Sabines (people), ancient people of central Italy, in close contact with early Rome. They lived in the mountainous country east of the Tiber River, north of the Latins and Aequi, and south of the Umbrians and Picenes. The Sabines probably spoke Oscan, the chief language of central Italy, and belonged to the Sabellian group of Italic peoples. They were well known for their religious practices which influenced many Roman customs. The account of the capture of the Sabine women by the followers of Romulus, first king of Rome, is legendary. It is widely believed that the Sabines settled on the Quirinal and Esquiline hills and subsequently joined with another people on the Palatine Hill to form Rome. In 290 bc, the Sabines were conquered by the Roman general Manius Curius Dentatus, and in 268 bc, they were granted full Roman citizenship. They may have been the parent stock of the Samnites.
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