The Roman–Volscian wars were a series of wars fought between the Roman Republic and the Volsci, an ancient Italic people. Volscian migration into southern Latium led to conflict with that region's old inhabitants, the Latins under leadership of Rome, the region's dominant city-state. By the late 5th century BC, the Volsci were increasingly on the defensive and by the end of the Samnite Wars had been incorporated into the Roman Republic. The ancient historians devoted considerable space to Volscian wars in their accounts of the early Roman Republic, but the historical accuracy of much of this material has been questioned by modern historians.
Early conflict
According to Rome's early semi-legendary history, Rome's seventh and last king Lucius Tarquinius Superbus was the first to go to war against the Volsci, commencing two centuries of a relationship of conflict between the two states. Tarquinius took the wealthy town of Suessa Pometia, the spoils of which he used to construct the great Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus.Livy Ab urbe condita 1.53 He celebrated a triumph for his victory.Fasti Triumphales
Volscian aggression
During the 5th century BC the Volsci and the Aequi, a related people, invaded Latium, as part of a larger pattern of Sabellian-speaking peoples migrating out of the Apennines and into the plains. Several peripheral Latin communities appear to have been overrun. In response the Latins formed the Foedus Cassianum, a mutual military alliance between the Latin cities with Rome as the leading partner. The ancient sources record fighting against either the Aequi, the Volsci, or both almost every year during the first half of the 5th century BC. Famously the Roman nobleman Gnaeus Marcius Coriolanus is supposed to have gone over to the Volsci after being spurned by his countrymen. This annual warfare would have been dominated by raids and counter-raids rather than the pitched battles described by the ancient sources.
Volscian invasion in 495 BC According to Livy, in around 496 BC before the Romans defeated the Latins at the Battle of Lake Regillus, the Volsci raised troops to assist the Latins. Because of the Roman dictator's speedy march, the Volsci forces did not arrive in time to participate in the battle. However, the Romans learnt of the Volscian activities and in 495 BC the consul Publius Servilius Priscus Structus marched into Volscian territory. The Volsci were alarmed, and gave three hundred children of the leading men of Cora and Suessa Pometia as hostages. The Roman army withdrew.Livy, 2.22
Shortly afterwards, however, the Volsci formed an alliance with the Hernici and sent ambassadors to seek the aid of the Latins. The Latins, having been defeated by Rome the previous year, were so outraged by the Volsci attempts to lure them into another war, that they seized the Volscian ambassadors, delivered them to the consuls in Rome, and advised them that the Volsci together with the Hernici were fomenting war. The Roman Senate, so thankful at the assistance of the Latins, returned 6,000 prisoners to the Latin towns and in return the Latins sent a crown of gold to the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus in Rome. A great crowd formed, including the freed Latin prisoners, who thanked their captors. Great bonds of friendship were said to have arisen between the Romans and the Latins as a result of this event.
Some time later in 495 BC, a group of Latin horsemen rode to Rome to warn that a Volscian army was approaching the city. Discord between the Roman plebs (who were angry at levels of debt being suffered by them) and the patrician senators was quickly avoided. The plebs refused to enroll to fight against the Volsci on account of their grievances. The senate dispatched the consul Servilius to deal with the issue. Servilius assembled the people, and placated them initially with decrees relieving some of the more severe hardships of debt, and also with promises of further consideration of the problems of debt after the war. The people, placated, gathered to swear the military oath and soon afterwards Servilius led the Roman army from the city and pitched camp a short distance from the enemy.Livy, 2.24
The Volsci attacked the Roman camp the following night, hoping to benefit from the dissent amongst the Romans. Instead the Roman army took up arms and repulsed the attack. The next day the Volsci attacked the Roman fortifications again, filling the trenches and attacking the rampart. The consul held back the Roman troops at first, allowing the Volsci to destroy a large part of the fortifications surrounding the camp. Then he gave the order to attack and the Volsci were routed at the first engagement. The Roman army pursued the Volscian army to its own camp, and the camp was surrounded then taken and plundered following the flight of the Volsci. The Roman force followed the Volscian army to Suessa Pometia, and took and plundered that town. The Romans then returned to Rome in glory. Ambassadors from the Volscian town of Ecetra then arrived in Rome, and the senate agreed to grant them peace on condition that their land be given to Rome.Livy, 2.25
Engagement in 494 BC During the period of popular discontent in Rome which led to the First secessio plebis in 494 BC, each of the Volsci, Sabines and the Aequi took up arms at the same time. To meet the threat, a Roman dictator was appointed, Manius Valerius Maximus. Ten legions were raised, a greater number than had been raised previously at any one time, three of which were assigned to the consul Verginius to deal with the Volsci.
Verginius advanced with the Roman army and ravaged the Volscian territory in order to provoke the Volsci into battle. The two armies made camp near each other, then formed battle lines on the plain which lay between the camps. The Volscians, who were considerably superior in number, charged the Roman line. The Roman consul ordered his troops to stand firm, and to neither advance nor return the enemy's battle cries. Indeed, the Romans were directed to leave their spears fixed in the ground, but to draw their swords and lay into the Volscian troops when they met the Roman line. The Volsci, wearied from their charge, were overcome by the Roman resistance and fell back in disorder. The Roman army pursued and took the Volscian camp, and from there went on to capture the Volscian town of Velitrae where they slaughtered many of the remaining Volscian troops, except for a small number who were offered quarter and surrendered.Livy, 2:30
The territory surrounding Velitrae was seized, and a Roman colony planted in the town.Livy, 2:31
Roman reprisals in 493 BC In 493 BC the Roman army, led by the consul Postumus Cominius Auruncus fought and defeated a force of the Volsci from the coastal town of Antium. The Roman army pursued the Volsci to the town of Longula (to the north of Antium). The Romans took Longula, and then pursuing the Volsci further north, also took the town of Pollusca and followed the Volsci to the town of Corioli.Livy, 2.33
The Roman army laid siege to Corioli. However, whilst the Romans were focused on the siege, another Volscian force arrived from Antium and attacked the Romans, and at the same time the soldiers of Corioli launched a sally. A young noble Roman, Gaius Marcius held watch at the time of the Volscian attack. He quickly gathered a small force of Roman soldiers to fight against the Volscians who had sallied forth from Corioli. Not only did he repel the enemy, but he charged through the town gates and then began setting fire to some of the houses bordering the town wall. The citizens of Corioli cried out, and the whole Volscian force was dispirited and was defeated by the Romans. The town was captured, and Marcius gained the cognomen Coriolanus.
Hostilities averted in 492 BC In 492 BC Rome was beset by a famine. The consuls sought to buy grain amongst the neighbouring peoples. Amongst the Volsci the grain merchants were threatened with violence if grain was sold to the Romans.
Livy reports that the Volsci were preparing to attack Rome. However a pestilence spread amongst the Volsci and war was averted. The Romans took steps to protect their position. Additional Roman colonists were sent to the town of Velitrae, and a new Roman colony was established at Norba.Livy, 2:34
Volscian invasion led by Coriolanus in 491–488 BC In 491 BC Coriolanus, who had been prominent in the siege of the Volscian town of Corioli in 493 BC, was exiled from Rome because he had advocated the reversal of the pro-plebeian political reforms arising from the First secessio plebis in 494 BC. Coriolanus fled to Rome's enemies, the Volsci and resided with the Volscian leader Attius Tullius.Livy, 2:35
Meanwhile, the Great Games were being celebrated in Rome on a grand scale, and a number of the Volsci had travelled to Rome to participate in the celebrations. Aufidius sought to devise a way to stir up Volscian ill-will against Rome. He obtained a private audience with the consuls, and convinced them that he feared some discord might erupt between the Volscian youth and the Romans. The consuls put the matter before the senate, and the senate decided to expel the Volsci from Rome.Livy, 2:37
Aufidius met the fleeing Volscians outside Rome in a grove sacred to the goddess Ferentina and stirred up their feelings against Rome, and thereby caused the Volsci to declare war against Rome.Livy, 2:38
Coriolanus and Aufidius led the Volscian army against Roman towns, colonies and allies. Roman colonists were expelled from Circeii. They then retook the formerly Volscian towns of Satricum, Longula, Pollusca and Corioli. Then the Volscian army took Lavinium, then Corbio, Vitellia, Trebia, Lavici and Pedum.Livy, 2:39
From there the Volsci marched on Rome and besieged it. The Volscians initially camped at the Cluilian trench, five miles outside Rome, and ravaged the countryside. Coriolanus directed the Volsci to target plebeian properties and to spare the patricians'.
The consuls, now Spurius Nautius Rutilus and Sextus Furius, readied the defences of the city. But the plebeians implored them to sue for peace. The senate was convened, and it was agreed to send supplicants to the enemy. Initially ambassadors were sent, but Coriolanus sent back a negative response. The ambassadors were sent to the Volsci a second time, but were refused entry to the enemy camp. Next priests, in their regalia, were sent by the Romans, but achieved nothing more than had the ambassadors.
Then Coriolanus' mother Veturia and his wife Volumnia and his two sons, together with the matrons of Rome, went out to the Volscian camp and implored Coriolanus to cease his attack on Rome. Coriolanus was overcome by their pleas, and moved the Volscian camp back from the city, ending the siege. Rome honoured the service of these women by the erection of a temple dedicated to Fortuna (a female deity).Livy, 2:40
Coriolanus' fate after this point is unclear, but it seems he took no further part in the war.
The Volscian army subsequently returned to Roman territory to attack the city. They were joined by the Aequi. However a dispute broke out as the Aequi would not accept Aufidius as their leader, and the Volsci and Aequi fought a furious battle in which the strength of each was seriously diminished.
Ongoing hostilities from 487 BC
One of the consuls in the following year (487 BC), Titus Sicinius Sabinus, was allocated responsibility for continuing the war with the Volsci. The outcome of the hostilities at that time is unclear, although it seems the Romans fared better.
The Volsci and the Aequi were together defeated again in 485 BC. The consul Quintus Fabius Vibulanus incurred the anger of the plebs by lodging the spoils of victory with the publicum.Livy, 2.42