Many families left Rome and settled in neighboring places to escape the turmoil.

It is a wonder that the government withstood the strain, so fierce was the struggle.
The AGRARIAN LAWS at this time first become prominent.

These laws had reference to the distribution of the PUBLIC LANDS.

Rome had acquired a large amount of land taken from the territory of conquered cities.

This land was called AGER PUBLICUS, or _public land_.
Some of this land was sold or given away as "homesteads," and then it became AGER PRIVATUS, or _private land_.