Social War

Social War
1. Gk. Hist. the war between Athens and its confederates, 357-355 B.C.
2. Rom. Hist. the war in Italy between Rome and its allies, 90-88 B.C.

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or Italic War or Marsic War

(90–89 BC) Rebellion waged by ancient Rome's Italian allies (Latin, socii).

The allies in central and southern Italy had aided Rome in its wars, but they were denied the privileges of Roman citizenship. The people of central Italy's hills
the Marsi in the north and the Samnites in the south
organized a confederacy and began an uprising for independence, winning victories over Roman armies in the north and south. After Rome granted citizenship to those who had not revolted and those who would immediately lay down their arms, Italian interest in the struggle declined. Sulla defeated the weakened rebels in the south, and legislation was passed to unify Italy south of the Po River.

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▪ Roman history
also called  Italic War, or Marsic War 

      (90–89 BC), rebellion waged by ancient Rome's Italian allies (socii) who, denied the Roman franchise, fought for independence.

      The allies in central and southern Italy had fought side by side with Rome in several wars and had grown restive under Roman autocratic rule, wanting instead Roman citizenship and the privileges it conferred. In 91 BC the Roman tribune Marcus Livius Drusus (Drusus, Marcus Livius) tried to solve the problem by proposing legislation that would have admitted all Italians to citizenship, but his program aroused heated opposition in the Senate, and Drusus was soon afterward assassinated. The frustrated Italian allies then rose in revolt.

      The peoples of the hills of central Italy formed the heart of the uprising, the Marsi in the north and the Samnites (Samnite) in the south. Neither the Latin colonies nor Etruria and Umbria joined in. The Italians began organizing their own confederacy; they established their headquarters at Corfinium, which they renamed Italia, created a Senate and officers, and issued a special coinage; soon they had 100,000 men in the field. In 90 BC Roman armies were defeated in the northern sector, while in the south the Italians were equally successful and burst into southern Campania. Only by political concession could Rome hope to check the revolt: the consul Lucius Julius Caesar thus helped pass a law granting Roman citizenship to all Italians who had not participated in the revolt and probably also to all who had but were ready to immediately lay down their arms. This move pacified many of the Italians, who soon lost interest in further struggle against Rome. Roman forces under Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo in the north and Lucius Cornelius Sulla in the south soon inflicted decisive defeats on the remaining rebels and captured their strongholds.

      The back of the revolt was now broken, although some resistance continued among the Samnites for a short time. Further legislation was soon passed that reinforced the allies' newly won rights; one law regulated the municipal organization of the communities that now entered the Roman state; and another dealt with Cisalpine Gaul (probably granting citizenship to all Latin colonies). Thus, the political unification of all Italy south of the Po River was achieved, and Romans and Italians, hitherto linked by alliance, could now become a single nation.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Social War — may refer to:* Social War (357 355 BC), or the War of the Allies, was fought between the Second Athenian Empire and the allies of Chios, Rhodes, and Cos as well as Byzantium * Social War (91–88 BC), or the Italian War or the Marsic War, was… …   Wikipedia

  • Social War (91–88 BC) — This article is about the conflict between Rome and her Italian allies between 91 and 88 BC For the Athenian conflict with its allies between 357 and 355 BC see Social War (357–355 BC). Social War Part of the Roman unification of Italy Date 91–88 …   Wikipedia

  • Social War — 1. Gk. Hist. the war between Athens and its confederates, 357 355 B.C. 2. Rom. Hist. the war in Italy between Rome and its allies, 90 88 B.C. * * * Social War noun The war (90–88BC) of Rome s Italian allies (Socii) against Rome for admission to… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Social War (357–355 BC) — This article is about the conflict between Athens and its allies between 357 and 355 BC : For the conflict between Rome and her allies between 91 and 88 BC, see Social War (91–88 BC) Infobox Military Conflict conflict=Social War partof= date=357… …   Wikipedia

  • Social War — /soʊʃəl ˈwɔ/ (say sohshuhl waw) noun 1. the war between Athens and its confederates in 357–355 BC. 2. the war between Rome and its Italian allies in 90–88 BC. {Latin socius ally} …  

  • SOCIAL WAR —    name given to an Insurrection of the allied States in Italy against the domination of Rome, and which lasted from 90 to 88 B.C., in consequence of their exclusion from the rights of citizenship and the privileges attached; they formed a league …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Coinage of the Social War (91–88 BC) — Denarius Laureate head of Italia left, Oscan retrograde legend right UILETIV [víteliú = Italia] …   Wikipedia

  • social — [sō′shəl] adj. [< Fr or L: Fr < L socialis < socius, companion, akin to sequi, to follow < IE base * sekw , to follow > OE secg, man, warrior] 1. of or having to do with human beings living together as a group in a situation in… …   English World dictionary

  • war — war1 /wawr/, n., v., warred, warring, adj. n. 1. a conflict carried on by force of arms, as between nations or between parties within a nation; warfare, as by land, sea, or air. 2. a state or period of armed hostility or active military… …   Universalium

  • social — adj. & n. adj. 1 of or relating to society or its organization. 2 concerned with the mutual relations of human beings or of classes of human beings. 3 living in organized communities; unfitted for a solitary life (man is a social animal). 4 a… …   Useful english dictionary

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