War between Clusium and Aricia

The war between Clusium and Aricia was a military conflict in central Italy in around 508 BC.

Lars Porsena was king of Clusium, at that time reputed to be one of the most powerful cities of Etruria. At the behest of the exiled king of Rome, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, Porsena had waged war against Rome. A siege of Rome ended with a peace treaty between the two cities and Porsena departed from Rome.

Porsena then spilt his forces, and sent part of the Clusian army with his son Aruns to besiege the Latin city of Aricia. According to Livy, Porsena did this in order that his military expedition might not appear to have been fruitless.

The Aricians sent for assistance from the Latin League, and also from the Greek city of Cumae. When support arrived, the Arician army ventured beyond the walls of the city, and the combined armies met the Clusian forces in battle. According to Livy, the Clusians initially routed the Arician forces, but the Cumaean troops allowed the Clusians to pass by, then attacked from the rear, gaining victory against the Clusians. Livy says the Clusian army was destroyed.

The Clusian survivors are reported by Livy to have fled to Rome, as supplicants, and were allowed a district in the city to settle, which later became known as the Vicus Tuscus.