Prologue: A Blip In History
Part Three: The Rise of The Latins
In 502 B.E. (509 B.C.) the Latins, an Italic group living along the southern banks of the Tiber River, threw off direct Rasna rule. The city of Roma in particular came to the forefront, throwing out their Rasna King Tarquin the Proud and founded an Oligarchic Republic. These Latins, many of whom called themselves Romans, became the bane of the Rasna. These Romans quickly began waging wars with their neighbors as well as founding alliances, and proving worth as soldiers as well as diplomats.
Tarquin, however, was not going to let his thrown simply go. Gathering support from the Rasna cities of Tarquinii and Veii, he met the Romans at the Battle of the Arsian Forest. The battle concluded with the Veientes’ line breaking to the Romans, exposing the right flank of Tarquin’s army. The Rasna were forced to retreat, and the Romans claimed victory.
But still, Tarquin would not give up. He then went to the city of Cevsin [1], a very powerful Rasna city, and sought aid from the King Pursenas [2]. King Pursenas led his army to Roma, and the Romans feared him at his approach. It is said that the Romans went so far as to destroy bridges their own men fought upon to halt the Rasna surge across the river. Pursenas then determined that the best course of action would be to blockade the city. He sent raiding parties to the surrounding countryside, and blocked all river commerce. An assassination attempt by the Romans was made upon Pursenas in the night, but instead the king’s secretary was slain. Pursenas grew to admire the Romans’ bravery, and eventually offered peace. His request to restore Tarquin onto his thrown was denied, but the Romans returned the lands they took from the city of Veii.
The Romans made war with the Aequi and the Volsci under the leadership of a man named Cincinnatus. This expanded their influence along the Tiber River.
War with the Rasna ignited again and again between the two forces. The disunified Rasna usually were unable to work together in an effort to defeat the Romans, but on occasion they would, and the Romans feared such unified armies, for on several occasions Roman armies had been shattered by unified Rasna forces. The Rasna city of Veii, closest in proximity and a competitor for control of the Tiber, became Roma’s nemesis. The Rasna of Veii would raid almost constantly, but refuse open battle with Roman legions. The Romans now fought on two fronts, with Veii in the North, and the Aequi and Volsci in the East.
The Roman Fabii tribe attempted to rebuff the raids made by Veii. Three hundred and six Fabii with their clients made camp along the River Cremera near Veii. The Fabii initially were successful in halting Veientes raids, and won several battles against them. A truce was made between Roma and Veii, but the Fabii broke the truce. The Veientes continued to raid, but were time and again defeated, so much so, that Fabii began to raid the countryside around Veii. The Veientes, frustrated with these hoplites, laid a trap, scattering a herd as bait. The Fabii took the bait, and chased after the herd, but soon were surrounded by Rasna. The Fabii formed into a wedge and were able to push through and regrouped on a nearby hill, where they were able to repulse the Rasna, until hoplites from Veii came at them from behind, and slaughtered them. No Roman survived the Battle of Cremera.
While the Romans slowly expanded through Latin lands, the Rasna remained the dominant force in the region. But everything changed in 467 B.E. (474 B.C.) in the bay of Neapolis.
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[1] The Etruscan name for Clusium
[2] Known by the Romans as Lars Porsena