The+Social+Wars

The Social Wars

The Social War was a war fought between 91 B.C.E to 88 B.C.E. The Social War was a conflict between the Roman Republic and several of the other city states in Italy, which prior to the war had been allies to the Romans. The cities around Rome were independent, but Rome had the right to demand money and soldier from these cities. The Romans had much control over the allies' foriegn policy and their armies. Approximately one-half to one-third of the Roman army consisted of soldiers from the allies'. Usually, the allies' received a profit from Rome's conquest. However, in the second century B.C.E, Roman politicinas took all the profit gained from their conquests to enrich Rome. The Social War was in part caused by the assassination of Marcus Livius Drusus. He was a politician whose reforms would have given the allies' Roman citizinship, which would have given them a greater say in the say in the Roman Republic. What the allies' were displeased with were the following: They could not hold office, and could not govern the new provinces. They were not equal according to Roman Law, and had no right of appeal before Roman courts. More of the wealth from the conquests went to Rome, which Rome used for funding more wars. The allies, however, had to tax themselves to pay for the war. The Gracchan land reforms had encroached on their territory ..
 * The Social War: Origins**

Since the Romans would not grant the allies equality, they seceded form the Roman Republic and the Socail War began. The rebelling allies made their hedquarters at Corfinium, which they renamed Italia. Poppaedius Silo headed the Marsic troops and Papius Mutilus headed the Samnites. . Altogether, they commanded approximately 100,000 troops. . The Romans divided their roughly 150,000 men under the two consuls in 90 B.C. The Romans in the north were headed by P. Rutilius Lupus, with Marius and Cn Pompeius Strabo and in the South Julius Caesar had Sulla and T. Didius under his command. Marius was able to defeat the Marsi. Rome did not fare as well in the south, even though Papius Mutilus was defeated by Caesar at Acerrae. The Romans made concessions after the first year of war. Next year, in 89 B.C.E, the Roman consuls were Strabo and L. Porcius Cato. They both traveled north and Sulla headed the Campanian forces. Marius had no commission despite his successes in 90. Strabo defeated nearly 60,000 Italians near Asculum. . The capital, Italia, was abandoned and Sulla made progress in Samnium and captured the Italian headquarters at Bovianum Vetus. The rebel leader Poppaedius Silo regained it, but it was defeated again in 88, as were the other resistances. The Social War came to an end with the Italians essentially gaining everything they wanted, even though they had been defeated in the field. . Various mopping up activities would take place, but new developments in the east would create an entirely new scenario. Mithridates of Pontus saw the Roman internal struggle as an opportunity for his own expansion and he began to press against the Romans land. The conflict over who should be in charge would send the rivalry between Marius and Sulla to new heights, which would eventually result in bloody violence against both sides. .
 * The War Itself**

Not only did the Social War cause much suffering and death for the people fighting, it also resulted in economic devastation. The Social War disrupted farming and trade, and the grain prices increased greatly. Another result of the Social War is Rome becomes a regional state, not a city state. . **
 * Effects of the Social War
 * Sulla in the Social War

During the Social War, Sulla served as a general. When he was in command he was responsible for actions that helped the Roman cause. An example are the Samnites who Sulla banned, and took their town, Bovianum. In 89 B.C.E. Sulla captured Aeclanum, the chief town of Hirpini. As a result of many of Sulla's accomplishments during the Social War and bringing it to a successful conclusion, he was elected consul for the first time in 88 B.C.E., and brought the revolt to an end by the capture of Nola in Campania because of his great acts and especially for his services in the Social War. However dictators like Sulla were not only brave, they also did not stop at killing because the names of their death list grew. Instead, he started to add other names onto the list who became his enemies or where "enemies of the state," Once people appeared on the list they were no longer safe. The ones who tried to hide for safety in the temples were killed. With all of these deaths, Sulla did not stop at Marius even though they fought together in the Social War. **