Rome and the Unification of Italy

From the 2nd century BC the subject peoples of Italy were motivated by a desire for equality with their powerful sister Rome. At first the Italians hoped that equality could be achieved through the citizenship but, when the Romans proved obdurate, they sought complete independence. Description of the "Social War" that followed forms a central feature of this book, in which Keaveney seeks also to delineate the factors which led to the Italian desire first for citizenship, then independence. He describes the conflict and assesses its outcomes. This 2nd edition has an entirely new preface, highlighting scholarly views put forward since the book's original publication (1987) and bringing the bibliography up to date.