Rome and Italy

• Italy before Rome is characterized by vast structural changes due to the 2nd Punic War.
• Some of these changes, such as the continuation of long-running effects that were pre-Hannibal, are not picked up due to the 3rd century gap in evidence.
• Societies across the Apennines were naturally less organized and more scattered.
• Sources: Archaeological evidence is ‘copious’, Literary accounts are mainly from a Roman POV but are very detailed (KL)
• Brunt is not convinced by using Livy as a sole source without Polybius, taking it as an ‘annalistic invention’.
• I would not agree with the reading that this is overly empathetic as it seems to be perfectly evidenced and supported.
• The Samnites had hill forts for defence and religious sanctuaries for the local people and rituals.
• Politically, the Samnites were governed by a larger body (federation) which formed into smaller political units.
• Some Apennine cities like Larinum started urbanization in the 4th century BC.
• The slave based economy in Italy is traditionally associated with being post-Hannibalic, but falls victim to the 3rd Cent gap.
• Livy’s accounts show that by the 4th century Rome was on its way to becoming a ‘slave society’, possibly driven by mass enslavement during 1st Punic War.
• The slave economy’s growth is linked with the growth of landed estates which is in turn linked to imperialism and the 4th century wars in Italy.
• Romanisation is seen as a cultural rather than political integration with Rome, with Roman culture itself being ever changing and operating in different ways depending on the strata.
• Italian communities did not just sit back and let Romanization happen, they adopted specific parts of Roman culture and Rejected others.
• The peace settlement of 338BC brought about the imposition of full or limited (civitas sine suffragio) Roman citizenship to Italy, with limited citizenship meaning civil rights but no voting.
• Before the 2nd century, Roman citizenship was seen as a punishment, the ancient world valued autonomy.
• The peace settlement of 338BC also brought about the status of being Latin in terms of legal rights and obligations, which meant trade, intermarriage with Roman citizens, restricted participation in Roman political process, and obligations to assist in times of war.
• Colonies were seen as small copies of Roman towns, often introduced the concept of urbanization itself to Italy, and seemed to ‘self-Romanize’ due to the efforts to ‘civilize’ the local population via example.
• Titus Maenius and Marcus Licinius Lucullus were tasked with investigating suspicious activity within Italy to do with the Bacchanalian ‘conspiracy’.
• Italian Religion was divided up between Titus Maenius and Marcus Licinius Lucullus, who received specifically ‘jurisdiction between citizens and foreigners’.
• The Bacchanals originated from one man from Greece, it encouraged feasting, ‘sexual immorality’, ‘mingling of both sexes, ‘perjured testimony in court’, music and violence.
• The idea that ancient economic structures could lead to modern problems such as the North-South divide in Italy seems a bit of a stretch.
• Livy’s perspective as an elite Roman may not be entirely trustworthy, as he may have been motivated by xenophobia.
• The story of Hipala works as a propaganda method against the cult of Bacchus.
• Extensive sources from 220BC onwards tend to focus on polity rather than social history and thus despite having more sources than other periods it’s equally hard to identify structural changes and trends.
• Italian Culture was diverse with a range of languages, cultures, economies and political organisations.
• The levying of troops from allies and Latin colonies became an annual event as Rome’s wide-ranging interests and obligations made annual campaigns, and eventually a standing army, a necessity.
• Toynbee’s interpretation is often seen as overly empathetic, and modern scholars often minimise the effects of the destruction of Italy.
• From the 4th Century onwards, as Roman power grew, the alliances went from being between equals to an imbalanced power dynamic, causing resentment.
• Colonies did create links between colonists and those surrounding, providing cooperation and interaction to places that were not yet fully urbanized.
• Even after the Roman Italian political unification in 90BC, there were high levels of cultural diversity.
• Reports of sexual assault, curses, and frames it so even a former slave girl would not want to be a part of it.
• Many colonies developed into prosperous communities.
• Hannibal’s invasion proved that the system of alliances was effective due to the loyalty of the Italian states.
• The lex licinia restricted individual’s owning ager publicus to a maximum of 500 iugera, with ager publicus mainly taken from the South and going to wealthy entrepreneurs (possessores) and their former wealthy owners, keeping wealth within the upper levels of society.
• Upon leaving Italy in 203BC, Hannibal boasted of destroying over 400 towns in Italy.
• In 215BC, all grain was ordered to be taken from country districts into fortified cities.
• The development of the individual holding of ager publicus, the slave trade, and the growth in estates were all accelerated by the Hannibalic War.
• Terms of alliances such as the foedus Cassianum (495BC) are general in their terms, establishing that there will be peace with Rome and they will fight for them.
• Fabius Cunctator adopts a 'scorched earth' policy in 217BC, forcing communities to move to safe environments so they could burn villages and prevent Hannibal from gaining supplies.