Roman Geography

Ostia

Ostia

• Rome's port city at the mouth of the Tiber River

• If you are leaving FROM ROME, you leave at Ostia

Brundisium

• Port city in the heel of the boot

• Southern most point of the Appian Way

• If you are leaving TO GREECE, you leave here

Mt. Vesuvius

• Volcano which destroyed Pompeii

• Near the Bay of Naples

Pompeii

• City destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius

• Near the Bay of Naples

Etruria

• Region of Italy north of Rome

• Home to the Etruscans

• Now called TUSCANY

Latium

• Central Italian region

• Contains Rome and Ostia

Campania

• Region of Italy South of Rome

• Contains Bay of Naples, Naples, Pompeii, and Mt. Vesuvius

Magna Graecia

• The "foot" of Southern Italy

• Called "Big Greece" because it was originally colonized by Greeks

Rubicon River

• Forms the border of Gaul (ancient France) and Italy

• Where Caesar said "Alea iacta est" and crossed with his army, thus declaring war on Rome itself

Apennine Mountains

- Mountain chain that runs south from the Alps down the entire spine of Italy

Mt. Aetna

• Volcano on the island of Sicily

• Home to the CYCLOPES

Mt Olympus

• Mountain in northern Greece

• Home of the gods/goddesses

Athens

- Capital of Greece

Sparta

- Rival to Athens in Southern Greece \n -Known for being tough people, excellent in war

Troy

• In modern day Turkey (called Asia Minor in Latin)

• Site of the Trojan War

Alexandria

• In northern Egypt

• Founded by Alexander the Great

• Largest library

• Largest lighthouse (1 of 7 wonders of the ancient world)

Crete

• Large island south of Greece

• Many myths take place here (Theseus/Minotaur and Daedalus/Icarus)

Tyrrhenian Sea

• Aka TUSCAN SEA

• Enclosed by the west coast of Italy and the islands of Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily

• Where Tiber River flows into

Adriatic Sea

• Off the east coast ("calf of the boot") of Italy

• Where Po River and Rubicon River flow into

Ionian Sea

- Between southern Italy and west coast of Greece

Aegean Sea

- Between east coast of Greece and west coast of Turkey

Nile

River in Egypt which flows into the Mediterranean Sea

Mare Nostrum (Our Sea)

Roman name for the Mediterranean Sea

Via Appia

• Appian Way \n - Major highway which ran from Rome south to Capua (near Pompeii), then across the Apennines to the port city of Brundisium in the heel of the boot

Sicilia

• Sicily

• Large triangular island off the "toe of the boot" of Italy-

Carthage

• City of trade

• Had conflict with Rome

  • Queen Dido ruled here