Definition of Social War

Before becoming a great empire that would mark the face of the world forever, the still republican Rome had to face a whole series of warlike conflicts that questioned either their own existence, or their preponderance, or their form of organization. One of the latter was the so-called Social War.

The Social War was a warlike conflict that occurred between 91 and 88 BC. C, and that faced on the one hand the Roman Republic and, on the other, different Italian peoples united.

These peoples, until then allies of Rome, felt mistreated by the city, since although theoretically it should treat them as allies (which is what they were officially), it treated them more as an possession.

The citizenship Roman was a very sensitive issue for these allies, since it gave many advantages in the form of rights, being very attractive, but not being able to enjoy it en masse.

Among the advantages it afforded, we have a more equitable of the earth, and greater benefit in the distribution of the spoils of war. Despite the fact that the Italian allies contributed the majority of the soldiers to the legions, Rome took the best slice, and this was increasing season after season, with a corresponding decrease for the allies.

In exchange for support for his projects, the tribune of the populace Marco Livio Druso promised the Italian allies the Roman citizenship, a promise that he could not fulfill since he was assassinated (a death somewhat more common than we could think among the political offices of ancient Rome), presumably by order or, at least, influence of the senate.

So the Allies, seeing that the Senate was totally reluctant to grant them citizenship and therefore They would never be treated the same as other Romans despite providing the same service to Rome, they decided to healthy”.

The Etruscan, Samnite, Piceno, Lucanian, Umbrian, Apulian or Marrucine allies among others, confederated and constituted a republic, elected their own Senate, minted their own currency, raised a new capital - which they called Italica - and declared war on Rome.

Things did not start well for the city that later had to conquer much of the known world, since they were defeated in several battles in 91 BC. C, year in which the revolts begin throughout the peninsula against the Romans.

The troops of the Italian Confederates were made up of veterans of previous campaigns of the Roman Republic, so their panoply and tactics were identical to those of the Roman army.

Thus, we will also speak, for example, of Samnite legions or of the Marsi.

Due to its geographical location with respect to Rome, which is located in the central part of the Italian peninsula, and to which practically all the Latins (of the current Lazio), the Allies divided their forces into two fronts, North and South, while the Romans had to do the same, dedicating each of their two consuls to one of the fronts.

Publio Rutilio Lupo, consul in charge of the northern front, was defeated in 90 BC. C in the Toleno valley.

One of his assistants was Gaius Mario, who in the end would take over the sole command and would prove, over the years, to be one of the best strategists in Rome and architect of the reform of the army that would allow the Eternal City to conquer the world.

In 89 a. C, Lucio Cornelio Sila would take command of the southern army.

Sulla, who would eventually get involved in a war civil against Mario and would become dictatorChasing Julius Caesar himself, among others, he would also become one of the leading commanders and politicians of classical Rome.

Little by little, the Romans managed to recover from the initial defeats and regain lost ground, going on the offensive. In 89, Sulla defeats a great Samnite army.

In 88, the only major enemies left to Rome were, precisely, the Samnites, Although the Romans knew how to accept that they had to negotiate, not to end the war, but to guarantee the peace in the future.

In the end, and despite losing the conflict, the Italian allies managed to win the long-awaited citizenship.

Rome was a military power, but the Romans were also pragmatic negotiators, and they knew they could come to a understanding with your old allies to stay strong against new enemies such as tribes Germanic.

Over the centuries and the so-called “romanization, the differences between Romans and Italian allies evaporated.

Photo: Fotolia - franciscojose

Issues in Social War