Throughout Rome’s long history, a theme of territorial expansion can be seen. They wanted to become the greatest and most dominate power in the world. In the early stages of the Roman Empire, Rome was a small city-state that fought for territory and control over the Italian peninsula with several other city-states and tribes.
Rome had many enemies that it eventually overcame and conquered. One of Rome’s major enemies was the Etruscans who lived to the north of Latium, the region in which Rome was located. The Etruscans attacked many cities within Latium and those cities formed an alliance called the Latin League. Rome was not part of this alliance. Rome eventually came into conflict with the Latin League and the city of Alba Longa. Rome was …show more content…
Rome was able to flex its muscles and put its strategy for territorial expansion and control to work. Their continual success at defeating their enemies made them an attractive society to many of the conquered city-states. They could bait many people with the reward of becoming a Roman citizen. Rome took advantage of this and would give out partial citizenship or certain privileges to entice the now conquered people. Some cities were given full citizenship, some half citizenship, some Latin Rights, and the others were made just allies. The populations of ally cities were not Roman citizens and mostly were left to their own so long as Rome was recognized as the superior power. They had to provide soldiers to Rome’s army but as their own units separate from the Romans. The Latin Rights status offered the most basic of citizenship privileges such as the right to trade, intermarry with Romans or hold property within Rome’s domain. Those cities, whose population received the half citizenship status, or citizens without the right to vote, were able to trade, intermarry, fight in the army, and hold property within the domain. Withholding the right to vote allowed Rome to keep its government untouched and uninfluenced by the different societies it was trying to
Rome had many enemies that it eventually overcame and conquered. One of Rome’s major enemies was the Etruscans who lived to the north of Latium, the region in which Rome was located. The Etruscans attacked many cities within Latium and those cities formed an alliance called the Latin League. Rome was not part of this alliance. Rome eventually came into conflict with the Latin League and the city of Alba Longa. Rome was …show more content…
Rome was able to flex its muscles and put its strategy for territorial expansion and control to work. Their continual success at defeating their enemies made them an attractive society to many of the conquered city-states. They could bait many people with the reward of becoming a Roman citizen. Rome took advantage of this and would give out partial citizenship or certain privileges to entice the now conquered people. Some cities were given full citizenship, some half citizenship, some Latin Rights, and the others were made just allies. The populations of ally cities were not Roman citizens and mostly were left to their own so long as Rome was recognized as the superior power. They had to provide soldiers to Rome’s army but as their own units separate from the Romans. The Latin Rights status offered the most basic of citizenship privileges such as the right to trade, intermarry with Romans or hold property within Rome’s domain. Those cities, whose population received the half citizenship status, or citizens without the right to vote, were able to trade, intermarry, fight in the army, and hold property within the domain. Withholding the right to vote allowed Rome to keep its government untouched and uninfluenced by the different societies it was trying to