, and in 396 BC, the Etruscans. Instead of trying to oppress conquered tribes and peoples, Rome absorbed them, integrating them into their culture. This made them much easier to control, because they felt like they belonged to Rome. This is what Cicero had to say about it:"Every citizen of a corporate town [one annexed by Rome] has, I take it, two fatherlands, that of which he is a native, and that of which he is a citizen. I will never deny my allegiance to my native town, only I will never forget that Rome is my greater fatherland, and that my native town is but a portion of Rome." (Nardo 31)The Senators of Rome also felt great loyalty towards the city. In 390 BC, raiders from Gaul invaded the city. Some of the Senators stayed in the city. Livy tells what happened:"[The Senators sat]...without fear or concern.... The Gauls, for a great while, stood wondering at the strangeness of the sight, not daring to approach of touch them, taking them for an assembly of superior beings. But then one [Gaul], bolder than the rest, drew near to one elderly senator, and... gently stroked [the Senator's] chin and touched his long beard; the Senator with his staff struck him a severe blow on the head; upon which the barbarian drew his sword and slew him. This was the introduction to the slaughter." (Nardo 32)The Romans didn't look kindly upon failures. After the consul Varro lost fifty thousand soldiers in battle with Hannibal's army, he was ejected from office. According to Nardo, the only reason he wasn't executed was that he fought along side the army, and didn't desert (45).In the Punic wars against Carthage, Rome had to develop naval technology. After Carthage was defeated, Roman merchants adopted ships to do their trading, making them more and more wealthy. Eventually, these wealthy merchants formed a new class, called the 'equestrian order'. This new class competed with the patricians for power in the government. The citizens began splitting int...
