Module 10: Ancient
Rome
Lesson Opener
and
Lesson 1: Geography and
the Rise of Rome
The Growth of Rome
Although Rome began as one of many small kingdoms on the Italian peninsula, it grew to
become the center of one of the most powerful and greatest civilizations of the ancient world.
“All roads lead to Rome”
is an idiom saying. It means that all the methods of doing something will achieve
the same result in the end.
It was said long ago to describe Rome as the center of the world or as the only
expected result.
Rome’s location and government helped it become a
major power in the ancient world.
The Geography of Italy
In fact, the people of Rome conquered many of the territories such as Greece and Egypt.
Italy, where Rome was built, is a peninsula in southern Europe. If you look at the map, you
can see that Italy looks like a high-heeled boot sticking out into the Mediterranean Sea.
Italy: Physical Features
Italy is a peninsula that extends out
into the Mediterranean Sea in
Southern Europe.
It is bordered by the Adriatic Sea on
the east coast, the Tyrrhenian Sea
on the west, and the Ionian Sea to
the south.
In the north, Italy is bordered by the
countries of France, Switzerland,
Austria, and Slovenia.
Much of the land is either
mountainous or hilly.
Italy has two mountain ranges:
- The Alps in the north
- The Apennines down the center
this made it difficult to travel.
Not much of Italy is flat. Most of the land that isn’t mountainous is covered with hills.
Rome was built on seven hills and because of that it was very strategic to see the enemy coming.
In Italy, there are two major mountain
ranges. In the north are the Alps,
Europe’s highest mountains. Another
range, the Apennines, runs the length
of the Italian Peninsula. This rugged
land made it hard for ancient people to
cross from one side of the peninsula to
the other.
Features
Mountains cover much of the Italian Peninsula.
These mountains are in the Alps in northern Italy.
Not much of Italy is flat. Most of the land that isn’t mountainous
is covered with hills. Throughout history, people have built cities
on these hills for defense. As a result, many of the ancient cities
of Italy—including Rome—sat atop hills. Rome was built on seven
hills.
Several rivers flow out of Italy’s
mountains. Because these rivers were a
source of fresh water, people also built
their cities near them. For example, Rome
lies on the Tiber River.
Impact of Geography
Rome’s geography is one reason it
became so powerful during ancient
times. Its strategic position atop the
hills, the Alps, and the surrounding
seas protected Rome from invasion.
Climate
Most of Italy, including the area around Rome, has
warm, dry summers and mild, rainy winters.
Italy’s mild climate allows people to grow a wide
variety of crops, such as citrus fruits, grapes, and
olives. All grow well there.
The Roman Civilization
The Roman civilization was founded 2800 years ago on the Tiber River.
Rome’s Legendary Origins
Rome’s leaders wanted their city to
have a glorious past that would make
the Roman people proud. Imagining
that glorious past, they told legends, or
stories, about great heroes and kings
who built the city.
According to one of the most well-
known Roman legends, the founders of
Rome were twin brothers
named Romulus and Remus.
In the story, when these boys were
babies, they were put in a basket
and thrown into the Tiber River.
They didn’t drown because a wolf
rescued them. The wolf cared for
the boys for many years.
Eventually, a shepherd found the
boys and adopted them.
After they grew up, Romulus and
Remus decided to build a city to
mark the spot where the wolf had
rescued them.
Later, they quarreled over the
location of the city. When Remus
began to mock his brother, Romulus
became angry and killed him.
Then, Romulus built the city of Rome.
According to ancient historians,
Romulus was the first king of Rome,
taking the throne in 753 BC. Modern
historians believe that Rome could
have been founded 50 years before or
after that date.
In around 1000 BCE, people
who would eventually be
known as Latins (Romans)
settled on and around the
seven hills along the Tiber
River, in the area that later
became Rome, and they
formed the Roman civilization.
Before the Roman civilization, there were another
two ancient civilizations on the Italian peninsula:
the Etruscans (people who lived north of Rome)
and the Greeks who colonized southern Italy.
The Romans were influenced by the
Greeks and the Etruscans.
Many historians think that the
Romans learned
their alphabet and numbers from the
Etruscans
and
their form of government (republic)
and laws from the Greeks.
Features of the Roman Civilization
The Roman army has been known in history as a
very skilled and strong army throughout Ancient
Rome, which was able to conquer many areas of
the ancient world, especially all the territories
surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.
The Roman society was made up of a structure
or a social division of people depending on their
jobs and family.
The society was divided into three groups.
The social class was divided either into slaves
or two other groups which where the
plebeians and patricians.
Patricians were the upper class.
Plebeians were the middle class.
Slaves were the lower class who had no rights.
The Fall of the Roman Civilization
Eventually, Germanic tribes started to
invade the Roman territories. This
resulted in a huge crisis that divided the
empire into two, the Western Roman
Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire.
By time one of the most powerful and
greatest civilizations of the ancient world
was destroyed.
The Influence of the Roman Civilization
Though it has been thousands of years since the Roman
Empire flourished, we can still see evidence of it in our art,
architecture, technology, literature, language, and law.
The ancient Romans have left their mark on our world.
Examples of inventions to thank the
Roman Empire for:
- The Romans invented cement, which
was stronger than stone
- They also used concrete to build many
roads
- Their law system influenced the
modern legal system in many
countries
The Colosseum is a giant amphitheater
located in Rome, the capital of Italy.
An amphitheater is a place of public displays.
It is an oval or round building.
It was built with stone, bricks, and concrete.
It's one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.
It only took eight years to build the Colosseum.
It was used for entertainment and many shows
like animal hunts, in which animals would hunt and
eat prisoners, or in which gladiators would fight
against animals.
The Colosseum appears on the Euro five cent coin.