ancient rome Flashcards
What does Italy lie on?
A peninsula in the Mediterranean
What is Italy attached to Europe by?
a massive range of snow-covered mountains called the Alps
What mountain range runs down the centre of Italy?
the Appennines
What did Romans call the Mediterranean?
“Our Sea”
Where was Rome founded?
On seven hills on the volcanic west coast of italy
Where was Rome located?
At a key crossing point of the Tiber river
Where was Rome in terms of trading routes?
It was a natural stopping point on a valuable trade route
Rome was far enough from the coast to escape what?
Pirates and enemies
Rome was lose enough to the coast for what?
To benefit from the Mediterranean’s busy sea trade
Name 2 of Rome’s most commonly traded items
Olive oil, wine
How did the circles of seven hills help Rome?
Provided protection against attack
What did the seven hills become?
Rome’s centre
What did Romans build in the seven hills?
Important government buildings
What were the seven hills home to?
Religious temples and entertainment facilities
Where did roads branching off from the seven hills area go to?
the outside world
What did the land around the city have?
Fertile soil, good water supply, mild climate
How did the qualities of fertile soil, good water supply, and mild climate help Rome?
Helped their agriculture flourish and support the large population
What did Rome’s central location help do?
Take over much of Italy
How did Italy’s central location help Rome?
Helped rome become a powerful force in the Mediterranean
What is a popular legend in Rome?
The founding or Rome?
What was the trojan hero Aeneas the ancestor of?
Rome’s founders- Romulus and Remus
Explain the story of Romulus and Remus
They were abandoned as babies but were rescued by a wolf and raised by a shepherd. When they grew up, they founded their own cities.
Who became the first king of Rome?
Romulus
What evidence have archaeologists found about the founding of Rome?
They uncovered ruins suggesting that the hills around Rome contained small villages, and those villages merged with villages to create a larger stllement.
What were most of Rome’s original residents?
Latins who came from around the tiber river area
What were the Latins like?
They were united, and their cities were often at war with one another
What helped Rome become strong?
It welcomed many different people from many different lands
Who stayed in Rome and helped it grow in size and strength?
Foreigners of different classes and professions
Who influenced Rome the most?
Greeks to the south and Etruscans to the north
What did the Greeks introduce Rome to?
important advances in agriculture, architecture, and learning
How did the Greeks introduce such things to Rome?
Through travel and trade
What were the Etruscans skilled at?
trading, metalworking, engineering
What did Romans do with what they learned from Greece?
They grew olives, modified the Greek alphabet for writing, and poets copied the Greek style of the long epic poem
Who was Tarquin the Proud?
A cruel Etruscan leader
What did the 3 etruscan kings do?
they laid out the city’s streets in a grid plan around the central square. Replaced mud huts with stone houses and built Rome’s first temples and public buildings
How did the Etruscans introduce their skills to Rome?
3 Etruscan kings who came to rule rome
What happened to tarquin?
Romans overthrew him and established a new form of governemnt
