Who Settled in Rome?

Who Settled in Rome?

Estruscans

- came from north-central part of the peninsula
- metalworkers, artists, architects
two foundations myths:
- Virgil's Aeneid (where Aeneas escapes from Troy - sound familiar?)
- The story of Remus and Romulus

Greeks

- they had many colonies around the Mediterranean Sea
- Romans borrowed ideas from them, such as: religious beliefs, alphabet, much of their art, military techniques and weaponry

But who settled there first? the Latins

- descendants of Indro - Europeans
- settled on the banks of the Tiber
- situated so trading ships - but not war fleets - could navigate as far as Rome, but not further
- a commercial port, but not susceptible to attack

- Romulus = Rome

They drained a swamp...

- many streams flowed into the Tiber
- there was a marshy area called the Forum, between Palatine and Capitoline Hills
- Tarquin the Proud's grandfather built the Cloaca Maxima (largest ancient drain), which channeled water into the Tiber
- urban legend says Washington DC was built on a swamp - but only about 2% was actually swampland - however, Constitution Avenue is located on what used to be called Tiber Creek