Early Roman Republic, Roman Conquest of Italy (505-264 BC), Roman Expansion (389-349 BC): Aequi, Volsci

Impressed with how the great walls of Veii had resisted direct assault, the Romans decided to wall their own city. This was to be an immense undertaking, consisting of huge blocks of tuff (volcanic rock) taken from quarries near Veii. Later historians wrongly supposed this structure was ordered by Servius ⁰¹Tullius and thus spoke of it as the Servian Wall. About ten metres high, four metres wide at its base, it extended about eleven kilometres to encompass the entire city and is believed to have had sixteen main gates. This, the Republican Wall, was probably built between 378 and 350 BC.

After the Gallic attack the Romans spent most of the first half of the fourth century BC fighting her enemies. Of the Latin towns, Praeneste and Velitrae joined with the Volscians but Aricia, Ardea, Lavinium and Lanuvium remained loyal, as did some of the Latin cities in Volscian territory, i.e. Cora, Norba, Signia, and Setia which received a colony in 382 BC; Tusculum, surrounded by Roman territory, was given full Roman citizenship in 381 BC; and although Tibur severed its relations with Rome it did not turn to war until 360 BC.

Aequi (389-388 BC)

In 389 BC the Aequi gathered their army at Bolae, but ⁰²Furius Camillus surprised them and captured both their camp and their town. After the Romans ravaged their territory in 388 BC, the Aequi disappear from the records until 304 BC.

Volsci (389-345 BC)

The Pontine territory, extending along the coast southeast of Rome, was mostly held by the Volscians. In 389 BC ⁰²Furius Camillus defeated an army encamped south of the Latin town of Lanuvium, south of the Alban Hills, at a place called Maecium (probably in response to a Volscian attack, but could have simply been a show of strength by the Romans).

In 386 BC at Satricum a Roman army under the consular tribunes ⁰²Furius Camillus and ⁰⁴Valerius Potitus defeated an army consisting of Volscians from Antium, some Latins and some Hernicans. The Latins and Hernicans now abandoned the Volscians, and Satricum fell to Camillus.

In 385 BC ⁰²Cornelius Cossus was appointed as dictator to deal with the Volscian war. He marched his army south and defeated a Volscian army that included Latins, Hernici and troops from the Roman colonies of Circeii and Velitrae. This success was followed by the planting of two colonies on the Volscian front: Satricum in 385 BC, and Setia in 382 BC.

In 383 BC Lanuvium rebelled and joined the Volsci and the colonies of Circeii and Velitrae in a war against Rome. In 382 BC consular tribunes ⁰¹Papirius Crassus and ⁰²Papirius Mugillanus defeated the Velitraean army, which included a large number of Praenestines. In 381 BC the Volsci and Praenestines joined forces and successfully stormed Satricum. The consular tribunes Furius (2) and ⁰³Furius Medullinus defeated the Volsci and captured their camp. In 380 BC Roman dictator Titus ⁰⁴Quinctius Cincinnatus led a successful campaign against the Praenestines and they had to sue for peace.

In 377 BC the Volsci and Latins united their forces at Satricum. The Roman army, led by consular tribunes ⁰⁴Valerius Potitus and ⁰²Aemilius Mamercinus, marched against them. The coalition resisted, but a cavalry charge disrupted their ranks and they were routed when the Roman infantry followed up. The Volscians surrendered Antium to the Romans, but the infuriated Latins burnt Satricum to the ground. 

In 370 BC the Velitraeans raided Roman territory and attacked Tusculum. A Roman relief army broke the siege of Tusculum and in turn laid siege to Velitrae, which apparently lasted for several years but the outcome is not known. 

In 358 BC Privernates and Velitraeans raided Roman territory. In 357 BC the war against Privernum was assigned to the consul ⁰²Marcius Rutilus (fl.357-342 BC). The Privernates formed an entrenched camp in front of their walls, which the Romans stormed and while they were preparing to attack the town the Privernates surrendered.  Livy says that in 348 BC colonists from Antium rebuilt Satricum. In 346 BC news reached Rome that Antium was attempting to stir up the Latins against Rome. The consul ⁰⁵Valerius Corvus (100; fl.348-270 BC) marched to Satricum with his army and engaged the Antiates and Volscian troops in battle. The Volsci fled into Satricum, but surrendered just as the Romans were about to storm the town. Satricum was sacked and burned (again), but this time by the Romans. In 345 BC the consuls in a surprise attack took Sora, located in the middle of the Liris Valley, from the Volsci.