. By virtue of this close alliance, the military resources of
Campania were arrayed on the side of Rome, and Rome and Campania presented
a united front against their common foes. The Roman sphere of influence
was thus extended as far south as the Bay of Naples.

After the Latin war, the territory previously won from the Volsci and
Aurunci was largely occupied by settlements of Roman citizens or by Latin
colonies, for even after the dissolution of the Latin league the Romans
made use of this type of colony to secure their conquests, as well as to
relieve the surplus population of Rome and Latium.

IV. WARS WITH THE SAMNITES, GAULS AND ETRUSCANS: 325-280 B. C.

*The conflict of Rome and the Samnites in Campania.* The alliance of Rome
and Campania brought the Romans into immediate contact with the Samnites
and converted these former friends into enemies, since the Samnites
regarded Campania as their legitimate field for expansion and refused to
submit to its passing under the aegis of Rome. However, they had been
unable to prevent the union of Rome with Capua and other cities, for at
the time they were engaged with another enemy, the Tarentines, who were
assisted by Alexander, king of the Molossians (334-331).

The Samnites formed a loose confederacy of kindred peoples, with no strong
central authority. Therefore, although bold and skilful warriors, they
were at a disadvantage in a long struggle where unity of control and
continuity of policy became of decisive importance. Here Rome had the
advantage, an advantage that was increased by the alliances Rome was able
to form in the course of her wars against this enemy. For generations the
excess population of the Samnite valleys had regularly overflowed into the
lowland coast areas, and such migrations had given rise to the Lucanians,
Bruttians, and a large part of the Campanians themselves. However, the
danger of being submerged by fresh waves of Samnites caused the peoples
whose territories bordered on Samnium to look to Rome for support, and so
Rome found allies in the Central Italian peoples, and in the Apulians and
the Lucanians.

*The beginning of hostilities, 325-4.* Hostilities broke out over the
occupation of Naples by the Romans and its incorporation in the Roman
alliance. This step was taken in the interests of the party in the city
that sought Roman protection, and was accomplished in spite of Samnite
opposition. The war was waged chiefly in Campani