Veientine Wars - 3 Fifth Century Wars Between Veii and Rome

The cities of Veii and Rome (in what is modern Italy) were centralized city-states by the fifth century B.C. For political as well as economic reasons, both wanted control of the routes along the valley of the Tiber. The Romans wanted Veii-controlled Fidenae, which was on the left bank, and the Fidenae wanted the Roman-controlled right bank. As a result, they went to war against each other three times during the fifth century B.C. The conflict only ended, like the Punic War, when Rome won.
Some of the details are suspect -- like a siege lasting ten years that is too reminiscent of the Trojan War -- but here are the basics:

Veientine War I (483-474)

The Veientines came out ahead in the first war. One memorable battle was at the Cremera (a stream in Etruria north of Rome) in 479, where the entire Fabian clan of 306 people, save one, was wiped out. A treaty was written in 474, but Veii still controlled Fidenae.
See Livy

Veientine War II (437-435)

The second Veientine War began when the tyrant of Veii, Lars Tolumnius, ordered the murder of 4 Roman ambassadors (C. Fulcinius, Cloelius, or Cluilius Tullus, Sp. Aritius, and L. Roscius)*. In retaliation, the Roman Aulus Cornelius Cossus killed Lars. He was awarded the singular honor of the spolia opima, previously awarded only to Romulus. In 435, Rome entered Fidenae through a tunnel and took it.

Veientine War III (406-396)

Rome lay siege to Veii for a decade. Eventually, Veii was taken by the Roman dictator Marcus Furius Camillus. There were miraculous prodigies, like a rising of the Alban Lake and the persuasion of the Veiian goddess Juno Regina to switch sides, that presaged the Roman victory. After Veii was taken by means of a tunnel, again, it was incorporated into the Roman territory (396 B.C.).

Cornell suggests that in the 5th century, Rome's territory had increased by 75% making it the largest city in Latium. Rome gave some of the territory of Veii to Romans (increasing the base from which to recruit soldiers since the military at the time was composed only of propertied individuals) and then after the Gallic sack of 390, the Romans made the population of Veii (and of the Capenates and Faliscans), Roman citizens in 389. Cornell also thinks the enfranchisement was to block rebellion while Rome was in a weakened condition.

Four new rustic tribes were created of the Veientines:

1. Stellatina,
2. Tromentina,
3. Sabatina, and
4. Arniensis.

Source: T.J. Cornell, The Beginnings of Rome

* [URL = <www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/3495.html>]

More on the History of the Roman Republic

• Republican Era of Roman History
• Expansion of Roman Power
• Plebeian Timeline