Social War (91–88 BC)

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Social War
Part of the Roman unification of Italy
Date 91– 88 BC Location Italy Result Roman victory Territorial changes none
Combatants
Roman Republic	Italian allies
Commanders
Publius Rutilius Lupus Gaius Marius Pompeius Strabo Lucius Julius Caesar Lucius Cornelius Sulla Titus Didius Lucius Porcius Cato	Poppaedius Silo Papius Mutilus

Ancient Unification of Italy
Samnite Wars – Latin War – Pyrrhic War – Social War

Roman Republican Civil Wars
1st Servile – 2nd Servile – Social – Sulla's 1st – Sertorian – Sulla's 2nd – 3rd Servile – Catiline Conspiracy – Caesar's – Post-Caesarian – Liberators' – Sicilian – Fulvia's – Final

This article is about the conflict between Rome and her allies between 91 and 88 BC

For the Athenian conflict with its allies between 357 and 355 BC see Social War (357-355 BC).

The Social War ("Social" from Socii, meaning ¨Allies¨; also called the Italian War or the Marsic War), was a war from 91 – 88 BC between the Roman Republic and the other cities in Italy, who were Roman allies before the war started.

The Roman conquest of Italy between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC resulted in a collection of alliances between Rome and the cities and communities of Italy, on more or less favorable terms depending on whether a given city had voluntarily allied with Rome or been defeated in war. These cities were theoretically independent, but in practice Rome had the right to demand from them tribute money and a certain number of soldiers: by the 2nd century BC, between half to two-thirds of the soldiers in Roman armies were drawn from the Italian allies. The Roman government also had virtual control over the allies' foreign policy and their interaction with one another.

In exchange for these exactions, the allies had traditionally received a portion of the booty and lands taken in conquest in the course of Rome's conquest of the Mediterranean world. But when Roman politicians redirected these profits to enrich Rome alone in the 2nd century BC, the allies protested and eventually revolted.

The Social War was, in part, caused by the assassination of Marcus Livius Drusus. His reforms would have granted the Roman allies Roman citizenship, which would have given them more of a say in the external policy of the Roman Republic — most local affairs came under local governance and were not as important to the Romans as, for example, when the alliance would go to war or how they would divide the plunder. When Drusus was assassinated most of his reforms addressing these grievances were declared invalid. This angered the Roman allies greatly, and most of them allied with one another against Rome.

[edit] The War

The Social War began in 91 BC. The majority of Italian Allies revolted. However Venusia was the only Latin ally to revolt. The rebellious allies showed their intentions of not just destroying but also forming an independent nation by forming a capital at Corfinium, which was renamed Italia. They created their own coinage to pay for the troops. Their soldiers were battle-hardened, most of them having served in the Roman armies. The allies were able to field originally 100,000 men. The Italians divided this force according to their positions within Italy. Quintus Popaedius Silo commanded the Marsic group and Papius Mutilus the Samnite.

It was necessary for Rome to survive the first onslaught as this would discourage further defections and also they would be able to call on help from their provinces as well as from client kingdom. One of the two separate theatres of war was assigned to each of the consuls of 90 B.C. In the north the consul Publius Rutilius Lupus was advised by Marius and Pompeius Strabo; in the south the consul Lucius Julius Caesar had Lucius Cornelius Sulla and Titus Didius.

In 90 BC – Events for Rome:

• Strabo was able to besiege Asculum
• Rutilius was defeated and killed in Tolenus Valley
• Caepio was destroyed by Poppaedius
• Marius was able to retrieve these losses and was left in sole command

In 90 BC – Events for the Italians

• Besieged Aesernia – a key fortress which covered the communication between the north and south areas - forced it to surrender
• Papius Mutilius burst into southern Campania and won over many towns and until defeated by Caesar
• Other Italian commanders lead successful raids into Apulia and Lucania

Despite these losses the Romans managed to stave off total defeat and hang on. In 89 B.C. both consuls went to the northern front whilst Sulla took sole command of the southern front.

In 89 BC – Events

• Cato (one of the two consuls) defeated and killed
• Strabo (other consul) left in sole command – decisive engagement defeated Italian Army of 60,000 men – after success forces Asculum to surrender
• Sulla moved to offensive - he defeated a Samnite army
• Recovered some of the major cities in Campania

By 88 BC the war was largely over except for the Samnites (the old rivals of Rome) who still held out. It is likely that the war would have continued a lot longer had Rome not made concessions to their allies.

[edit] Roman Concessions to Allies

L. Julius Caesar proposed the Lex Julia during his consulship which he carried before his office ended. The law offered full citizenship to all Latin and Italian communities who had not revolted.

However, the law offered citizenship to whole communities and not to individuals. This meant that communities had to pass by the law probably by voting in something similar to an assembly before it could be take effect. It was also possible under the Lex Julia that citizenship was gained as a reward for distinguished military service in the field.

It is assumed that the Lex Julia was closely followed by a supplementary statute, the Lex Plautia Papiria, which stated that a male on a register in an allied state could obtain Roman citizenship by presenting themselves to a Roman praetor within 60 days of the passing of the law. This statute enabled citizens who desired citizenship but whose town was not accept under the provisions of the Lex Julia to obtain Roman citizenship.

Roman citizenship and the right to vote was limited, as always in the ancient world, by the requirement of physical presence on voting day. After 88 BC candidates regularly paid the expenses (at least partially) for their supporters to travel to Rome in order to vote.