Editing Roman Republic (section)

====Wars against Italian neighbours====
[[File:Ligue-latine-carte.png|thumb|upright=1.5|The [[Latin League]] before Rome's expansion]]
{{Campaignbox Ancient Unification of Italy}}
{{Campaignbox Samnite Wars}}
From 343 to 341&nbsp;BC, Rome won [[First Samnite war|two battles]] against its [[Samnites|Samnite]] neighbours, but was unable to consolidate its gains, due to the outbreak of war with former Latin allies. In the [[Latin War]] (340–338&nbsp;BC), Rome defeated a coalition of Latins at the battles of [[Battle of Vesuvius|Vesuvius]] and the [[Battle of Trifanum|Trifanum]]. The Latins submitted to Roman rule.{{sfn|Grant|1978|pp=48–49}}

A [[Second Samnite War]] began in 327&nbsp;BC.{{sfn|Grant|1978|p=52}} The war ended with Samnite defeat at the [[Battle of Bovianum]] in 305&nbsp;BC. By 304&nbsp;BC, Rome had annexed most Samnite territory and begun to establish colonies there, but in 298&nbsp;BC the Samnites rebelled, and defeated a Roman army, in a [[Third Samnite War]]. After this success, it built a coalition of several previous enemies of Rome.{{sfn|Grant|1978|p=53}} The war ended with Roman victory in 290&nbsp;BC.

At the [[Battle of Populonia]], in 282&nbsp;BC, Rome finished off the last vestiges of Etruscan power in the region.

{{anchor|Middle Republic}}<!--linked-->