Editing Roman Republic (section)

===Rome in Latium===
====Early campaigns====
[[File:Capitoline Brutus Musei Capitolini MC1183 02.jpg|upright=0.8|thumb|left|The "[[Capitoline Brutus]]", a [[Bust (sculpture)|bust]] possibly depicting [[Lucius Junius Brutus]], who led the revolt against Rome's last king and was a founder of the Republic.]]
[[File:Roman Empire map.ogv|thumb|left|Animated overview of the Roman territorial history from the Roman Republic until the fall of its last remnant the [[Byzantine Empire]] in 1453 at the end of the [[post-classical era]].]]

According to Rome's traditional histories, Tarquin made several attempts to retake the throne, including the [[Tarquinian conspiracy]], which involved Brutus's own sons, the [[Roman–Etruscan Wars#War with Veii and Tarquinii, after the overthrow of the monarchy in 509 BC|war with Veii and Tarquinii]], and finally the [[Roman–Etruscan Wars#War with Clusium in 508 BC|war between Rome and Clusium]]. The attempts to restore the monarchy did not succeed.{{sfn|Cornell|1995|pp=215–217}}

The first Roman republican wars [[Roman expansion in Italy|were wars of expansion]]. One by one, Rome defeated both the persistent [[Sabines]] and the local cities. Rome defeated its rival Latin cities in the [[Battle of Lake Regillus]] in 496&nbsp;BC, the Battle of [[Ariccia]] in 495&nbsp;BC, the [[Battle of Mount Algidus]] in 458&nbsp;BC, and the [[Battle of Corbio]] in 446&nbsp;BC. But it suffered a significant defeat at the [[Battle of the Cremera]] in 477&nbsp;BC, wherein it fought against the most important Etruscan city, [[Veii]]; this defeat was later avenged at the [[Battle of Veii]] in 396&nbsp;BC, wherein Rome destroyed the city.{{sfn|Flor. ''Epit.'' |loc=i.11–12}}{{sfn|Grant|1978|pp=37–41}} By the end of this period, Rome had effectively [[Roman conquest of Italy|completed the conquest]] of its immediate Etruscan and Latin neighbours and secured its position against the immediate threat posed by the nearby Apennine hill tribes.

====Plebeians and patricians====
{{Main|Conflict of the Orders}}

Beginning with their revolt against Tarquin, and continuing through the early years of the Republic, Rome's patrician aristocrats were the dominant force in politics and society. They initially formed a closed group of about 50 large families, called [[Gens|''gentes'']], who monopolised Rome's magistracies, state priesthoods, and senior military posts. The most prominent of these families were the [[Cornelii]], [[Aemilii]], [[Claudii]], [[Fabii]], and [[Valerii]]. The leading families' power, privilege and influence derived from their wealth, in particular from their landholdings, their position as [[Patronage in ancient Rome|patrons]], and their numerous clients.{{sfn|Cornell|1995|pp=289–291}}

The vast majority of Roman citizens were commoners of various social degrees. They formed the backbone of Rome's economy, as [[smallholding]] farmers, managers, artisans, traders, and tenants. In wartime, they could be summoned for military service. Most had little direct political influence. During the early Republic, the ''[[plebs]]'' (or plebeians) emerged as a self-organised, culturally distinct group of commoners, with its own internal hierarchy, laws, customs, and interests.{{sfn|Cornell|1995|pp=256–259|ps=. ''Plebs'' ("the mass") was originally a disparaging term, but was adopted as a badge of pride by those whom it was meant to insult. It might not have referred to wealthier commoners.}} Plebeians had no access to high religious and civil office.{{efn|Several historians, notably [[Tim Cornell]], have challenged this view, saying that in the early Republic the [[Fasti Consulares]] bear names that are distinctively plebeian. Therefore, they claim that the plebeians were only excluded from higher offices by the Decemvirate in 451&nbsp;BC. More recently, [[Corey Brennan]] has dismissed this theory, arguing that the consular plebeians would not have let the Decemvirs take their power away that easily. Cf {{harnvb|Brennan|2000|pp=24–25}}. He attributes the "plebeian" names in the ''fasti'' to patrician ''gentes'' who later died out or became plebeians.}} For the poorest, one of the few effective political tools was their withdrawal of labour and services, in a ''[[secessio plebis]]''; the [[First secessio plebis|first such secession]] occurred in 494&nbsp;BC, in protest at the abusive treatment of plebeian debtors by the wealthy during a famine.{{efn|The traditional date for the first secession is given by Livy as 494; many other dates have been suggested, and several such events probably took place. See {{harvnb|Cornell|1995|pp=215–218, 256–261, 266}}.}} The patrician Senate was compelled to give them direct access to the written civil and religious laws and to the [[Elections in the Roman Republic|electoral]] and political process. To represent their interests, the ''plebs'' elected [[Tribune of the Plebs|tribunes]], who were personally sacrosanct, immune to [[arbitrary arrest]] by any magistrate, and had veto power over legislation.{{efn|For a discussion of the duties and legal status of plebeian tribunes and aediles, see {{harnvb|Lintott|1999b|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=QIKEpOP4lLIC&pg=PA92 92–101]}}}}

====Celtic invasion of Italy====
{{Campaignbox Roman-Gallic Wars}}

By 390&nbsp;BC, several [[Gauls|Gallic tribes]] were invading Italy from the north. The Romans met the Gauls in pitched battle at the [[Battle of the Allia|Battle of Allia River]] around 390–387&nbsp;BC. The battle was fought at the confluence of the [[Tiber]] and [[Allia]] rivers, 11 [[Roman miles]] ({{convert|10|mi|km|abbr=on|disp=or}}) north of Rome. The Romans were routed and subsequently Rome was sacked by the [[Senones]].{{Sfn|Kruta|2000|p=189}} There is no [[destruction layer]] at Rome around this time, indicating that if a sack occurred, it was largely superficial.{{Sfn|Treves|2012}}{{Better source needed|date=May 2024|reason=Though this is an accurate reflection of the Treves source, the description of 'superficial' may be a bit reductive. A lot could happen that doesn't necessarily leave a destruction layer.}}