Name___KEY______________________ Date____________ Period_______
Europe
France (Gaul)
Po River
Alps
Arno River
Italy
Apennines
Corsica
Adriatic Sea
Tiber River
Rome
Mediterranean Sea
Pompeii
Tyrrhenian Sea
Sardinia
Greece
Sicily
Carthage
Africa
Map of Ancient Rome
Locate the Following using pages 263 and 269 in your textbook
Physical Features
Alps
Corsica
Cities
Mediterranean Sea
Apennines
Sardinia
Rome
Tyrrhenian Sea
Italy
Sicily
Carthage
Po River
France (Gaul) pg R18
Europe
Pompeii (given)
Arno River
Greece
Tiber River
Africa
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Geography of Rome
1. On what continent is Italy Located?___Europe____________________________
2. On what continent is Carthage located?____Africa___________________________
3. What River flows through Rome?____Tiber River____________________________
4. What river flows into the Adriatic Sea?___Po River_________________________
5. What mountains Protected Italy from Northern Invasion?___Alps_______________
6. What mountains run down the Italian Peninsula?__Apennine Mts.________________
7. Italy is what direction from Greece?___West_______________________________
8. How did the geography of Italy influence where people settled?__Mountains and seas
protected the lands______________________________________
Thought Question-Why do we study Rome? Republic, gladiatorial games (football),
architecture, etc.
Directions: Read pages 57-66 in Greek and Roman Civilization, then answer the
following questions.
1. Latium, a plain in ____central________ Italy, is where a small village, known as
___Rome_____(city) began.
2. The _____Latins_______ were the first settlers of Latium.
3. What advantages were there in the Latins establishing Rome on a hill known as the
Palatine?
High Grounds= protection from invaders, control of River and the plains, good
climate- Mediterranean- Rain- Rivers- lakes (water supply) seas- trade
Romulus and Remus
1. According to the legend, Rome was founded by Romulus and Remus
2. The legend says that these twin boys were the sons of Mars (war god) but were raised
by a she-wolf and later on by a shepard.
3. What sign did the gods send Romulus and Remus in deciding who would rule their
new city?
They waited for a sign from the gods (vultures) 6 vultures for Remus/ 12 vultures for
Romulus/Romulus is king.
4. According to legend, Rome was named for Romulus
5. Some people said that each vulture stood for the 100 years of the life of the city.
6. How long did Rome last? 753BC-476AD: ___ 1229 years___
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ROMULUS AND REMUS COMIC STRIP
Directions: Create a Romulus and Remus Comic strip that
highlights their story and the establishment of Rome
Romulus
and
Remus
This statue
shows the
twins
being
suckled by
the wolf.
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4
Name ___________________________________ Date ___________ Class _________
Rome's Beginnings
Directions: Filling in the Blanks Reading the section and completing the sentences
below will help you learn more about Rome's beginnings. Refer to your textbook pages
263-267 to fill in the blanks.
Italy is in an important (1) _____location_____ in the middle of the Mediterranean
region. Although Italy's landscape is similar to that of Greece, Italy had better (2)
_____farmland_____ (3) _____Geography_____ played a major part in the location of
Rome. The city was built on seven steep (4) _____Hills______ that allowed Rome to be
easily defended.
Although various legends describe the origins of Rome, _____historians_____(5) are
not sure how the city began. Two groups, the (6) ____Greeks_________ and the
(7)___Etruscans________ played a major role in shaping Roman civilization. The
Etruscans influenced the Romans in city planning and dress, and the Etruscan army
would serve as a(n) (8) ___model______ for the mighty army the Romans would
eventually assemble. In 509 B.C., the Romans rebelled against the Etruscans and set up
a(n) (9)___republic________, a form of government where the citizens have the (10)
_____right______ to vote. Over the next 200 years, the Romans were able to
conquer Italy because the Romans were (11) ____excellent________ soldiers. Every
male citizen who owned (12) __land_________ had to serve in the army.
The Romans showed themselves to be good planners. They built
(13)_____roads_______ that allowed troops to travel swiftly to any place within their
growing territory. To rule their new conquests, the Romans created the (14) Roman
Confederation. Under this system, the Romans gave full (15)___citizenship_______
to some peoples. (16) _____Allies_______ were free to run their own local affairs as
long as they paid taxes to the Romans and provided soldiers for the army.
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Name:__________________________
Date:______________ Period:______
The Beginnings of Rome
You will be completing the following questions by working in groups in a jigsaw activity.
Read the information that is provided to you and then answer the questions completely
STATION 1
1. Describe the three groups of people that settled in Italy
A: Greeks- established colonies in the southern portion of the peninsula
B: Latins- settled the Palatine (1 of the “7” hills of Rome) located in the Latium, a
plain in central Italy.
C: Etruscans- Settled Etruria, the area north of the Tiber River. May have come from
Lydia in the Asia Minor
2. Name and explain 3 major contributions of the Etruscans:
a. drain marsh lands- provided land on which they build and farm
b. leather boots- supported ankles for soldiers marching on rocking terrain
c. Etruscan alphabet- created out of Greek alphabet- allowed Etruscans to record
information
STATION 2
3. What were the classes of the Etruscans and what is a system of ranking people in a
social order called? (prior knowledge)
They had upper, middle and lower classes. The upper class owned much of the land.
A system of ranking people is a hierarchy.
4. Describe some of the things that the Etruscans did for activities to keep themselves
entertained.
Dice games, chess/backgammon type of games, wrestling, running, boxing and horse
races, music, dancing  connected with religious celebrations
STATION 3
5. Give a brief overview of what the Etruscan religion was like.
The Etrsucans were polytheistic and modeled religion after Greek gods and goddesses.
West- unlucky East- lucky
6. What was a soothsayer and how did they predict the future. Be sure to explain your
answer.
A soothsayer was a person who could read omens and predict future events. They used
“signs” from nature in order to do this.
STATION 4
7. Give a brief description of the catacombs and how they were used in ancient times.
Catacombs were used as tombs underground. They buried their dead with treasures
for afterlife. Christians will later use them as a safe place to worship in order to avoid
arrest.
8. Explain what happened at the banquet of the deceased.
Slaves fought one another to the death at the great banquet. Slave’s souls passed into
the afterlife with his masters. Roots of the gladitorial games.
Continued on the next page…
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STATION 5
Explain how the following contributions benefited the early Etruscans and Romans.
a. Republic- government where people elect their representatives to cote on major
issues. Allows government to work over a large area of land.
b. Arch- allowed bridges to be built over mountain valleys and rivers
c. Sewer systems- this allowed waste water to be carried away
d. Forum- created by draining the swampland but it became a central location for
meetings- a public square
e. Latin- Greek alphabet with vowels added. Basis to Italian, Spanish, Portuguese,
English and French.
STATION 6
Explain how the following contributions benefited the early Etruscans and Romans.
f. Gladiatorial games- Entertainment to please Roman mobs- pitted man against man
and man against beast
g. Fasces- symbol of Etruscan authority
h. Triumph- a parade-like welcome for victorious returning troops- morale booster
i. Triumphal arch- permanent memorial to commemorate a ruler’s successes or
accomplishments.
Latin Influence on English
Many languages have affected the development of Modern English. A group of
words that had a very important influence has been Latin, which was brought to England
by the early missionaries and sailors. Many Latin words were quietly adopted, and
slightly changed by the English speaking people, and they became part of the English.
Many Latin words were borrowed from the ancient Greek language, and therefore
there is a strong Greek influence on English as well.
Write the modern English word for these Latin terms in the blank:
Latin
Old English
Modern English
1. candela
candel
candle
2. strata
straet
street
3. pruna
pluma
plum
4. schola
scol
school
5. papyrus
papire
paper
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Completing a Chart and Drawing Conclusions
Even today no one is quite sure of the origin of the Etruscans, because historians
are not able to understand the small number of Etruscan writings that have been found.
Etruscan contributions to the later Roman civilization, however, have been recognized.
Use the knowledge you have already gained in order to complete the chart and answer the
questions that follow.
Field
Etruscan Contributions to Roman Civilization
Arch- bridges, aqueducts
Architecture
Running water, draining marshland, sewer
Public sanitation
Public meeting place- town center/marketplace
The Forum
Latin
Language and writing
Gladiatorial games
Entertainment
fasces
Symbol of authority
1. How might the development of the Etruscan arch have contributed to the building of
roads by the Romans?
_________Bridges________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. How do you think the Etruscan contribution to the Forum helped Roman farming communities?
_____market- place to sell good
________________________________________________________________________
3. Why do you think entertainment was a part of most early civilizations?
_____to keep the masses happy
________________________________________________________________________
Early Rome Study Guide
Map Locations- (You should be able to identify where these places are on a map)
Cities- Rome / Carthage / Pompeii Islands- Corsica / Sardinia / Sicily Bodies of Water- Tyrrhenian Sea
/ Adriatic Sea Rivers- Arno River / Po River / Tiber River Mountain Ranges- Alps / Apennines
Short Answer Question- Briefly summarize the story of Romulus and Remus.
Vocabulary- / fasces / forum / catacombs / keystone / Latin / prophecy / triumphal arch / triumph
Places- Carthage / Rome / Latium / Alps / Italy / Europe / Phoenicia
People- Romulus / Remus / Etruscans
Etruscans- alphabet / catacombs / Mars (the god of war) / belief in the afterlife / leather boot/ East (be able to
describe how each of these things were important to the Etruscans).
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