City of Rome

Rome is by legend said to have been founded by the mythological brothers Remus and Romulus. But was most likely founded a lot earlier by the etruscans or Greek colonists. 
But around 753 BCE it became the Capital of the Roman Kingdom, and around 510 BCE it became the capital of newly founded Roman Republic (See Timeline for more information about the history of Rome). Roman was also referred to as "Roma Aeterna" (The Eternal City) and "Caput Mundi" (Capital of the World).
The first settlement is said to have been built on the Palatine Hill, facing a the only natural ford in the river in this area, with other settlements built on the other hills a bit later. Thus the city of Rome, came into being as these separate settlements began acting as a group, draining the marshy valleys between them and turning them into markets. The hills were also an easily defensible positions in the wide fertile plains surrounding them.
The seven hills of Rome (Septem montes Romae) became very important in later times, and many of the most important buildings of Rome were built on one of them, and all of them were inside the Servian Wall (though first built around 410 BCE). The Seven Hills are:
* Aventine Hill
* Caelian Hill
* Capitoline Hill
* Esquiline Hill
* Palatine Hill
* Quirinal Hill
* Viminal Hill
Rome, in around 510 BCE, had a population of around 130.000, thus being the second largest city in Italy at the time.
Rome is around 30 km from the coast, therefor it was very dependent on the coastal city of Ostia, to function as the harbor for Rome. It was located at the mouth of the Tiber, running directly into Rome. Many wares and trading goods came in through Ostia, and was placed on barges for the transport to Rome.
[Map of Ancient Rome]
[Map of Latium] Area around Rome
Roman Virtues