Hello, and welcome to the history of Rome.

Last time, we left Rome on an upbeat, feet and air recovered, and their position in the

region stabilized.

The Vulsions were still a persistent menace to the south, but by this time they were clearly

on the decline militarily.

In another few decades, Rome would finally put an end to the Vulsion threat and conquer

them once and for all.

And for now, periodic clashes continued to be a mainstay of legion activity.

The main threat to Rome, though, lay north with the city-state of VA, long and economic

political and military rival.

When not clashing with VA directly, the Etruscan city had bankrolled Rome's enemies

and fought by proxy.

After years of avoiding conflict because they were stretched too thin, the Romans finally

felt secure enough to challenge their northern rival openly and committed themselves to a

war that would determine who controlled Central Italy.

As I mentioned earlier, VA was the southernmost member of the Etruscan League, a loose confederation

of 12 city-states that controlled Italy from the Tiber north to the Po Valley.

Other members of the League included Tarquinia, birthplace of Tarquinia's Priscus, the fifth

king of Rome, and Clausium, home of Lars Percena, who either did or did not conquer Rome.

Had there been any solidarity between the cities, it is doubtful Rome would have emerged

triumphant from its war with VA, but the League served an economic and cultural function

rather than a political and military one.

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