The Social War, 91 to 88 BCE: A History of the Italian Insurgency against the Roman Republic 1st Edition by Christopher J. Dart (PDF)

Description

The Social War was a significant uprising against the Roman state by Rome’s allies in Italy. The conflict lasted little more than two and a half years but it is widely recognised as having been immensely important in the unification of Roman Italy. Between 91 and 88 BCE a brutal campaign was waged but the ancient sources preserve scant information about the war. In turn, this has given rise to conflicting accounts of the war in modern scholarship and often contradictory interpretations. This book provides a new and comprehensive reassessment of the events surrounding the Social War, analysing both the long-term and the immediate context of the conflict and its causes. Critical to this study is discussion of the nexus of citizenship, political rights and land which dominated much of second century BCE politics. It provides a new chronological reconstruction of the conflict itself and analyses the strategies of both the Romans and the Italian insurgents. The work also assesses the repercussions of the Social War, investigating the legacy of the insurgency during the civil wars, and considers its role in reshaping Roman and Italian identity on the peninsula in the last decades of the Republic.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review ‘Dart’s work is a very important contribution to the scholarship of a crucial episode in the Roman Republic. It is especially valuable in its recognition that the problems of the Italians were not solved after the war and that they had to fight until 70 BCE before their rights were fully recognized. As such it is essential reading for anyone interested in this period.’ Classical Journal About the Author Christopher J. Dart is a Fellow in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne, Australia. He has published on a diverse range of subjects relating to the Roman world, including citizenship and land rights, the Roman triumph, the Social War in Italy and Roman military history.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐This is a good book on the Social War that pitted Rome against some of its Latin and many of its Italic allies from 91 to 88 BC. The causes of what was almost a civil war are well presented and analysed in detail, with the main reason being that many – but far from all – of Rome’s allies rose up against it, and all wanted to be integrated as Roman citizens, instead of being discriminated against while providing more than their fair share of the burden for conquering and running the Empire.Also included are interesting discussions about the scholarly debates that have arisen from this little-known episode that almost tore apart the Roman confederation. Perhaps the most fascinating parts, for me at least, was an attempt to reconstruct the chronology of events as much as possible, given the deficient sources, and detailed explanations of the reasons for the ultimate failure of the insurrection. Another very interesting theme that runs through this book is the rather murky and increasingly violent Roman politics, with the land reform and extension of citizenship increasingly becoming major issue in internal Roman politics.This book is, however, a piece of scholarship adapted from the author’s dissertation on the same topic. As a result, the contents tend to be very focused, with masses of details and footnotes, and not too much emphasis on the more distant background and context – such as the fact that the Italian allies’ frustrations and the abuses to which they were subjected had been going on for over a century, that is at least since the Second Punic War.Another (slight) limitation is that the book can be quite repetitive at times, with the same event being examined a first time and then re-examined two or three more time further on, but with a different perspective or to make a slightly different point.There are three additional strongpoints to this book. One is the inclusion of two good maps showing, respectively, the cities and the ethnic regions of Italy at the times of the Social War. Also included are interesting annexes on the various commanders on both sides and of the various laws through which the Romans managed to diffuse much of the crisis and partly “defang” the insurgents by extending Roman citizenship. This was achieved with quite a bit of gerrymandering because they also and rather deviously ensured that the new citizens were integrated in such a way that they would not swamp the existing voting colleges. Finally, the book also includes a good and up to date bibliography for anyone wanting to go further and learn more on this topic. Four strong stars.

⭐This is a good book on the Social War that pitted Rome against some of its Latin and many of its Italic allies from 91 to 88 BC. The causes of what was almost a civil war are well presented and analysed in detail, with the main reason being that many – but far from all – of Rome’s allies rose up against it, and all wanted to be integrated as Roman citizens, instead of being discriminated against while providing more than their fair share of the burden for conquering and running the Empire.Also included are interesting discussions about the scholarly debates that have arisen from this little-known episode that almost tore apart the Roman confederation. Perhaps the most fascinating parts, for me at least, was an attempt to reconstruct the chronology of events as much as possible, given the deficient sources, and detailed explanations of the reasons for the ultimate failure of the insurrection. Another very interesting theme that runs through this book is the rather murky and increasingly violent Roman politics, with the land reform and extension of citizenship increasingly becoming major issue in internal Roman politics.This book is, however, a piece of scholarship adapted from the author’s dissertation on the same topic. As a result, the contents tend to be very focused, with masses of details and footnotes, and not too much emphasis on the more distant background and context – such as the fact that the Italian allies’ frustrations and the abuses to which they were subjected had been going on for over a century, that is at least since the Second Punic War.Another (slight) limitation is that the book can be quite repetitive at times, with the same event being examined a first time and then re-examined two or three more time further on, but with a different perspective or to make a slightly different point.There are three additional strongpoints to this book. One is the inclusion of two good maps showing, respectively, the cities and the ethnic regions of Italy at the times of the Social War. Also included are interesting annexes on the various commanders on both sides and of the various laws through which the Romans managed to diffuse much of the crisis and partly “defang” the insurgents by extending Roman citizenship. This was achieved with quite a bit of gerrymandering because they also and rather deviously ensured that the new citizens were integrated in such a way that they would not swamp the existing voting colleges. Finally, the book also includes a good and up to date bibliography for anyone wanting to go further and learn more on this topic. Four strong stars.

⭐Il libro è regolarmente e puntualmente arrivato e conforme a quanto descritto.

⭐

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