HISTORY 33 



two annually elected magistrates, called consuls, at the 

 head of the State. 



Thereafter great dissension arose between the plebeians 

 and the patricians, which latter had kept to themselves all 

 the important offices of the State and were very oppressive. 

 About 460 B.C. the people obtained the appointment of 

 two officers, termed tribunes, whose office was to protect 

 the plebeians against the patricians. But space cannot 

 here be afforded for describing the Roman State and its 

 officers, for a knowledge of which and of all the details 

 of later disputes and dissensions, the student is referred 

 to works on Roman history. We must here observe, 

 however, that gradually a reconciliation was effected, 

 and a consul, Lucius Sextus, was elected from the 

 plebeians, 366 B.C. Before then, Rome had to struggle 

 with her near neighbours the Etruscans, the ^Equians, 

 and the Volscians, fortifying herself by effecting a close 

 alliance with the other Latin cities united together in a 

 league. In time of danger, a special officer, called a 

 dictator, was chosen, to whom great power was accorded 

 for six months. Such a dictator was Marcus Furius 

 Camillus, who (396 B.C.) captured the nearest Etrurian 

 city (Veii) and greatly extended the Roman power. Six 

 years later, however, they suffered from an invasion of 

 the Cisalpine Gauls, who even captured the city, though 

 it was soon again liberated. This was but one of 

 several Gaulish inroads, while wars went on with sur- 

 rounding tribes which ended in a repeated small increase 

 of Roman territory their conquered inhabitants being 

 admitted to the privileges of Roman citizenship. 



More serious wars, for the subjugation of all Italy to 

 the city of Rome, then followed wars with the Latins 

 themselves, the Samnites, and others till (by 282 B.C.) 

 Rome had subdued almost all Italy, save some of the 



