Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 17.djvu/293

* ROME. 207 ROME. whole system of finance — came under its super- vision and authority. (2) ExTERX.L History. The military suc- ces.ses of Rome during this period of internal strife were great. The irruption of the Gauls into sub-Apennine Italy (B.C. 391), though ac- companied by frightful devastations, was barren of results, and did not materially affect (he pro- gress of Konian compiest. No doubt (he battle on the Allia and the capture and burning of Rome (B.C. 390) were great disasters, but (lie injury was temporary. The vigilance of Manliiis saved the Capitol, and the hei-oism of Camillus revived the courage and spirit of the citizens. Again and again in the course of the fourth cen- tury B.C. the Gallic hordes repeated their in- cursions into Central Italy, but never again re- turned victorius. In B.C. 367 Camillus defeated them at the Alban hills; in 360 they were routed at the Colline gate; in 358. by the dictator C. Sulpicius Petieus; and in 3.50. by Lucius Furius Camillus. Meanwhile, aided by their allies, the Latins and the Hernicans, the Romans carried on the long and desperate struggle with the -Equians. Volscians, and Etruscans. Finally, after repeated defeats, the Romans triumphed, and the fall of Veii (q.v. ), B.C. 396. was really the death knell of Etruscan independence. Falerii, Capena. and Volsinii — all sovereign cities of Etruria — hastened to make peace, ami by the middle of the fourth century B.C., the whole of Southern Etruria had submitted to the supremacy of Rome, was kept in check by Roman garrisons, and denationalized by the influx of Roman colonists. In the land of the Volsci, likewise, a series of Roman fortresses were erected to over- awe the native inhabitants; Velitrse, on the borders of Latium, as far back as B.C. 492. Suessa Pometia (B.C. 442), Circeii (B.C. 393), Satricum (B.c 3S5). and Setia (B.C. 3S2) ; l)esides, the whole Volscian district, known as the Pontine Marshes (q.v.). was distrilnited into farm allot- ments among the plebeian soldiery. Becoming alarmed, however, at the increasing power of Rome, the Latins and Hernicans withdrew from the league, and a severe and protracted struggle took place between them and their former ally. Xearly thirty years elapsed before the Romans succeeded in restoring the league of Spurius Cas- sius. In the course of this war the old Latin confederacy of the "thirty cities" was broken up (B.C. 384), probably as being dangerous to the hegemony of Rome, and their constitutions were more and more assimilated to the Roman. The terms of the treaty made by the Romans (B.C. 348) with the Carthaginians show how very de- pendent was the position of the Latin cities, jleanwhile, the Romans hai pushed their gar- risons as far south as the Tl,iris, the northern boundary of Campania. Here they came into contact with the Snmnites (q.v.). The Samnites had long been extending their conquests in the south of Italy. Descending from their native mountains between the plains of Apulia and Campania, they had overrun the lower part of the peninsula, and had firmly es- tablished themselves in Lucania. Bruttium, Capua, and elsewhere. The forays of the Samnite highlanders in the rich lowlands of Camnnnia were dreaded above all thinss by their polished but degenerate kinsmen of Capua, who had ac- quired the luxurious habits of the Greeks and Etruscans. It was really to save themselves Vol. XVII.— is. from these destructive forays that the Cnm- panians offered to place thcmselveg under the supremacy of Rome; ami thus Komans ami Snm- nites were thrown into a position of diriTt an- tagonism. The Samnite wars, of which three are reckoned, extended over 5.3 years (ii.c. 3i;t- 290). The second, generally known as the "grriit Samnite war." lasted 22 years (ii.c. .■I20:I01). At first the success was mainly on the side of the Samnites. and after the disaster at the Cjiii- dine I'orks (q.v.) it seemed as if Samiiium was destined to become the rnler of Italy; bat the military genius of the Roman consul, Quiiitus Fabius RuUianus (see F.Miii-.s), triumplicd nvcr every danger, and rendered all the heroism of Gains Pontius, the Samnite leader, unavailing. In B.C. 304 Bovianum. the capital of Sanuiium, was stormed, and the highlanders were compelled to acknowledge the supremacy of the Hepulilic The third war (B.C. 298-290) was conducted with all the energy' of despair; but though the Ktrua- cans and Umbrians now joined (he Sanmites against the Romans, their hidp came (oo la(e. The victory of Rullianus and of P. Decius Mus. at Sentinum (B.C. 29.5), virtually ended the strug- gle, and placed the whole of "the Italiah penin- sula at the mercy of the victor. Al the close of the first Sanmite war. which was quite imleeisive, an insurrection had hurst out among the Latins and Volscians. and s]u'cad over the whole ter- ritory of these two nations; but the defeat in- flicted at Trifanum (n.c. 340) by the Human consul, Titus Manlius Imperiosus Torquatis, almost instantly crushed it, and in two years the last spark of rebellion was extinguished. The Latin league was now dissolved; many of the towns lost their independence and became Roman municipia ; new colonies were planted both on the coast and in the interior of the Latino- Volscian region; and finally so numerous were the farm allotments to Roman luirgesses that two additional tribes had to he constituted. The war with Pyrrhus (q.v.). King of Kpirus, which led to the complete subjugation of pen- insular Italy, is a sort of pendant to the great Sanuiite struggle. The Lucanians and Bruttians, who had aided the Romans in the Sanuiite wars, considering themselves cheated of their portion of the spoil, entered into negotiations with the enemies of their former associate throughout the peninsula. A coalition was immediately formed against Rome, consisting of Etruscans, Umbrians, and Gauls in (he north, and of Luca- nians, Bruttians, and Samnites in the south, with a sort of tacit understanding on the part of (he Tarentines that they would render assistance by and by. In the course of a single year the whole north Was in arms, and once more the power and even the existence of Rome were in ilcadly peril. An entire Roman army of 13.000 men was annihilated at .Arret ium (B.C. 284) by (he Smo- nian Gauls, but Publius Cornelius Dolalielhi marched into the country of the Senones at the head of a large force, and extirpated (he whole nation. Shordv aflcrwards the overthrow of the EtruscoBoi'an horde at Lake^ Vadimo (n.c. 283) shattered the northern eonfederney, ami left the Romans free to deal with their ad- versaries in the south. The Lucanians wen- quicklv overpowered (B.C. 282) ; Samnium could do notching. . rash and unprovoked attack nn a small Roman fleet now brought down on the Tarentines the vengeance of Rome. Awaking to