According to Roman tradition, the ''Foedus Cassianum'' ( in English) or the Treaty of Cassius was a

treaty A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal pe ...

which formed an

alliance An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

between the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Ki ...

and the

Latin League The Latin League (c. 7th century BC – 338 BC)Stearns, Peter N. (2001) ''The Encyclopedia of World History'', Houghton Mifflin. pp. 76–78. . was an ancient confederation of about 30 villages and tribes in the region of Latium near the ancient ...

in 493 BC after the

Battle of Lake Regillus The Battle of Lake Regillus was a legendary Roman victory over the Latin League shortly after the establishment of the Roman Republic and as part of a wider Latin War. The Latins were led by an elderly Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the se ...

. It ended the war between the Latin League and Rome, placing Rome as equal in power to all of the members of the League combined.

Background

In their first treaty with Carthage, the Romans listed the surrounding countryside as part of its territory, which the Latin League contested, claiming that the said territory actually belonged to them. A war followed, with the result of a victory for the Romans at the

and conditional surrender soon after. The treaty was concluded in 493 between Rome and thirty Latin cities as two independent powers. The

foedus ''Foederati'' (, singular: ''foederatus'' ) were peoples and cities bound by a treaty, known as ''foedus'', with Rome. During the Roman Republic, the term identified the ''socii'', but during the Roman Empire, it was used to describe foreign stat ...

took its name from

Spurius Cassius Vecellinus Spurius Cassius Vecellinus or Vicellinus (died 485 BC) was one of the most distinguished men of the early Roman Republic. He was three times consul, and celebrated two triumphs. He was the first ''magister equitum'', and the author of the first a ...

, who was a

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throu ...

of the Roman Republic at the time the treaty was signed, and ratified the treaty in Rome on Rome's behalf.

Terms

The treaty laid out several terms. Not only did it stipulate that there would be peace between the two parties, the treaty mandated that the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

and

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

armies would be joined to provide mutual defence from ''Italic'' tribes. Another term was that the Latin League and Rome would split all spoils taken in war. Also, the two parties agreed to set up joint colonies in captured territory so that they both might prosper. Finally, it established a community of private rights between citizens of Rome and any Latin city. The treaty, of which a bronze copy survived in the Roman Forum until

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the esta ...

's day, was a landmark in the early history of Rome. The original does not survive. A version given by Dionysius of Halicarnassus is :Let there be peace among the Romans and all the Latin cities as long as the heavens and the earth shall remain where they are. Let them neither make war upon one another themselves, nor bring in foreign enemies nor grant a safe passage to those who shall make war upon either. Let them assist one another when warred upon, with all their forces, and let each have an equal share of the spoils and booty taken in their common wars. Let suits relating to private contracts be determined within ten days, and in the nation where the contract was made. And let it not be permitted to add anything to, or take anything away from these treaties except by consent both of the Romans and of all the Latins.Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities, VI:95.2 Dionysius' version mentions a mutual defense pact between the Romans and Latins, but omits any mention of a joint command structure or any provision for mutual consultation. A few fragmentary sentences from L. Cincius (as quoted by Festus) indicated that the Latins would meet at the spring of Ferentina to discuss the issue of command. In addition, he describes the process followed "in a year when it was the responsibility of the Romans to supply a commander for the army by order of the Latin name".Tim J. Cornell
The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (c. 1000-264 BC)
''Routledge'', 1995, p.299 The passage is somewhat vague, and seems to imply that command of the army would alternate in years between the Latins and the Romans. However, this appears to have never occurred, and so the most probable explanation is that a Roman commander was summoned only in years when a campaign actually took place.

Expansion of treaty

In 486 BC, Rome (again through the efforts of Spurius Cassius Vecellinus) entered into a

with the

Hernici The Hernici were an Italic tribe of ancient Italy, whose territory was in Latium between the Fucine Lake and the Sacco River (''Trerus''), bounded by the Volsci on the south, and by the Aequi and the Marsi on the north. For many years of the ear ...

. The terms were apparently similar to the Foedus Cassianum, and there is a suggestion (though not certain) that the Hernici may have been admitted as a party to the actual Foedus Cassianum between Rome and the Latin allies.

Effects

The treaty strengthened Rome greatly, as it essentially added the military power of the Latins to the army of the fledgling Roman Republic. This allowed Rome to expand further, conquering much of the Italian Peninsula. The treaty was renewed in 358 BC. However, Rome reneged on the treaty soon after that, and the

Latin War The (Second) Latin War (340–338 BC)The Romans customarily dated events by noting the consuls who held office that year. The Latin War broke out in the year that Titus Manlius Imperiosus Torquatus and Publius Decius Mus were consuls and ended ...

began. Rome eventually overcame the non-Roman members of the league, and the ''Foedus Cassianum'' was rendered void.

External links

Conquest of Italy: The Consolidation of Latium
''United Nations of Roma Victrix unvr.com''
Roman Timeline 5th Century BC
''United Nations of Roma Victrix unvr.com''

''Roman-Empire.net''

''Leggenda Del Circeo www.circei.it'' * ttp://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9034723/foedus#156284.hook foedus''Encyclopædia Britannica Online''
The Early Republic
''The Encyclopedia of World History.'' 2001

References