Cataclysm 90 BC: The Forgotten War that Almost Destroyed Rome

by Philip Matyszak

They occupied some of the richest land in southern Italy and had been located at choke points in overland communications with the express purpose of being a crippling nuisance to any rebels. Whether the colonists were prepared to withstand the privations of siege from people with whom they shared so many bonds, and whether they would be prepared to kill and be killed in defence of a deeply flawed and unjust Roman state that had done little to merit such service was a question that would ultimately decide the future of Italy. The Venusians deliberated these questions and found Rome wanting. They threw in their lot with the rebels, and the whole peninsula held its breath while waiting to discover how many other colonies were going to join them. As it turned out, the defection of the Latins and the colonies started and stopped at Venusia. Had it not, Rome would not have survived. The military significance of the colonies goes without saying. The military significance of the other Latin tribes is less