ProQuest Dissertations - Historia Antigua

BCE, when Roman power expanded and gave cultural value to Roman citizenship.While it was easy for the elite to relocate between the main cities in central Italy withoutloss of status, it probably was more difficult for those without extensive monetaryresources or personal contacts. Joining a colonial expedition allowed a change oflocation without loss of status within the new community for lower class citizens ofRome and Latium, or even an opportunity of social advancement, which was minimizedin the early Republic lest it disrupt the political order.The attractiveness of social mobility and land acquisition in the colonies wasoffset by the dangers of living in an isolated outpost of Roman power in Italy, however. 53Rome often had recruitment difficulties because of this, even with the common inclusionof Latin colonists. 54Whether Latins were allowed to enroll in colonies, especiallyRoman citizen colonies, is hotly debated. The most pertinent evidence is from thecolonization notice for Puteoli, Salernum, and Buxentum (197 BCE). 55Thecommissioners for these colonies allowed non-Romans into the colonies, as evidenced bythe scandal when some enrolled colonists, men originally from Ferentinum, claimedRoman citizenship before the first census of the colony. Smith argues that this passagedoes not indicate that the Ferentinates had committed fraud by enrolling in the colony,but that the citizenship of the colony (Latin or Roman) was only conferred on the51 Bradley (2006), p. 166.52 Patterson (2006), pp. 209-210.53 Ibid. p. 200. See especially the difficulty in recruiting colonists for Minturnae and Sinuessa: Livy10.21.7-10.34 Patterson (2006), pp. 199-202. See, however, Salmon (1970), n. 65 p. 174, where he cites Livy 9.24.15,9.26.4, 10.1.2, and 27.9.11 as evidence that the majority of settlers for Latin colonies were Roman citizensbefore 200. This does not preclude them being only first-generation Romans, ac sim.55 Livy 34.42.5. Salmon (1970), pp. 98-99. Salmon posits that these colonies would have been Latin, ifonly sufficient colonists could have been found.16