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Gladiators
The
Colosseum
The Roman Legion
The Roman Forum
Julius
Caesar
The
Geography
of Ancient
Rome
The Italian
peninsula juts
out into the
Mediterranean
like a kicking
boot. At the toe
of the boot is the
island of Sicily.
At the northern border of present-day
Italy stand the craggy Alps. The Alps wall
off the Italian peninsula from the rest of
Europe.
The Apennine Mountains form a giant
“backbone” through the Italian peninsula.
Their towering height make it difficult to
travel across the peninsula.
Mt. Vesuvius
Italian Hill Town
The Latium Plain is
located on the west coast
of central Italy. Remains
of ancient communities
have been found on this
plain.
The Tiber River
runs through this
plain that Rome
would eventually
rise upon.
Today, Rome is a large modern
city beside the Tiber River.
Why did Rome grow where it did?
1. 7 hills helped protect the city from attack.
2. The Tiber River made a fine “highway” to
transport goods from Rome to the Mediterranean
Sea.
3. The Latium Plain was very fertile as a result of
volcanic ash.
Latium farmers grew a
variety of crops.
Greek colonists
sailed west and
settled among
several groups of
people who spoke
different languages.
Both groups made a
living from the
land.
The Trojan
prince Aeneas
sailed to Italy
following the
Trojan war, and
was the first in a
long line of kings
Romulus and Remus were
descendants of Aeneas.
Legend states that
Romulus and Remus were
thrown into the Tiber River
for fear they would try to
claim the throne. They
survived, and according to
legend, were raised by a
wolf. A shepherd
discovered them and raised
them.
The She-wolf nursing the twins Romulus and
Remus
The two brothers
founded a new
city and fought
over the naming
of the city.
Romulus killed
Remus, and thus
named the city
after himself.
The Etruscans
The Etruscans may have come from Asia Minor. Their
civilization was based on a group of well-planned, fortified
cities ruled by kings that flourished between 800BC and
400BC. Before the founding of Rome, the Etruscans had
settled on the Tiber River, and conquered much of the
peninsula.
Etrurian armies
were made up of
well-trained and
disciplined
soldiers. The
Romans would
adopt the Etrurian
fighting
techniques,
weapons, and
armor design
The Etruscans were a religious people who
offered libations to the gods. They were
also highly superstitious , seeking good or
evil omens in everday happenings
The Etruscans treated their dead with
reverence burying them in elaborate
coffins of terracotta
The Etruscans built elaborate
tombs and believed that a person’s
spirit would live on.
Tombs were filled
with weapons,
pots, and jewelry.
Scenes of daily
life were painted
on the walls.
The Etruscans
developed the
arch, which was
later used by the
Romans in such
structures as the
Coliseum and
the aqueduct.
Etruscans
adopted the
Greek alphabet.
The Etruscan
alphabet is the
basis for the
Roman
Alphabet
Etruscan
women were
considered
equal to men.
Noble women
wore elegant
hair styles, rich
clothing and
much jewelry.
The Etruscans were skilled metal
and terracotta workers and traded
with Greece and the Middle East.
They became extremely powerful.
The Etruscans were
known for their
masterful work in
jewelry.
The last
Etruscan king
was
overthrown by
nobles in
509BC. A new
government
was created.
The Romans created
a republic in 509 BC
in which elected
officials ran the city.
They protected
against anyone
staying in power for
too long by limiting
terms to one year.
Wealthy and
powerful Romans
held all the
power, and other
people had little
say in how the
republic was run.
During difficult wars,
the Romans chose
dictators, rulers with
almost absolute power,
to lead the city.
They could stay in
power only six
months, to avoid
abusing their power.
One of Rome’s
famous dictators
was Cincinnatus.
He quickly defeated
his enemies, and
returned to farming
long before his
six-month term was
up.
Patricians: powerful Plebians: Common
people who wanted
nobles who held all
more say in the
political power
government