Download The Geography of Ancient Rome

The Geography of Ancient
Rome
What is the best story you have
ever heard? Why?
The Beginnings of Rome
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Founding of Rome owed much to
it’s location
Rome begins in 509 B.C. w/ the
overthrow of foreign kings
Romans date their beginnings to
753 B.C. , Romulus and Remus,
raised be a she wolf found the city,
sons of the god Mars, abandoned
on the banks of the Tiber river, a
shepherd found them and raised
them, decided to build a city
where they were found, argument
broke out over what hill to build
on, Romulus killed Remus w/ a
brick, city named after Romulus
Another Legend says that Aeneas
founded the city after the Trojan
war after Troy was destroyed
The Founding of Rome
• In the Aeneas story Romulus
and Remus are his
descendants and are
abandoned by their mother
and rescued by a she wolf,
fought over location, Romulus
killed Remus on Palentine hill
• After Romulus a series of
Roman kings ruled
• 600 B.C. Etruscans conquered
Rome, from northern Italy
• 509 B.C. Overthrew Etruscan
king, formed a Republic,
elected leaders
Rome’s Geographic Location
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After the overthrow of the
Etruscans, Rome grew from a city
into a country, then an empire,
location made this possible
People founded Rome, not
legends,1st settlers were the
Latins, came from region around
Rome
Spot chosen for climate, farmland
and good defense
Rome built on 7 steep hills,
farmed fertile plain at base of hills,
homes on top of hills for defense
Located short distance from
Mediterranean , on trade routes,
on Tiber River
Italian Peninsula
• Rome’s location on Italian
Peninsula important to
development
• Shaped like a boot, location
made it easy to reach other
locations by sea and to
conquer and gain new territory
and develop trade routes
• 2 main Mtn ranges protect
Italy, Alps in the North,
Apennines form a spine, did
not separate Italy like Greece,
large plains made farming
easier
The Tiber River
• During earliest times
Tiber served as a
water source for
farming and drinking
• A route for travel and
trade, small ships
could sail down to
Mediterranean
• Located away from
the sea provided
protection