- Unit 3. Rome, the Global Empire
- Getting Started
  - What Are We Learning?
  - Observe and Think
  - Map Your Mind
- Rome, the Global Empire
  - The History of Ancient Rome
    - A Little City Become Empire
    - The Legendary Origins
    - The Monarchy (753-509 BC)
    - The Republic (509-27 BC)
      - The Fight for Political Rights
      - Major Conquests during the Republic
      - The Crisis of the Republic
    - The Roman Empire (27-476 AD)
      - The Crisis of the Third Century
      - The Recovery of the 4th Century
      - The Fall of the Roman Empire
  - The Roman Society
    - Women in Rome
    - Slaves
  - The Roman Economy
  - The Roman Law
  - The Roman Army
- Self-Evaluation Quiz
- Complementary Activities
  - The Greek and Latin Roots of English
  - One Myth, One Song
  - Games, Comics and Stuff
- References

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# A Little City Become Empire

Roman civilization started with the foundation of the city of Rome in 753 BC. Rome was on the Tiber River in the Italian Peninsula. At that time this territory was inhabited by different peoples, as you can see in the map below.

The history of the Roman origin is mixed with legend, as we will see in the next section. The only truth we know is that in the middle of the eighth century BC some tribes of Latin origin settled around the hills near the Tiber River.

The growth of the Roman Empire was a long process. Rome conquered the entire Italian Peninsula between 500 and 250 BC.

Think about it
Look at the map of the Roman Empire below. What is the location of the boot-shaped Italian Peninsula in the Mediterranean Basin? Do you think that this location made the expansion of the Roman Empire easier?

It is in the very centre of the Mediterranean Basin.

Yes, of course! Its strategic location enabled the Romans to expand across the Mediterranean.

Between the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, Roman territories stretched north to south from the British Isles to the Sahara Desert, and east to west from Mesopotamia to the Iberian Peninsula. The Roman Empire included people of many different ethnic groups and was organised into provinces, which had to pay taxes to Rome.

## Activity

Complete this puzzle to get familiar with the Roman Empire Geography.

## Activity: Roman Empire Provinces

Resumen textual alternativo
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