of
Italy.
- Parts of the ancient Servian Wall can still be seen today.
- The early settlement had come together on special occasions such as
"Septimontium" an ancient festival held every year on December 11th where each
community offered sacrifices in honor of the hill they lived on.
-Traditionally two of the hills of Rome (Quirinal and Capitol) were said to
have been colonized by the Sabines, while the rest were occupied by the Latini though archaeology may not agree.
- In 1635 AD Nicolas Poussin painted a marvelous oil painting showing the
legendary rape, or abduction of the Sabine women by the followers of Romulus. It can be seen today at the metropolitan Museum in New York.
- The Sabines were finally conquered in 290 BC and granted citizenship in 268
BC.
The History of Rome - Part One 743 - 136 B.C. © Bible History Online (http://www.bible-history.com) |