Ancient Roman confederation for mutual defense
Latin League
Foedus Latinum
|
---|
|
Map of the main cities of the Latin League
|
Common languages
| Latin
|
---|
Government
| Tribal
Confederation
|
---|
History
|
|
---|
|
? Established
| 793 BC
|
---|
? Disestablished
| 338 BC
|
---|
|
|
Today part of
| Italy
|
---|
The
Latin League
(
c.
8th century
? 338 BC)
[1]
was an ancient confederation of about 30 villages and tribes in the region of
Latium
near the
ancient city of Rome
, organized for mutual defense. The term "Latin League" is one coined by modern historians with no precise
Latin
equivalent.
[2]
Creation
[
edit
]
The Latin League was originally created for protection against enemies from surrounding areas (the
Etruscans
) under the leadership of the city of
Alba Longa
.
[1]
An incomplete fragment of an inscription recorded by
Cato the Elder
claims that at one time the league included
Tusculum
,
Aricia
,
Lanuvium
,
Lavinium
,
Cora
,
Tibur
,
Pometia
and
Ardea
.
[3]
Roman leadership of the League
[
edit
]
During the reign of
Tarquinius Superbus
, the Latins were persuaded to acknowledge the leadership of Rome. The treaty with Rome was renewed, and it was agreed that the troops of the Latins would attend on an appointed day to form a united military force with the troops of Rome. That was done, and Tarquin formed combined units of Roman and Latin troops.
[4]
The early
Roman Republic
formed an alliance with the Latin League in 493 BC. According to Roman tradition, the treaty, the
Foedus Cassianum
,
[5]
followed a Roman victory over the league in the
Battle of Lake Regillus
. It provided that both Rome and the Latin League would share loot from military conquests (which would later be one of the reasons for the
Latin War
341?338 BC) and that any military campaigns between the two would be led by Roman generals. The alliance helped repel attacks from such peoples as the
Aequi
and the
Volsci
, tribes of the
Apennine Mountains
, who were prevented from invading Latium by the blending of armies.
[1]
It is still unclear if the
Latins
had accepted Rome as a member of the League, or if the treaty had been signed as between Rome and the Latin League.
Wars with Rome
[
edit
]
During the
Roman Kingdom
and the early-to-mid
Roman Republic
there were numerous
disputes
between Rome and the Latins, which led to a number of wars between Rome and individual Latin cities and occasionally with the entire league.
The increasing power of Rome gradually led to its domination of the league. The renewal of the original treaty in 358 BC formally established Roman leadership and eventually triggered the outbreak of the
Latin War
(343?338 BC).
[1]
Following the Roman victory, the league was dissolved.
After 338 BC, the end of the Latin league, Rome renamed the cities
municipia
and established
coloniae
inside them. This meant that the towns were now ruled by Rome (or the Roman Republic) and that the people living there were considered Roman colonists.
[5]
Cities
[
edit
]
Alba Longa
(founder ? destroyed in the mid-7th century BC),
Ardea
,
Aricia
,
Cameria
(destroyed in 502 BC),
Cora
,
Lanuvium
,
Lavinium
,
Pometia
,
Tibur
, and
Tusculum
.
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
Stearns, Peter N. (2001).
The Encyclopedia of World History
. Houghton Mifflin. pp. 76?78.
ISBN
0-395-65237-5
.
- ^
Tim Cornell
(1995).
The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars
. Routledge. p. 293.
- ^
Tim Cornell, (2000),
The City-State in Latium
, in Mogens Herman Hansen,
A Comparative Study of Thirty City-state Cultures
, page 213. Kgl. Danske Videnskabernes Selskab
- ^
Livy
,
Ab urbe condita
, 1.50?52
- ^
a
b
Nelson, Eric. (2001)
The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Roman Empire
, Alpha Books. pp. 76?77.
ISBN
0-02-864151-5
.