of the world. None of his achievements shows more clearly the correctness with which he foresaw the future of Rome and her needs a world-power.
52. The Conquest of Central Italy. The period which is under discussion in this chapter is one of rapid external development. Rome waged war with all the peoples of central Italy. Of them all the Samnites resisted her claim to supremacy with the greatest valor and stubbornness. When the Romans and Samnites were first brought into close relations in the middle of the fourth century, they apparently agreed to a peaceful division among themselves of certain territory belonging to their weaker neighbors. This seems to be the correct explanation of the course of events in the 343-1, which one tradition exalts into a war. The ambitious spirit of expansion which Rome showed in dealing with smaller states, supported as she was now by Samnium, suggests also a sufficient explanation of the desperate struggle which the Latin communities at once made to break her power. The result of the war, which followed, and lasted from 340 to 338, was most disastrous to the Latins. Although they were assisted by the Campanians and Volscians, they were defeated and lost many of the rights which they had enjoyed since the adoption of the foedus Cassianum in 493. Rome made a separate treaty with each one of the Latin communities, with the express purpose of preventing future confederations between them. The terms adopted varied from state to state, but all the members of the old league were apparently deprived of the right to trade with one another and the right to intermarry. Both Rome and Samnium were eagerly seeking to extend their influence in Campanian and Volscian territory. A contest between the two powers was inevitable. The immediate cause of the war between them
