A prominent element in the Roman policy of expansion was the founding of colonies in the territories of defeated peoples. The Second Samnite war (327-304 BCE) had seen the founding of the Latin colonies of Suessa, Aurunca, Pontiae and Interamna, which were followed in 303 BCE by Alba Fucens in…
There were several peoples that made life difficult for the Romans during the fifth century BCE, but there can be no doubt that the Volsci and Aequi were their most lethal enemies. Both peoples originally lived in the highlands of the Apennines, but in the sixth century BCE they migrated…
During the late Age of Kings, Rome had become the dominant power in Latium. Shortly after the expulsion of her last king, in 509 BCE, Rome was even able to conclude a treaty with the city of Carthage in Northern Africa. But at the end of the sixth and beginning…
Towards the end of the sixth century BCE the Romans abolished their monarchy. The precise circumstances leading to this decision will probably remain shrouded in mystery forever, but it seems highly unlikely that anger about a crime committed by the son of the last king was the main reason to…
It is a historical fact that Rome was ruled by Etruscan kings for more than a century. These men left their mark on the city by building drainage works, temples and city walls. The Etruscan kings furthermore introduced the census and the division of the Roman people into five property…
A Roman who lived at the time of the Late Republic or during the Imperial Age probably knew that his city had once been ruled by kings. The supreme pontiff or pontifex maximus made use of the Regia, a building in the Forum that once served as a residence for…