The Struggle for Roman Citizenship : Romans, Allies, and the Wars of 91-77 BCE

Between 91 and 77 BCE a series of wars were fought in Italy which left the Roman commonwealth in shambles and ultimately brought about its collapse. Traditionally, studies of these conflicts and their leaders have tended to focus on events and individuals separately, although there is a thread which binds them all together: all of these wars in some way involved efforts on the part of Rome s non-citizen Italian Allies first to obtain the rights of Roman citizenship, and then to enhance and preserve those rights once acquired. By re-examining the turbulent decade of the 80s BCE from the perspective of the Italians, their struggle for the citizenship, and the Roman reaction to it, there emerges a greater understanding of a period which otherwise appears to be a disjointed collection of random, violent episodes.This volume attempts to provide such a survey. It first investigates the nature of the problem by ascertaining why it is the Italian Allies wanted the citizenship. Next, it narrates how Rome s reluctance to give it led to a war so devastating that Rome extended a form of partial citizenship to secure peace. The Allies were not content with this concession for long, however, and their dissatisfaction was used by Roman politicians to further their own ends. Such use is also examined, as is the violence which resulted from it. Finally, it will explore how this violence culminated in a full-fledged civil war, one on whose battlefields the Italians played a large part and which shook and eventually shook apart the foundations of the Roman Republic.Front cover: Roman ruins in what was once the ancient city of Corfinium (modern Corfinio), used as the base of operations by the Italians during the Allied War from 91 to 88 BCE. Between 91 and 77 BCE a series of wars were fought in Italy which left the Roman commonwealth in shambles and ultimately brought about its collapse. Traditionally, studies of these conflicts and their leaders have tended to focus on events and individuals separately, although there is a thread which binds them all all of these wars in some way involved efforts on the part of Rome s non-citizen Italian Allies first to obtain the rights of Roman citizenship, and then to enhance and preserve those rights once acquired. By re-examining the turbulent decade of the 80s BCE from the perspective of the Italians, their struggle for the citizenship, and the Roman reaction to it, there emerges a greater understanding of a period which otherwise appears to be a disjointed collection of random, violent episodes. This volume attempts to provide such a survey. It first investigates the nature of the problem by ascertaining why it is the Italian Allies wanted the citizenship. Next, it narrates how Rome s reluctance to give it led to a war so devastating that Rome extended a form of partial citizenship to secure peace. The Allies were not content with this concession for long, however, and their dissatisfaction was used by Roman politicians to further their own ends. Such use is also examined, as is the violence which resulted from it. Finally, it will explore how this violence culminated in a full-fledged civil war, one on whose battlefields the Italians played a large part and which shook and eventually shook apart the foundations of the Roman Republic. Front Roman ruins in what was once the ancient city of Corfinium (modern Corfinio), used as the base of operations by the Italians during the Allied War from 91 to 88 BCE. Between 91 and 77 BCE a series of wars were fought in Italy which left the Roman commonwealth in shambles and ultimately brought about its collapse. Traditionally, studies of these conflicts – and their leaders – have tended to focus on events and individuals separately, although there is a thread which binds them all together: all of these wars in some way involved efforts on the part of Rome's non-citizen Italian Allies first to obtain the rights of Roman citizenship, and then to enhance and preserve those rights once acquired. By re-examining the turbulent decade of the 80s BCE from the perspective of the Italians, their struggle for the citizenship, and the Roman reaction to it, there emerges a greater understanding of a period which otherwise appears to be a disjointed collection of random, violent episodes. This volume attempts to provide such a survey. It first investigates the nature of the problem by ascertaining why it is the Italian Allies wanted the citizenship. Next, it narrates how Rome's reluctance to give it led to a war so devastating that Rome extended a form of partial citizenship to secure peace. The Allies were not content with this concession for long, however, and their dissatisfaction was used by Roman politicians to further their own ends. Such use is also examined, as is the violence which resulted from it. Finally, it will explore how this violence culminated in a full-fledged civil war, one on whose battlefields the Italians played a large part and which shook – and eventually shook apart – the foundations of the Roman Republic. Table of Contents Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1: The Nature of the Evidence Chapter 2: Causes of Italian Desires for the Roman Citizenship Chapter 3: The Sparks to Light the Flame Chapter 4: The Ignition of Hostilities Chapter 5: War in Earnest, 90 BCE Chapter 6: Imperfect Defeat and Incomplete Victory, 89–88 Chapter 7: New Citizens: Marius, Sulpicius, Sulla, and the March on Rome Chapter 8: Progress and the Promises of Cinna Chapter 9: The Return of Sulla and the Civil War Chapter 10: The End of the Struggle— the Dictatorship of Sulla and its Consequences Epilogue: Romans Old and New Appendices Bibliography Maps and Figures Index

Between 91 and 77 BCE a series of wars were fought in Italy which left the Roman commonwealth in shambles and involved efforts on the part of Rome's non-citizen Italian allies to obtain the rights of Roman citizenship. This is a survey of the allies' quest for citizenship in the Republic, the reasons it was sought, the often violent measures they took to acquire it, and the impact this quest had on the Roman state.