Geography
Bodies of Water
Aegean Sea
The Aegean sea is nestled between Greece and Turkey. The word Aegean comes from the word aigialos in Greek meaning wavy seas. It is connected to the Black and Marmara Sea. Within the sea there are many small islands, most notably Rhodes and Crete. This area was the cradle for 2 great cultures, the Minoan and the Mycenaean. The sea facilitated the trade and cultural exchange of many civilizations.
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea borders the eastern side of the Italian peninsula. In the southeast, The Adriatic sea connects to the Ionian sea. The Adriatic Sea is home to many islands, containing more than 1300. It is important for trading as it acts as a port for Brundisium It receives flow from the Po and Rubicon rivers.
The Rhine is a river that flows through Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and France. It was vital for transporting goods inland. Because of this, Rome had many military camps along the river. It was considered to be at the edge of the empire since it was the border between Rome and Germania. It was home to many Germanic tribes as well as the Roman colonists.
Rhine
The Nile River is referred to as the Nilus. It is located in Egypt. The river annually floods, depositing sediment. This allows for the the area around the Nile to be great for agriculture, feeding the Egyptian civilization. It also allows for trade up and down the the river. Unlike most rivers, it flows from the south to the north.
Nile
Po River
The Po River starts in the Alps of Switzerland. It empties into the Adriatic Sea. The Po is long in length and is 405 miles long. In terms of Location, It borders the top of the Italian peninsula and flows from west to east. Venice is located on the mouth of the Po.
Rubicon River
The Rubicon River is a relatively short river and runs 80 km from the Apennines to the Adriatic Sea. It is the river that was crossed by Caesar in 49 BCE which resulted in the civil war which Caesar won to take absolute power of Rome. The Rubicon flows west to east and is located in the north eastern half of the Italian peninsula.
Provinces
Germania
Germania was a territory that was conquered and later annexed by the Romans. It stretched west to the Rhine, east to the Vistula River and Carpathian Mountains, South to the Danube River, and north to the sea. It was full of dense forests, swamps, and cold mountains. The Romans considered it a barren wasteland with savage people whom they called the Germani. They were blonde haired and blue eyed, and had a huge warrior culture. Caesar said, "Although Aauls can be savage, they are not as wild as the Germani."
Black Sea
The Black sea is between Southeast Europe and Western Asia. It is large in area (roughly 436,400 miles) and is 2212 m at maximum depth. Despite its large size, it drains into Mediterranean through the Bosphorus Strait. The Black Sea's main border is Asia Minor.
Sicilia
Scilia or Sicily was the first Roman province. It was heavily fought over with the Carthaginian Empire during the Punic Wars. The land itself is a large island off the coast of Italy’s boot. It is known for it’s fertile soils that supplied Rome with wheat. The culture of Sicily at the time was considered to be far more Roman than Greek.
Aegyptus
Aegyptus was conquered by Octavian in 30 BCE. It is located and takes up most of Modern day Egypt. Its northern border borders the Mediterranean Sea. With its capital, Alexandria, and its large port, Aegyptus quickly became wealthy. It was the second largest city and had the largest port in the Roman empire, Aegyptus is located south of Asia minor and southeast of Rome
Creta
Creta was located in modern day Crete. It is located In the Mediterranean Sea and is south of Greece. Creta is the 5th largest island in the Mediterranean. It is a very mountainous island and is located southeast of Rome and the Italian peninsula
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