5 – Battle of Trifanum (340 BC)
As I wrote on the last page, Rome’s loss at Allia paved the way for new conflicts during the 4th Century BC. One of their old enemies, Latium, rekindled hostilities after a century and a half of peace. After the conclusion of the First Latin War in 493 BC, the two sides agreed to perpetual peace, and the Latin League even provided Rome with soldiers in the intervening period.
By the 340s BC, Rome was involved in the First Samnite War. When the Samnites invaded the Sidicines, they appealed to Rome for help. Rome refused, so the Sidicines asked the Latin League. The Latins invaded Samnium, so the Samnites asked Rome for assistance in 341 BC (the First Samnite War had ended with a peace treaty) only to get a vague answer.
The Samnites said that if the Latins and Campani were subjects of Rome, they should cease their attack at Rome’s behest. According to the Romans, there was nothing in their treaty with the Latin League to prevent them from going to war with whoever they wanted. The angry Campanians turned against Rome and encouraged the Latins to get involved. It soon became obvious that the Latin League was preparing for war, so the Roman Senate asked them what they wanted. The Latins asked to be treated as equals of Rome with one of the two annual consuls to come from Latium. The Senate refused, and the Latin League declared war in 340 BC.
It was an interesting conflict because the Latins and Romans were very similar in how they fought. Rome enjoyed an early victory at the Battle of Veseris before the two enemies met at the Battle of Trifanum. There isn’t a huge amount of information surrounding the battle, but we do know that the Romans were led by Manlius Torquatus who had won at Veseris when his colleague Decius Mus apparently sacrificed himself. Livy wrote that the two armies dropped their baggage and fought as soon as they met. The result was a Roman victory so decisive that the Latins almost surrendered.
However, they fought on for another two years but suffered further defeats. The Romans conquered several Latin League villages in 339 BC and enjoyed a big win at Fenectane Plains. In 338 BC, the Romans closed the show with victories at Astura and Pedum. By now, the Romans consuls were free to march through Latium and captured every enemy city. The Latin League was disbanded, and most of its cities lost important rights such as common council, intermarriage, and free trade. Overall, the Latin War resulted in significant Roman expansion both regarding territory and citizens.