The Samnite Wars were a series of military conflicts between the Roman Republic and the Samnite tribes in southern Italy during the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. The First Samnite War took place around 343-341 BC, followed by the Second Samnite War (326-304 BC), and then the Third Samnite War (298-290 BC). These wars had a significant impact on the military and political development of Rome, and the struggle between the Romans and the Samnite tribes was one of the most important conflicts in the early history of the Roman Republic.