Geography

Location of Rome

• Rome began in the center of the Italy.

• It is located on the Italian Peninsula that stretches into the Mediterranean Sea.

• Rome started on seven hills. One is called Palatine Hill.

• Rome at its height covered some of Southern Europe and the whole Mediterranean region.

Terrain

• Terrain in Rome was hilly, green, and valley-like.

• Rome had fertile soil along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

• The climate in Rome has mild winters and warm, dry summers.

• In Northern Rome, there are several large plains that are fertile for farming.

Neighboring Countries

• When Rome first started, Rome’s surrounding countries were Spain, Carthage, and Egypt.

• Rome had expanded and controlled Spain by 133 b.c.

• Rome and Carthage were huge rivals. As Carthage grew, the two empires competed for power over the Western Mediterranean, sparking the First Punic War.

• Rome was attacking Egypt continuously until the empress of Egypt, Cleopatra attacked back.

Geographical Features

• Rome at its height surrounded the Mediterranean Sea which helped establish trade routes.

• Just north of the Italian Peninsula are the Alps Mountains which helped when Hannibal moved his army through them and lost many troops.

• East of the Italian Peninsula is the Adriatic Sea, which Rome used to trade with Greece and Macedonia.

Religion

Etruscan Mysticism

• Etruscan Mysticism believed that gods gave signs through nature.

• Etruscans thought they could predict good harvests by observing bird flocks.

• Etruscan Diviners read entrails of animals before performing burials.

• Etruscans tried to interpret lightning before going into battle.

Christianity

• Christian artists did not make art or sculptures in sacred places such as a church.

• Christians do not cremate the dead, they bury the dead.

• Christians worshiped in house-churches as to not attract attention to other people.

• Christians believed in one true God, so they didn’t believe in a deceased emperor as a god.

Rome’s Official Religion

• Usually, top officials on government also served as priests.

• At important events such as a wedding, religious rituals were always conducted.

• Rome worshiped many gods many of which were adopted from Greek and Etruscan practices.

• The supreme gods of Rome’s religion were Jupiter, Juno, Mars, and Minerva.

Greek Mythology

• Romans adopted the concept of believing in multiple gods from the Greeks.

• In Greek Mythology, there are twelve gods, each representing one thing.

• The three supreme gods are Zeus, god of the sky, Poseidon, god of the sea, and Hades, god of the underworld.

• Greek Mythology says that there is an afterlife in the

underworld.

Achievements

Development of Aqueducts

• Romans adopted the aqueduct from the Etruscans.

• Romans used aqueducts to channel drinking water to the city.

• The longest aqueduct Romans have ever built is fifty nine miles long.

• Americans also use aqueducts to channel drinking water to citizens.

Network of Concrete Roads

• Approximately fifty thousand miles of roads were built all across Rome.

• Romans used roads to conveniently travel and move troops through the city.

• Romans built milestones along roads which were like checkpoints to mark borderlines of cities

• Americans have roads set up in a grid-like pattern to move through a city.

Military Organization

• Romans invented the legion, which is a unit of troops, usually 4,000 to 5,000 to enable troops to move over rough terrain.

• Romans made ranks for the military, one is the Adscripticius, who filled the places of wounded or killed soldiers.

• Rome did not have a strong navy until the First Punic War when they largely built a navy fleet.

• The army of the late Roman Empire contained about 375,000 men

System of Laws

• Roman law was also applied in most of western Europe until the end of the eighteenth century.

• Even today, many legal systems in Europe are similar to Rome’s.

• Before the Twelve Tables, Roman private law only applied to Roman citizens.

• Roots of Roman law have been said to come from Etruscan religion.

Politics

Etruscan Kings

• Rome was originally ruled by Etruscan kings before the Republic.

• A man named Romulus fought his brother, Remus for power over Rome.

• Romulus won the fight and named Rome after himself.

• Aristocrats became tired of Etruscan rule, so they revolted and established the Roman Republic.

Roman Republic

• The Republic was a democracy, which means the people voted for their leader.

• Only patricians could be elected for a place in the Senate.

• Later, the poor Romans made aristocrats agree that the poor could elect tribunes.

• The tribunes could veto anything the Senate did that disadvantaged the poor.

The Roman Empire

• The Empire was ruled by an emperor and citizens could not vote.

• Julius Caesar was a great emperor living in the time of the Empire.

• When an emperor named Trajan ruled, the Roman army conquered about 2,300,000 square miles of land.

• The Empire had an autocratic government, which means the political power was held by one emperor.

The Twelve Tables

• The Twelve Tables were the earliest creation of a code of law.

• It is also the earliest piece of Roman literature to survive to this day.

• Originally, there were only ten tables created by ten men.

• The plebeians weren’t satisfied, so another team of ten men added two more tables.

Economy

Farming

• Farmers in Rome worked on estates, which were usually owned by Patricians.

• Farmers were allowed to pay their taxes in wheat instead of money.

• Slaves or prisoners of war took farmers’ jobs because they worked for little or no money.

• It usually only rains in the winter in Rome, so farmers had to store water for the summer.

Trade

• Rome used the Silk Road to receive silk from China.

• Rome traded with Egypt to receive luxury items such as peacock feathers and perfumes

• Above all, the trade of food was most vital for the Roman Empire.

• Rome received large amounts of mined metals from Britain and Spain

Coinage

• Roman coins often had a picture of the current emperor on them and said his greatest achievements.

• Romans used coins to trade goods and buy from markets.

• Coins were always made of gold, silver, bronze, and copper.

• The coins were named aureus, denarius, sesterius, dupondius, and as.

Thermopolia

• A thermopolia was a place that sold hot food and cooked it quickly.

• Food of a thermopolia was usually a piece of meat, bread, and vegetables.

• The food came in boxes for conveniently traveling with it.

• Poor people went to thermopolias often because they own kitchens or grills.

Social Structure

Slaves

• Slaves often worked on farms because they worked for little or no money.

• Slaves were usually prisoners of war or were bought at slave markets.

• Slavery was vital to Roman economy because it saved lots of money

• Slaves also worked as servants for patrician families.

Plebeians

• Plebeians were the middle or working class of Rome.

• They usually lived in three or four story apartments.

• Plebeian children followed their parents’ career.

• Children went to school for two to three years to learn how to read, write, and do basic math.

Patricians

• Patricians were the wealthy class of Rome.

• They lived in large homes with indoor pools and guest rooms.

• Patrician children had personal servants to play and wrestle with.

• Patrician children went to school longer than plebeian children did.

The Senate

• The Roman Senate always contained three hundred members.

• Senate members were always patricians, never plebeians.

• Senate members usually had participated in government before.

• Senate members were elected and appointed for life.

Conclusion

I think the most important things I learned about in ancient Rome were trade, aqueducts, and concrete roads. Without trade, Rome wouldn’t have any way of

receiving foreign goods. Aqueducts were very important because they were a way to transport drinking water to

the people. Concrete roads were important because they were a convenient way to travel throughout the Roman

Empire.