The Geography of Ancient Rome

Workshop 6-1: Geography of Ancient Rome (download this info in .doc format)

THE GEOGRAPHY OF ANCIENT ROME

The Geography of Italy has much in common with that of Greece. Like Greece, Italy occupies a peninsula that extends from Southern Europe into the Mediterranean Sea. The peninsula is shaped like a high- heeled boot. Italy also includes a number of islands, the largest of which is Sicily.

 Map of Italy

The first settlers of Ancient Rome were the Latins. They came from a region near Rome. They chose this spot for its mild climate, good farmland and strategic location. The Latins and later settlers built Rome on seven steep hills (see map below). During the day, settlers farmed the fertile plain at the base of the hill. At night they returned to their hilltop homes, from which they could defend themselves against an enemy attack.
Rome had other advantages: It was located a short distance from the Mediterranean Sea, near several ancient trade routes. It also lay next to the Tiber River, this river provided a source of water for farming and drinking, but it would also provide a route for travel and trade as well. Small ships could sail up the Tiber to Rome and down the Tiber to the Mediterranean. The river also offered protection from invaders, since Rome was located away from the mouth of the sea.
Finally the two mountain ranges of Italy, the Alps and the Apennines, helped protect Rome. Italy´s mountain didn´t separate early cities the way the mountains of Greece did. Italy has more large and fertile plains than Greece. This made farming easier.  

The Seven Hills of Rome.

Questions:
1. What are the similarities and differences between the geography of Greece and Italy?
2. Why did Latins live so far from their fields?
3. What bodies of water are near Rome?
4. Why was the location of Rome so favorable?

GEOGRAPHY ACTIVITY

• Write on the map below the letters where the following places should be placed on. Use the maps on your book to find these locations.

a. Britain                              b. Carthage

c. Gaul                                 d. Greece

e. Mediterranean Sea             f. Rome

g. Sicily                                h. Jerusalem

i. Adriatic Sea                       j. Aegean Sea

k. Black Sea                         l. Constantinople

m. Atlantic Sea                     n. Danube River

o. Rhine River                      p. Po River

• Draw in the map below the following rivers and mountains:

- Alps

- Apennines

- Tiber River

~ by HistoryRocks.com on October 15, 2007.