The Latin War (340-338 BC) was a conflict between the Roman Republic and its neighbors the Latin peoples of ancient Italy. It resulted in a Roman victory, with the Latins becoming Roman allies with full rights of Roman citizenship. See also Roman Republic (18th century) and Roman Republic (19th century). ... The word Latin has more than one meaning. ...

A push by the Latin peoples for independence from Rome was the main cause in starting the war. In 340 BC, an embassy was sent to the Roman Senate to ask for the formation of a single republic between Rome and Latium, with both parties on the same level. Since Rome had been, in the previous years, the leader of the Latin league, it refused to put the Latin people on her same level and to host Latin peoples in the Roman Senate. From Rome's refusal, the war begun. The Romans had been fighting alongside the Latin and Campanian peoples against the Samnites in the First Samnite War when the Romans withdrew from the war. The Latins continued fighting beside the Campanians, while Rome joined the Samnites to attack the Latins. Only the Laurentes in Latium and the equites of Campania adhered to the Romans, who on their part found support among the Paeligni. City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus – SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) Founded 21 April 753 BC mythical, 1st millennium BC Region Latium Mayor Walter Veltroni (Left-Wing Democrats) Area  - City Proper  1290 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 2,823,807 almost 4,000,000 1... Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 390s BC 380s BC 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC - 340s BC - 330s BC 320s BC 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC Years: 345 BC 344 BC 343 BC 342 BC 341 BC - 340 BC - 339 BC 338 BC... The Roman Senate (Latin, Senatus) was a deliberative body which was important in the government of both the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. ... Latium (Lazio in Italian) is a region of central Italy, bordered by Tuscany, Umbria, Abruzzo, Molise, Campania and the Tyrrhenian Sea. ... The Latin League was an alliance of Rome and the many other cities and villages in and around the area of Latium. ... Campania is a region of Southern Italy, bordering on Lazio to the north-west, Molise to the north, Puglia to the north-east, Basilicata to the east, and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west. ... Samnite warriors Samnium (Oscan Safinim) was a region of the southern Apennines in Italy that was home to the Samnites, a group of Sabellic tribes that controlled the area from about 600 BC to about 290 BC. Samnium was delimited by Latium in the north, by Lucania in the south... The Samnite Wars were three wars between the early Roman Republic and the tribes of Samnium. ... An Equestrian (Latin eques, plural equites) was a member of one of the two upper social classes in the Roman Republic and early Roman Empire. ... The Paeligni were a people of ancient Italy, first mentioned as a member of a confederacy which included the Marsi, Marrucini and Vestini, with which the Romans came into conflict in the second Samnite War, 325 BC. On the submission of the Samnites they all came into alliance with Rome...

The Latins entered Samnium; The Roman-Samnite army moved to Fucine Lake, then, avoiding Latium, entered the Campanian territory and attacked the Latins and Campanian near Mount Vesuvius. In the Battle of Vesuvius, the Romans, under consuls Decius Mus and Manlius Imperiosus, defeated the Latins. According to Roman sources, Manlius restated army discipline by killing his own rebelling son, while Decius sacrificed his own life to the gods for the Roman victory. Samnite warriors Samnium (Oscan Safinim) was a region of the southern Apennines in Italy that was home to the Samnites, a group of Sabellic tribes that controlled the area from about 600 BC to about 290 BC. Samnium was delimited by Latium in the north, by Lucania in the south... This article is about the volcano in Italy. ... The battle of Vesuvius was fought in 339 BC, during the Latin War between the Roman Republic and the Latin peoples of ancient Italy. ... Publius Decius Mus is the name of three Romans who (according to legend) sacrificed themselves in battle, in the belief that the infernal gods would then destroy their enemies. ...

One year later, Manlius defeated the Latins at the Battle of Trifanum. The Latins, forced to leave Campania, moved to Latium, where they put up a long battle. However, this was an unsuccessful resistance against the Roman forces. The defeated Latine peoples where obliged to recognize Roman prevalence; some of the Latine towns where Romanized, some others became partially Roman, adopting Roman magistratures, while some others became Roman colonies. The Battle of Trifanum was fought in 338 BC between Rome and the Latins. ...

Although Rome won the war, in the end it granted the initial request for equality by the Latins that led to the war.

References

• William C. Morey, Outlines of Roman History, New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: American Book Company (1901) (through Forum Romanum)
• Theodor Mommsen, History of Rome (through Classic Literature)