As Rome's government developed, so did its pride and strength, though it was certainly still quite vulnerable to attack. Meanwhile, the influence of the Etruscans faded. They had taken parts of southern Italy, but the Carthaginians (kahr-thuh-JIN-ee-uhnz) put an end to Etruscan dreams of empire in a battle at Cumae (KYOO-mee) in 474 b. c. The Etruscans began to withdraw to Etruria. Etruscan power began to ebb even further.
Eventually the decline of its neighbor would benefit Rome. During the 300s and 200s b. c., Rome would absorb most of the Etruscan cities, but the immediate effect of the Etruscan decline on Rome was negative. No longer did it find itself between the wealthy Etruscan civilization to the north and the equally wealthy Greek civilization in Magna Graecia and Sicily to the south. As Etruria went into an economic downturn, the decline affected Rome as well.
To compensate for these problems, Rome, in what would become a characteristic response, turned to conquest. Actually, at this point it was as much a matter of survival as anything else, with a variety of Latin tribes threatening the city from all around. In 496 b. c., Rome fought a battle with several of its neighbors and won, in large part thanks to the Romans' adoption of Greek military tactics such as the use of the hoplite and the phalanx.
Rome also set a pattern for its future international relations by establishing a treaty with the Latins, which laid out mutual obligations for the preservation of peace. But in another move that established Roman practice for centuries to come, Rome proved quite willing to violate the treaty when it suited it to do so.
Thus in 396 b. c., after a battle of some ten years, Rome broke its promise not to annex new territory when it conquered the Etruscan city of Veii (VEE-yigh). The conquest of Veii added greatly to Roman wealth and helped Rome past its economic troubles. However, just as it was establishing its power on the Italian peninsula, Rome experienced an invasion by a new and terrifying force from the north.
World History
