Page:A general history for colleges and high schools (Myers, 1890).djvu/282

244 revolt of her Latin allies, and, leaving the war unfinished, turned her forces upon the insurgents.

Revolt of the Latin Cities (340–338 B.C.).—The strife between the Romans and their Latin allies was simply the old contest within the walls of the capital between the patricians and the plebeians transferred to a larger arena. As the nobles had oppressed the commons, so now both these orders united in the oppression of the Latins—the plebeians in their bettered circumstances forgetting the lessons of adversity. The Latin allies demanded a share in the government, and that the lands acquired by conquest should be distributed among them as well as among Roman citizens. The Romans refused. All Latium rose in revolt against the injustice and tyranny of the oppressor.

After about three years' hard fighting, the rebellion was subdued. The Latin League was now broken up. Some of the towns retained their independence (Tibur, Praeneste, and Cora) j some received full Roman citizenship (Aricia, Lanuvium, and Nomentum); while others received only the private rights of Roman citizens, the right of suffrage being withheld.

Second and Third Samnite Wars (326–290 B.C.).—In a few years after the close of the Latin contest, the Romans were at war again with their old rivals, the Samnites. Notwithstanding the latter were thoroughly defeated in this second contest, still it was not long before they were again in arms and engaged in their third struggle with Rome. This time they had formed a powerful coalition which embraced all the states of Italy, including the Greek cities in the south and the Gallic tribes in the north.

Roman courage rose with the danger. The united armies of the league met with a most disastrous defeat (at Sentinum, 295 B.C.), and the power of the coalition was broken. One after another the states that had joined the alliance were chastised. The Samnites were overpowered, the Gauls were routed, the Etruscans were crushed, and all the important Greek cities of Southern Italy, save Tarentum, were forced to acknowledge the supremacy of Rome.

War with Pyrrhus (282–272 B.C.).—Tarentum was one of the