The
term seems absurd. Weren't the Latins a Western people? Yes, at one time they
were. Two millennia later their culture is awash around the globe, primarily as
an example of poor governance, corruption, and quasi-military rule. America and
Europe are headed in that direction.
The
Latini were an Indo-European (IE) people (read "White") who migrated
into the Italian Peninsula around 1000 BC. We first take notice of them
when the Latins overthrew their monarchy to set up Rome, as an aristocratic
Republic -- a common government structure among IE tribes. In 509 BC, the
monarchy was overthrown, with a preliminary Republic being set up.
The
Republic was initially weighted in favor of noble families, but over time
rights were extended to the common man.
At
that time, were one in Rome, one would have found an Indo-European (IE) people
at every point. Yes, there were some non-European elements in the local Italian
populations. Early Phoenician settlers had left their DNA all over the
Mediterranean basin, but ancient Rome was, to put it bluntly, white. Let us not
devolve into debate whether the nobles were untainted Nordics --
as some claim -- or generic Europeans. What is clear is that Rome and its
early days were European……….
