Introduction to Rome

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Introduction to Rome

• Geography

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The Italian Peninsula

• Physical features

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History is Governed, if not determined by
Geography

• Consider the following questions when thinking
  about how an area is run either politically,
  economically or socially.

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• Do the mountains protect, divide or obstruct?
• Do the mountains breed a type of personality?
  Does the sea? Do they both affect the character
  of a nation or civilization?
• Would the Romans favour trade or agriculture?

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• Would the Romans be good fighters or Sailors?
• Could the land produce enough food?
• Where would they get more food if they needed it?
• From what direction would invaders come?
• Would unity be easier than Greece?

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• Which side of the Peninsula would develop first?

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Physical Features

• The Italian Peninsula is 3 times bigger than
  Greece.
• Italy is shaped like a boot, juts approximately
  960km out into the Mediterranean Sea and is 160km
  wide.

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• There are 3200 km of coastline
• Good harbours are hard to find.
• There are better harbours on the West Coast of
  Italy and therefore it was more westward oriented.

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• Strategically,Italy is located in the center of
  the Mediterranean. The Romans could reach the
  Middle East, Greece, Spain and North Africa
  easily by sea.

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• The main mountain chain( Apennines) runs down the
  eastern length like a backbone.

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• The Alps( North), helped to protect Rome from
  invasion, although mountain passes allowed people
  to cross into Europe.

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• Unlike the Greeks( high peaks) the rugged Italian
  landscape did not prevent the Romans from
  unifying under a single ruler and creating a
  large empire.

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Fertile Land

• There were three main areas of fertile land.
• 1) The great northern plain, enriched by the
  fertile deposits from the Po River.
• The Apennine ridge ( extended by the west to the
  east before turning south) cut off the plains
  from the rest of Italy.
• Until Julius Caesar, the area was considered to
  be part of Gaul.

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Fertile Land

• 2) Plain of Latium
• 3) Plain of Campania
• Both were on the West Coast
• Both were small areas. The soil was enriched by
  phosphate from volcanoes ( were active until
  1000BCE).
• As Romes population increased these 3 plains
  could not support the growing demand for grain.
• Like the Greeks, the Romans had to find colonies
  to supplement their food supply.

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Rivers

• The mountainous character of the peninsula robbed
  it of many great rivers.
• There were 3 great rivers in the Roman Empire in
  Italy
• 1) The Po River
• 2) The Arno River
• 3) The Tiber River
• Rome was built on the banks of the Tiber river,
  24km from the coast.
• Rome controlled trade on the river and throughout
  the Mediterranean.
• Romans built on the port of Ostia at the mouth of
  the Tiber to accommodate ships too large to
  travel up the river.

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Climate

• Mediterranean climate has rainy winters and hot ,
  dry summers.
• Po River had a continental climate with moderate
  winter snow, summer rain and a wet spring and
  fall.

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Questions

• 1. What geographic features put Rome in a good
  position to
• Establish control over the Italian peninsula?
• Establish a large empire in the Mediterranean
  region?
• 2. What obstacles do you think the physical
  environment posed for the development of a large
  empire?
• 3. Compare and contrast the geographic features
  with those of Greece.

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1. What geographic features put Rome in a good
position to

• Establish control over the Italian peninsula?
• Rome is located next to water (Mediterranean and
  Tiber). This made it easier for Romans to travel
  to other areas and take over.
• Rome is on the west side (better harbours). There
  was lots trade on the west side. Rome was also at
  the mouth of the Tiber. It had a growing economy,
  which meant a growing population and more power.
• Establish a large empire in the Mediterranean
  region?
• Located in the middle of the Mediterranean and it
  was easy to go to other countries.

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2. What obstacles do you think the physical
environment posed for the development of a large
empire?

• Alps barrier to traveling northwards
• Appenines split the country in two

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3. Compare and contrast the geographic features
with those of Greece.
Italian Peninsula Greece
Mountains Coastal Lack of fertile land 3 times bigger Centre of the Mediterranean Mountains Coastal Lack of fertile land East