Ancient Italians refers to the people who lived in Italy before the Roman Empire. These include the Romans, Oscans, Sabines, and Etruscans. The Romans were a powerful civilization that rose to prominence in the Mediterranean region during the 8th century BC. The Oscans were an Italic tribe that inhabited central and southern Italy from the 9th to the 3rd century BC. The Sabines were an Italic tribe that lived in the central Apennine Mountains of Italy from the 8th to the 1st century BC. Lastly, the Etruscans were an ancient civilization that flourished in what is now Tuscany, Lazio, and Umbria from the 8th to the 3rd century BC.