<P> The Latins (Latin: Latini), sometimes known as the Latians, were an Italic tribe which included the early inhabitants of the city of Rome . From about 1000 BC, the Latins inhabited the small region known to the Romans as Old Latium (Latium Vetus), that is, the area between the river Tiber and the promontory of Mount Circeo 100 kilometres (62 mi) SE of Rome . </P> <P> The Latins were an Indo - European people who probably migrated into the Italian peninsula during the late Bronze Age (1200--900 BC). Their language, Latin, belonged to the Italic branch of Indo - European . Their material culture, known as the Latial culture, was a distinctive subset of the Iron Age Villanovan culture that appeared in parts of the Italian peninsula after 1000 BC . Latino - Faliscians occupied the Tyrrhenian coast between the current Lazio and Calabria and overlapped and mingled with the oldest Neolithic peoples . They had cremation burials and possessed advanced metallurgical techniques . Major tribes included: Latins and Falisci in Lazio, Oenotrians and Italii in Calabria, Ausones, Aurunci and Opici in Campania and perhaps Sicels in Sicily . Although divided from an early stage into communities which mutated into several independent, and often warring, city - states, the Latins maintained close culturo - religious relations until they were definitively united politically under Rome in 338 BC, and for centuries beyond . These included common festivals and religious sanctuaries . </P>

Who were the latins where did they live