Crash Course
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Vocabulary
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The ancient Roman civilisation began around the middle of the 8th century BCE, in an area of the Italian peninsula known as Latium. It is the impressive geographical features of Italy that contributed to the rise of the Latin people and the development of the city of Rome.
The landscape of Italy is dominated by the towering mountains that run down the spine of the peninsula, however there is good farming lands around the coastal areas, especially in Latium. It has a wet and mild climate during winter, and a hot, dry summer. To the east, the region is protected by the Apennine Mountains, that run from the north of Italy, all the way to the south. The city of Rome itself is an area dominated by seven hills (Aventine, Caelian, Capitoline, Esquiline, Palatine, Quirinal, and Viminal). In the early days of Rome, the people lived at the top of these hills and farmed at the bottom of the hills. Running through the city of Rome is the River Tiber. Access to the Tiber meant that the Romans had a trade route running through the city, and easy access to the riches of the Mediterranean Sea. |