The Founding of Rome Chp 11, Les 1

The Founding of Rome

Chapter 11, Lesson 1

The Beginning of Rome

●Greek culture was adapted and used by the Romans

●Italy’s location had attracted people for thousands of
years

○Easy to travel to it from Africa, Asia, and Europe

●Land trade easy in Italy

●Sunny, mild climate allowed for vast farmlands

○Could grow enough food for a large population

Dropdown

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Select answer

culture is the foundation of Rome

●Romans settled on the Italian peninsula

●On a map, Italy looks like a boot
○Boots heel points to Greece

○The toe points to the island of Sicily

○The Alps are like laces strung across the top

●Other mountains that run North to South are the
Apennines

●Italy is also covered in volcanoes

●Rome is settled on the Tiber River
○Close enough to the sea to allow for trade

○Far enough inland to protect against invaders

Multiple Choice

Rome settled on which river?

• Nile

• Tiber

• Euphrates

• Ganges

Open Ended

Which continent is Rome a part of?

Roman Origins

●One origin is contained in the Aeneid written by Roman
poet Virgil

○Greeks captured Troy

○Trojan Aeneas and his people escaped to find a new homeland

○Settled in Italy and went to war

○Aeneas married a local Latin Speaking King’s daughter

●Other legend is of Romulus and Remus

○Born and then left by a river

○Rescued and raised by a wolf

○Rescued by a shepherd and his wife

○Wanted to build a city along the Tiber River

○Dispute between the two and Romulus killed Remus

●Archaeological evidence shows possible Neolithic Latin
speaking people settled in the area around 5000 BCE

Open Ended

Which language did early Romans speak?

Influence of Greeks and Etruscans

●Around 800 BCE the Greeks and Etruscans moved into
the area of Rome

●Greeks introduced grape and olive farming to Southern
Italy

●Greeks also passed on their alphabet

●Romans would model their buildings, sculptures, and
literature after the Greeks

Open Ended

What is something that the Romans adopted from the Greeks?

●Etruscans had a greater influence

●Settled in north of Rome but eventually moved south

○Took control of Rome and its surrounding area

●Ruled by nobles who became wealthy from mining and trade

●Many Etruscans were artists

○Skilled metal workers

○Most famous for paintings in tombs

●Taught Romans to build with brick

●Passed on religious rituals

●Influenced Roman fashion of togas

●Foundations of Roman army

Open Ended

What is something the Romans adopted from the Etruscans?

Becoming a Republic

●

Grew tired of Etruscan rule
○Overthrew king Tarquin the Proud

○Established a republic

●

Republic- form of government in which citizens
elect their leaders

●

By 267 BCE controlled most of Italy

●

Trained soldiers harshly and deserters were
punished with death

●Developed new battle strategies

●Usually fought in a phalanx but thought it was too slow

●Reorganized into smaller groups called legions
○Each legion was about 6,000 men which would
divide into smaller groups to move more easily

●Carried a double edged sword called a gladius

●Also carried a spear called a pilum

Match

Match the following

• Legion

• Gladius

• Pilum

• Republic

• Latin

smaller groups, about 6,000 men which would divide into smaller groups to move more easily

double edged sword

a spear

form of government in which citizens elect their leaders

language of early Romans

• smaller groups, about 6,000 men which would divide into smaller groups to move more easily

• double edged sword

• a spear

• form of government in which citizens elect their leaders

• language of early Romans

Ruling Rome

●After they conquered an area they would settle army
there to control it

●Built roadways to connect cities

●Created the Roman Confederation

○Gave some conquered peoples, especially other Latins, full Roman
citizenship

●Some conquered people became “allies”

○Paid Roman tax and provide soldiers but could manage their own
social affairs

●Crushed revolts quickly

Open Ended

What allowed conquered people to have full Roman citizenship?