How did the geography of Rome help in its earliest establishment?

Romulus and Remus were: semi-divine, born of Mars

and a woman, threatened as babies placed in basket on river rescued by a she wolf raised by a shepherd, built city on land of rescue

Romulus jumped a wall on Palatine hill and killed Remus with a brick,

Romulus named the city after himself, Rome.

Another story is The Aeneid, by Virgil,featuring Aeneas, (a-KNEE-us) a survivor of Troy in the myth, The Illiad,

Aeneas built the city and his sons were Romulus and Remus

The historical truth: seven villages of Latins which were separated by swamp, were attacked by the Sabines and the Etruscans, then unified

Responsible for beginning Rome’s development

Established the 100 patres, founding the patrician class and senate

Made Capitoline Hill an asylum for fugitives w/o women

Leader of the Sabines lived at same time as Romulus

Enlarged the city Started several

religious cults Borrowing from

conquered cultures

Founded religious temples and offices Vestal Virgins Pontifus

maximus, chief priest of Rome

(one leader for government and religion)

Possibly a Sabine leader as well

Established Rome’s Senate house the Curia Hostilia Senate ideas from

Greece Conquered Alba

Longa a city founded by Aeneas’ son

Vicious warrior, word hostile traced back to how he treated people

Enlarged Rome’s territorial control by capturing Etruscan land to the North (Roman

expansion) Captured port of

Ostia

Also known as Tarquin the Elder, came to Rome from Etruria, bringing Etruscan customs, culture and builders w/ them (Think of the “Roman

sponge”) Built earliest public works,

temples on Capitoline hill, a public sewer, fought wars with neighboring cities

Arrogant made enemies of the royal clans

A slave in the Tarquin household, became king when a Tarquin was murdered

Remembered as mild and kind, instituted the census and the assembly

Built a wall around Rome still called the Servian wall

Known as Tarquin the Proud.

Led to a rebellion against the Tarquins led by Brutus.

Brutus became one of 1st consuls; he killed his own sons for trying to returns the Tarquins to Power

The Senate was made up of 300 upper-class men called patricians and common citizens called plebeians

Only patricians could hold office, led by 2 consuls.

The senate advised consuls who then ruled, consuls had veto power which means “I forbid.”

Dictators could be appointed in an emergency, most famous Cincinnatus who left plowing his fields to lead the army and returned to his mule in one day.

Longest rule by a dictator was Sulla who ruled and took the power away from the Senate and Patricians for two years.

The last Dictator was Julius Caesar.