[RoadTest]

Why did the Romans speak Latin and not Roman, and who were the Latins, the tribe dwelling near the city of Rome?

[mrreaganaut]

Their territory was called Latium; Rome was just one of several towns of the region. They were ruled by the Etruscans until the Romans overthrew their Etruscan king and founded the Republic. This is why Rome became the leading city in Latium and eventually Europe.

[Verginius Rufus]

The Romans were part of the Latins--traditionally consisting of 30 peoples (there was a myth of a sow giving birth to 30 piglets representing the 30 Latin peoples). Until 338 Rome was a member of the Latin League which fought frequent wars against neighboring tribes (Sabines, Volscians, Aequi, Hernici, etc.). In 338 Rome fought a war against the Latins, defeated them, made some of the Latins Roman citizens and kept the rest as Latin allies.

Rome had always been the most important of the city-states in Latium. Among the others were Tibur (Tivoli) and Praeneste (Palestrina). The modern-day region of Lazio in Italy includes ancient Latium but also land on the north side of the Tiber River that was part of ancient Etruria.

[SunkenCiv]

Latium was the territory, the Latins were the tribe, Rome was the city. But it’s never a bad time for a Dan Quayle reference. ;’)