LATINS

From Agepedia

LATINS (Latini); an ancient people of Latium in Italy, who sprung from a mixture of the aborigines with ArcadianPelasgian and Trojan colonists. The derivation of their name is unknown. It is not probable that they received it from king Latinus. Janus, Saturn, Picus and Faunus, who were deified by their subjects, are represented to have been the most ancient Latin kings. These names were probably appellations of the old Pelasgian divinities. During the reign of Faunus. Hercules and Evander are said to have arrived in Latium; the latter taught the aborigines the use of the alphabet, music, and other arts, and also succeeded Faunus in the government. About 60 years afterwards lived king Latinus, at whose court JEneas (q. v.) arrived, married his daughter Lavinia, and succeeded to his throne. The city of Alba Longa was built by Ascanius, the son of iEneas by a former marriage, and made the seat of the Latin kings. Henceforward we know nothing of the history of Latium, whose kings all bore the surname of Sylvius, until Romulus and Remus laid the foundations of a new city. Jealousy kindled a war between these two sister states, the Latin and the Roman, which terminated with the subjugation of the Latins and the demolition of their capital. Rome became the capital of all Latium, when king Servius united the Latins with the Romans in a permanent confederacy. From this epoch, we may date the beginning of the greatness and splendor of Rome; for, without the valor and friendship of the Latins, she would never have obtained the dominion of the world. Tarquinius Superbus endeavored to draw this alliance still closer; but, after his banishment, he excited the Latins to rise against Rome. This war of the Romans with the Latins, the first since the alliance which had been made between them, was decided in favor of Rome by the valor of the dictator, and the treaty was renewed. In the year of Rome 414, there was a still more dangerous rupture between them. The Latins made war upon the Samnites, who implored the assistance of the Romans. A dispute arose between Rome and Latium, in which the latter went so far as to demand that one consul and half of the senate should be Latins. This demand was indignantly rejected by the Romans, and, in the war which followed, the Latins were reduced after a very severe struggle. When the Romans had nearly obtained the dominion of the world, the Latins made another attempt to regain their freedom, by engaging in the Social war (A. U. C. 663), and they succeeded so far as to recover many of their privileges. (See Rome, and Latium.) Niebuhr's History of Rome (introductory chapter) contains a critical examination of the origin of the Latins.