| LATIUM | | | | near, the Salt road was near so it is not difficult to |
| Northern Latium was home to the small tribe of Latin | | | | understand the reasons it was settled first. So the first |
| people and later it was called Ancient Latium. It was | | | | Palatine hill community was the Protolatin community |
| situated between Etruria and Campania. The river | | | | (9-10 BC). At the end of 9th BC was founded the |
| Tiber connected Latius with the midland and the | | | | Esquiline hill Protosabines community which was very |
| Tyrrhenian sea was an area of a brisk trade between | | | | near the Palatine hill. |
| Carthage, Etruria and Greek. Everywhere in Latium | | | | There were four phases of the growth of the city |
| there were traces of volcanic activity. The volcanic | | | | during its Kingdom period. The fist phase was called |
| ash-particles were wonderful fertilizer and made the | | | | "Square Rome" (Roma Quadrata). According to the |
| soil very rich and productive. Agriculture and cattle | | | | history so was named the first Palatine hill settlement |
| breeding were the main activities of the population in | | | | by some Roman writers. The second phase was |
| that region. Their domestic animals were bulls, sheep, | | | | "The city of the seven hills" but relative to this period |
| hogs. Horses were also used but mainly for battles. | | | | there were no clear evidence about what territory |
| The climate was very wet and there were a lot of | | | | exactly was included in the city. |
| marshes in that area. According to the history | | | | The third phase of the growth of the city was so |
| Protolatins (Latin ancestors) were the first settlers of | | | | called "The city of the four districts". The four districts |
| Alban hills of Latium. These hills later became the | | | | were as follows: Palatine hill, Caelian hill, Quirinal hill and |
| unification centre of primitive Latin city-states (The | | | | Viminal hill. This way the city was expanded to include |
| Alban Federation known as Latin League – 7th | | | | five main hills: Palatine hill, Esquiline hill, Caelian hill, Viminal |
| century BC). Downstream the river Tiber there were | | | | hill and Quirinal hill. Obviously the other two hills – |
| another group of hills. They occupy very strategic | | | | Capitoline hill and Aventine hill were not settled at that |
| position. Some of them had very steep slopes and | | | | time or if they were, they were not included in the |
| were very easy to defend (Capitol, Palatine). People | | | | pomerium (the sacred body of the city of Rome) of |
| there was obtaining salt from the sea water and along | | | | the city. The last phase was so called "The city of |
| the left bank of the river Tiber there was a road called | | | | Servius Tullius" (Servius Tullius was the sixth legendary |
| "The Salt road" (Via Salaria). | | | | king of Ancient Rome. He expanded the city to include |
| THE HILLS AND THE GROWTH OF ROME | | | | the Capitoline hill). So the Capitoline hill was within the |
| Palatine hill was the first of the main hills that was | | | | pomerium of the city. Aventine hill was the last of the |
| settled. The hill was surrounded by a lot of marshes | | | | main hills included. |
| and it was very easy to defend. The river Tiber was | | | | |