I find that Augustus was a better Roman leader as he started an era of peace in Rome. The Pax Romana, or Roman Peace. He Built a permanent, professional army of 150,000 men and he founded a special unit called the Praetorian Guard. This consisted of 9,000 men who were in charge of guarding the emperor. Later, this became very important in politics. Augustus also conquered new territories, rebuilt Rome, he imported grain from Africa for the poor because he knew that they would cause less trouble if they were well-fed. He appointed a consul or governor to each of Rome's provinces, he reformed laws to make them easier to understand and apply and he reformed the Roman tax system.

Julius Caesar

From my point of view, Julius Caesar was a Reformer. Even though he was believed to be too ambitious and did things that may make him seem like a dictator, Caesar did many memorable things for many people. Caesar had a very good military strategy and won the support of his soldier. He strengthened and expanded Rome and started jobs so that the poor could become wealthier. Caesar also treated his defeated enemies fairly and generously. To some, he even gave government positions and to others that came from a foreign state, granted citizenship. By doing this, he ended the rule of corrupt Roman nobles.
In conclusion, he was admired greatly by the people and brought order and peace to Rome.

The Italian peninsula

Explain in detail how the geography and the climate of the Italian peninsula affected the development of ancient Rome.


Italy is located in the Mediterranean region. The Mediterranean sea was a good way to get to the rest of the Mediterranean world. But Italy was far enough to escape sea raids by pirates.
Italy had much better farmland than Greece. Thus, there was a large capacity to produce food. By producing more food, Italy could supply much more people. Unlike Greece, Italy was unified and was not divided into many city-states.
When Rome was built, the site chosen was about 15 miles, or 24 km, up the Tiber river from the Mediterranean sea. The Tiber wasa great source of water and an easy access to the Mediterranean sea. 
Rome was built on seven hills. The hills were steep. This made it more difficult for the enemies to attack and easier for Romans to defend themselves. There is evidence that northern people slipped through Italy's mountains around 1500 B.C. or 1000 B.C. Most of the newcomers were Latins. Rome became a stopping place for travelers and ships from the Mediterranean sea.

The Founding of Rome

Describe the two legends that tell of the founding of Rome. The describe how and when Rome was actually founded.

The first legend about the founding is about two twin brothers, Romulus and Remus. They would have been abandoned as babies near the Tiber river, rescued by a wolf and raised by a shepherd. The brothers decided to build a city in 753 B.C. The twins fought a lot with each other and one day, Remus made fun of the walls his brother had built and Romulus killed him. Romulus became the first king of Rome and named the city after himself.

The second legend can be found in the Roman poet Vigil's epic poem called The Aeneid. The Aeneid is the story of Aeneas and other Trojan followers. They sailed the Mediterranean after Troy had been destroyed. They landed at the mouth of the Tiber. Apparently, through warfare and marriage to the local king's daughter, Aeneas united the Trojans and the Latins (local people) and became the 'father' of the Romans.