The invasion of the Gauls in 390 BCE is one of the events that shaped the history of Rome since it struck the Roman people hard. The invasion, which resulted in the capture and sack of Rome, had devastating impacts to an extent that some Romans thought of abandoning their city and relocating permanently to Veii, a recently conquered Etruscan city. Much of the Roman population supported the move on the premise that Rome was so destroyed to an extent it could not be rebuilt. While some Romans migrated to Veii in search of new beginnings, the conqueror of Veii, Marcus Furius Camillus, was against the move. Through his efforts that sought to protect the religious integrity of Rome, the Roman people did not abandon their city.

Camillus efforts played a critical role in safeguarding the religious integrity of the Roman people and ensuring they did not abandon their city. If the Romans abandoned their city as most of them had favored, the city of Rome could have been completely destroyed and captured by the Gauls. As shown in the scenario, the Roman people changed their minds against moving permanently to Veii at a time when Gauls were increasingly destroying and capturing the city of Rome. If the Roman people had abandoned their city at this time, it would have been completely destroyed and captured. This could have in turn limited the historical importance of Rome as the Roman people could have become slaves to the Gauls. Permanent migration to Veii could have displaced the Roman population at a critical period in its territorial expansion. In such a scenario, Rome’s history would not have essentially been the same as displacement of the population could have empowered Rome’s hostile neighbors and given them a cutting edge in the war. Rome could have lost the war against its hostile neighbors, which would have significantly reduced the Roman population and her historical importance. As a result, Camillus’ argument played a critical role in shaping the fate and historical importance of Rome.