Changes

==Conclusion==

The Social War was one of the most brutal of the many internal conflicts and wars that occurred during the decline and fall of the Roman Republic. It was a war that the Romans won in the sense that they defeated the Italians bid for independence and in this way the Republic could maintain its hold on its Italian allies and dependents. Nevertheless, Rome was shaken by the Social War and it adopted a conciliatory policy towards the Italians. The Republic changed the relationship between Rome and its allies. They were after the war able to avail of the citizenship and their communities became Roman municipalities. The political organization was changed and the Italians were now legally the equals of the Romans. The chief beneficiaries of this development were the local elites who prospered after the war, while the small farmers and worker became increasingly destitute. The local elite increasingly began to identify with Roman culture and this facilitated the process of Romanization throughout much of Italy. The Social War, although it caused great devastation ultimately helped to strengthen Roman power in Italy.