It’s 387 BCE and Rome is working on getting back of her feet. What’s even happening in Rome? It can be hard to tell because of the nature of the extant sources and just how much seems to be missing. The Gallic Sack casts a long shadow over Rome, it was just a couple of years ago but the consequences of the situation linger. Livy notes that Rome is continuing its rebuilding program.


Land Allotment Anyone?

If there’s one thing you can count on in this era, it’s the cyclical focus on war and land allotment. And we have a tribune of the plebs on the record, which is a hint that there’ll be agitation for agrarian reform. We know this has a literary legacy for our late Republican writers like Livy, but that’s not to say that there wasn’t a need to reform in the middle republic. Enter stage right: the Pomptine Marshes!


A Temple to Mars

Back during the conflict with Gauls, the Romans had vowed to establish a temple to Mars. And we’re finally up to the dedication of the temple in 387 BCE. This is an exceptionally important event for the Romans as it is way of cementing their relationship with Mars. A temple requires some specific activities to establish and seems to have involved the duumvirs for the sacred things.


Side Quest: Carthage

Did you know that Carthage invaded Italy in 387 BCE? Neither did we, but here we are. The rivalry between the Carthaginians and the Sicilians is starting to hot up but unfortunately a quick plague makes everything very unpleasant.


Things to listen out for:

  • Volscians and Aequians just over the horizon
  • Who can fix it? Bob the Builder
  • Livy and the post-Gracchan world
  • An increased interest in ensuring divine favour
  • It’s time for an interregnum!
  • The Sibylline Books and their contents
  • New tribes for the Romans?
  • A Sardinian and Libyan revolt?
  • Four new voting tribes: Stellatina, Tormentina, Sabatina, and Arniensis


For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/


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