Ancient Rome

Geography

Early Rome

• 12/1 Focus– Unlike Greece, geographic characteristics in Italy provided few natural barriers, helped people unite, and supported a growing population.

• Do Now– Identify two geographic characteristics of Ancient Greece

Bell Work• Fill in the

corresponding blank sections on your map with the correct Italian geographical names:

– Apennine Mts., Carthage, Adriatic Sea, Corsica, Sardinia, Tyrrhenian Sea, Tiber River, Rubicon River, Sicily, Tarentum, Rome, Veii, Illyria, Syracuse, Cannae, Alps, Po River, Cis Alpine Gaul, Messina, Ostia

Geography: Location• Rome began on the

Italian peninsula- On the Tiber River

giving access to all of Italy

– Italy extends from Europe into the Mediterranean Sea

• Rome in the center of Italy– Connected the

Mediterranean trade routes

Geography: Mountains– Alps divide Italy from

Europe

– Apennines meet the Alps in the northwest and run to the east before turning southwest– Separates Etruria from the Po

River Valley

• The Northern part of the Italian peninsula protected by the Alps

– Did not isolate

• Low mountains and hills throughout the rest of Italy

– Did not serve as a barrier people always crosses them

– Allowed for unity

Geography: Mountains and Plains

– East Coast and sole of boot– Lacks good harbors

– Semiarid with few river valleys

– Ionian coast has semiarid plains

– West Coast:– More favorable-well watered with

better harbors

– Four major level plains allowed agriculture and animal husbandry

– Po River Valley

– Between Apennines and Alps

– Largest river with fertile soil

– Most settlements before Rome dominated

– Tuscan Plans

– Latium Plain West Coast– First city

– Campanian Plains

Geography: Seas

• South, east, and west surrounded by Seas– Provided

protection

– Transportation

– Trade

Geography: Production

• Most of the peninsula had fertile soil and a mild climate– Food production

could support a large population

Not without reason did gods and men choose this spot for the site of our city—the hills, the river to bring us produce from the inland regions and sea-borne commerce from abroad, the sea itself, near enough for convenience yet not so near as to bring danger from foreign fleets, our situation in the very heart of Italy—all these advantages make it of all places in the world the best for a city destined to grow great.

Livy, The Early History of Rome

Rome• City of Rome built

along the Tiber River on 7 hills – Hills provided

protection– River allowed goods

to be brought down river from inland locations

• Was located midway between the Alps and the southern tip of Italy

Rome

• Its strategic location made it a prime city for trade

• Allowed Rome to expand and have access to all of the Mediterranean Sea

•

EARLY PEOPLES

Pre-history

• 3,000 BC-1,200 BC

– Mesopotamian Civilizations

– Egyptian Dynasties

– Minoan and Mycenaean People

• 1,200-750 BC

– Phoenicians (1000)

– Assyrian Empire begins (911)

– Sea People

– Dark Age in Greece

– Etruscans settle in Italy

– Cities in Italy

Early History

• 750-510

– Archaic Age in Greece-Greeks colonize Italy

– Monarchs in Rome

– Assyrian Empire falls (604)

– Neo-Babylonian Empire (626-539)

– Persian Empire begins (559)

Early History of Rome

• 5 Major Regions • Magna Graecia

• Greeks• Established colonies in Italy and Sicily

(Magna Graecia)• Taught Romans how to grow grapes and

olives• Art, literature, and architecture influenced

Romans

• Etruria• Etruscans

• From northern Italy

• Latium• Latins

• First to settle in Rome

• Umbria• Various Italian tribes

• Campania• Italian tribes

Magna Graecia and Phoenician Settlements

• Phoenicia began colonizing in 1000 BC

– Cyprus, Spain, Sicily, Sardinia, North Africa (Carthage 800 BC)

• Magna Graecia

– Colonized by 775

– Sicily (except western)

Etruscans

• Herodotus thinks they are from Near East.

• Not Italian, Not Greek…Not Indo-European

• LOVED the Greek culture.

• The Romans borrowed:

– Toga, Fasces, Musical Instruments, Haruspices, Augury, Dome/Arch, Tile Roofs, Minerva, and Alphabet (Greek)

What we know from history: Early History of Rome

• Etruscan kings ruled Rome from 600 B.C. to 509 BC – Roman aristocrats

overthrew the last Etruscan king in 509 BC

– Establish a republic

Latium

Umbria and Campania• Umbria (Italians)

– Central Italian highlands

– Villages which herded animals

– People groups: Umbri, Volsci, Osci, Sabine, Mamertine, Samnite, Aequi, Hernici

• The Celts

– Cisalpine Gauls

– Raiding nomads

• Fill in the map with the correct label and color for the correct people groups in Italy:

– Etruria

– Umbria

– Latium

– Campania

– Cis Alpine Gaul

– Magna Graecia