Rome’s Beginnings

Around 1600 B.C., Ancient Rome grew from a small town on Italy’s Tiber River. Eventually it grew into an empire that included most of Europe, W. Asia, N. Africa and the Mediterranean islands. The Roman civilization has had a lasting impact on our world today. Their culture has influenced our language, government, architecture & engineering. Like other ancient worlds, Rome was heavily influenced by other cultures. One in particular was ancient Greece. http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/ancient-rome

Romulus & Remus Legend has it, Rome was founded by Romulus and Remus, twin sons of Mars, the god of war. By the orders of the king, they were left to drown in a basket on the Tiber River. They were later rescued by a she-wolf. The twins lived to defeat that king and found their own city on the river’s banks in 753 B.C. After killing his brother, Romulus became the first king of Rome, which is named for him. http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/ancient-rome

Location Located in Italy (Europe) Peninsula ¾ of the land is hilly Tiber River Italy forms a bridge between Europe, Africa & Asia

How might the location of the Tiber River influence and/or impact Rome & trade?

Italy’s climate is warm and moist much of the year, making Italy an ideal place for farming. The climate along the Tiber River was ideal for crops such as grapes and olives.

Location, Location, Location Rome’s location had an extreme impact on their success. It’s location promoted trade/interaction/ conquests with other lands.

Several geographic features also provided Rome with protection from outside invaders. 1. The Alps: provided security in the north 2. Peninsular shape: limited ability of opposing forces 3. Mediterranean Sea: provided a buffer against rival invasions

Religion Like Greece, Romans were polytheistic. They adopted many of the deities in Greece. The Romans simply renamed all the gods/goddesses of Greece. Zues – JUPITER Hera – JUNO

Language Latin is the language of the Romans. It is the basis for the “Romance Languages”: Italian Spanish French Portuguese Romanian

Although English derived from German, much of our vocabulary is influenced from Latin. Veto Curriculum Extensively used in the fields of medicine, law and science (species of plants/animals) rosea = rose pink Elephas Maximus Sumatranus

Architecture Romans greatly advanced previous accomplishments and were often geared toward solving problems with everyday life. The Arch Romans modified traditional posts which was used to utilize higher & more stable structures. Example: The Coliseum

Architecture cont… Domes Romans greatly advanced previous accomplishments and were often geared toward solving problems with everyday life. Domes The Romans were also the 1st to incorporate domes into their structures

Engineering One engineering marvel was the aqueduct. They were designed to supply fresh water to the cities. Many of these aqueducts are still used today! Aqueducts (3:00)

Another engineering marvel were the Roman roads Another engineering marvel were the Roman roads. These roads were designed and constructed to unify the empire for trade and protection.

All Roads Lead to Rome… At the height of the Roman Empire, there were over 400,000 km of roads connecting the provinces to Rome. 1/5 of all of the roads were paved in stone. Roman Roads (3 min)

Atlantic Ocean Greece Med. Sea AFRICA