In the Italian peninsula the usual struggle had gone on between the various tribes inhabiting it.

The fertile plain of Lombardy was not in those days regarded as belonging to Italy, but was known as Cisalpine Gaul.

The south of Italy, as we have seen, was mainly inhabited by Greek colonists, and was called Great Greece.

Between these tracts of country the Italian territory was inhabited by three sets of federate tribes--the Etrurians, the Samnites, and the Latins.

During the 230 years between 510 B.C.and 280 B.C.Rome was occupied in obtaining the supremacy among these three sets of tribes, and by the latter date may be regarded as having consolidated Central Italy into an Italian federation, centralised at Rome.