The Roman Republic
also from excavations at the Latin colonies of Alba Fucens (), Paestum
()andCosa().TheItaliandimension,andnotleasttheconnections
withNeapolisandCapua,mustbeessentialincomprehendingtheRomeof
thelaterfourthandearlierthirdcenturies,asitsoclearlyisinM.Crawford,
Coinage and Money in the Roman Republic().Hereperhapstheperspective
imposedbyPolybiusmayneedsomecorrection,asweworkbackfromthe
historicalperiodtothefirstphaseofRome’sexistenceasamajorlocalpower.
For to us the outbreak of the First PunicWar must indeed, in retrospect,
seemthecrucialeventof..,asitdidtoPolybius.ButtoRomansatthe
time perhaps equal significance attached to the capture of Volsinii, and to
thevictorymonumenterectedintheForumBoarium,andinscribedwith
hisownname,bytheplebeianconsulofthatyear,. (whichisthe
namewhichheactuallyused,whateverlatertraditionwastoclaim).Unless
ofcoursethepeoplewereevenmoreinterestedinthegladiatorialshow,the
firstever,whichwasputoninthesameyear,andalsointheForumBoarium.
BeforemanyyearshadpassedsuchshowsweretomovetotheForumproper,
longsinceestablishedasthecentralarenaofcommunallife,wheretheRostra
hadsinceservedsimultaneouslyasamonumentofvictoryandtheplat-
formforaddressingthepeople.