(c. 302–264 b.c.e.)
PRINCIPAL COMBATANTS: Rome vs. Etruscans (with Gallic and Epirean allies)
PRINCIPAL THEATER(S): Italy DECLARATION: None
MAJOR ISSUES AND OBJECTIVES: Rome sought to complete its conquest of Etruria; Etruria resisted.
OUTCOME: Despite a long guerrilla war, the Etruscan city-states fell under Roman domination and relinquished all independence.
APPROXIMATE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF MEN UNDER ARMS: Unknown
CASUALTIES: Etruscan-Gallic forces lost 25,000 at the Battle of Sentium; civilian losses late in these wars were much higher.
TREATIES: No documents exist.

The long series of Early Etruscan-Roman Wars (c. 509– 308 b.c.e.) was ended by a truce, which was quickly broken. The first new outbreak came at Arrentium (Arezzo) about 302 b.c.e. when citizens rose up against the Cilnii family, Etruscan rulers who were allied with the Romans. A Roman force was sent to intervene but was ambushed and defeated. After regrouping the Romans outflanked a would-be ambush at the Battle of Rusellae (Roselle) and defeated the rebels by overwhelming them with skillfully deployed cavalry units. This resulted in a two year truce, which, however, was not taken as binding by many of the rebels. These diehards recruited allies among the Gauls and others. A major battle was fought near Volterra in 298, resulting in an Etruscan-Gallic loss, and an even bigger disaster followed at Sentium in 295, when the rebels lost 25,000 men. This shook loose the towns of Rusellae, Perusia, and Volsinii (Bolsena) by 294.

The devastating defeat of the Etruscans and their allies ushered in a 40-year truce and extracted for Rome punishing indemnities. Yet again, despite the formal truce, a new Etruscan-Gallic counteroffensive was mounted in 283. Two battles were fought at Lake Vadimo, both resulting in defeat for the Etruscans and the Gauls. Epirus came to the aid of the Etruscans in the form of a force led by the able King Pyrrhus (319–272), who attacked Rome. While Epirus made headway, the Etruscans buckled at Vulci and Volsinii, which left Pyrrhus no choice but to abandon Rome and retreat to Tarentum (Taranto) on the coast of southern Italy. This resulted in the Roman War against Pyrrhus of Epirus.

As a result of their defeat, both Vulci and Volsinii lost their independence from Rome. Vulci submitted, but Volsinii rebelled against the Roman conquerors in 264. This proved a disastrous mistake, as Roman forces overwhelmed and devastated the city.

From this point on Etruria was at least nominally a Roman possession. In actuality, throughout the region a low level guerrilla war ensued during which Etruscan rebels sabotaged Roman war efforts elsewhere. Continual Etruscan provocation incited the Roman commander Lucius Cornelius Sulla (138–78) to embark on a punitive campaign throughout Etruria. Devastated, the Etruscans lost their grip on the last free cities, Valathrii (Volterra), in 80, and Perusia (Perugia) 40 years later.

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Fuente: guidewhois.com