Page:Roman Constitutional History, 753-44 B.C..djvu/39

Rh pomerium, a narrow belt of land along the inside of the entire old wall, or embankment, which formed the augural limit (finis urbani auspicii), and in republican times also the civil boundary of the city, did not follow the Servian wall throughout; thus the Aventine, for instance, was inside the ramparts, but outside the pomerium.

The valleys were drained, a new place of meeting {comitium), for the popular assembly was established east of the Capitoline, the historic market place (forum Romanum) was opened, and the Capitoline temple of Jupiter was begun.

Extension of Territory. — The Roman territory was also enlarged. Alba Longa was perhaps the most distant acquisition. The extent of the Roman conquests is indicated in a general way by the position of the independent towns of Fidenae, Nomentum, Tibur, Gabii, Tusculum, Bovillae, Ardea, Lavinium, and Laurentum. Rome had in addition a strip of territory along the right bank of the Tiber, below the city.

Roman Leadership in Latium. — As the conqueror of Alba Longa, Rome is said to have claimed, and at any rate obtained, the leadership in the Latin league. It did not join the league as a single member, but entered into an alliance with it for the sake of mutual aid and protection against other nations. Perhaps the Roman commander-in-chief held the command of the federal, as well as the Roman, troops. Every citizen within the league was entitled to settle anywhere in the domains of the federal towns. The right of commercial intercourse was guaranteed to all members. Probably the right of intermarriage also existed between the corresponding classes in the different towns. The several communities were, however, to remain independent and sovereign, and the league of the thirty communities was to retain its autonomy.