Geography
The ancient Roman civilization began in central west of the Italian peninsula around the 8th Century BCE. Most of the Italian peninsula is mountainous but there was good farming land in that particular area. The civilazation was protected by the Apennines, a mountain range that stretches through the centre of the peninsula.
The city of Rome was built on seven hills. To the west was the Tiber river. This river became an important transport route, especially to the Mediterranean Sea. This meant they could access many seaports for trade. The Romans became strong seafarers and grew an amazing navy. At one point, the Romans had conquered all the ancient civilizations around the Mediterranean coast including the Carthaginians, the Celts, the Greeks and the Egyptians. |