By the beginning of the second century BC, Rome was undisputed queen of the Mediterranean; after Carthage's defeat, no enemy could seriously threaten it. Within the country, however, particularly in the Italian peninsula, the economic and political heart of the Republic, the differences between the Socii and the Romans became increasingly pronounced. The Socii were a fundamental component of Rome's strength; we refer to all those Italic peoples subjugated by the Urbe during its expansion into the peninsula, who then agreed to coexist with the Romans. They maintained partial autonomy, served in the army, and enjoyed some of the privileges of Roman citizens. However, they remained without citizenship and could not hold public office. One can speak of a true confederation between Romans and Italians. By the second half of the second century, however, the outlook had changed, and when the Gracchi, from 133 BC, They attempted to propose agrarian reforms aimed at redistributing land within the peninsula, but the Socii were faced with a bitter reality: they were completely excluded from the division of land, despite the fact that many veterans among them wished to retire. The Gracchi sensed the Socii's discontent and therefore proposed new laws that would gradually extend citizenship to all inhabitants of the peninsula. Their political and economic proposals found little acceptance within the more conservative wings of the Senate, and both were assassinated. The citizenship issue, however, remained at the centre of political debate. The young Livius Drusus, also a tribune of the plebs, like the Gracchi, stepped forward and proposed the full extension of citizenship to all Socii; once again, the Senate opposed this, and Drusus was assassinated in 91 BC. The anger sparked by this assassination led the Italic peoples to decide to break their pact with Rome by rebelling. Far from disorganised, they were able to immediately field legions made up of their experienced veterans. They established an independent state called the Italic League, with its capital at Isernia, and even minted their own coins. Some of these surviving coins bear the inscription Italia. The war, though brief (91-88 BC), was particularly bloody, and Rome emerged victorious. The event left a deep scar: the heart of the republic had split, and it was therefore decided to heal this wound by definitively extending citizenship to all members.