Rise and Challenges of Ancient Rome

Rome was originally a small town on the banks of the Tiber River and grew in size and

strength early on, through trade. The location of the city near the Mediterranean Sea

provided merchants with an easily navigable waterway on which to traffic their goods.

Greek culture and civilization, which came to Rome via Greek colonies to the south,

provided the early Romans with a model on which to build their own culture. From the Greeks

they borrowed literacy and religion, as well as their architecture. The Etruscans,

to the north, provided a model for trade and urban luxury. Early on,

the Romans showed a talent for borrowing and improving upon the skills and concepts of other cultures.