ABSTRACT
Rome, on an ancient salt route traversing the fertile plain of Latium, is located in the very heart of Italy. Initially it was mainly situated on the left bank of the Tiber, about 22 kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is customary to believe that Rome was built on seven hills, but there are in fact nine areas of high ground surrounding the city. While geomorphology influenced the location of Ancient Rome, its geology enabled the settlement to be transformed from one of wooden huts into a city of stone within two or three centuries. Like a number of ancient cities whose origins are unknown, myths have grown up around the founding of Rome and were probably widely believed for many years after they first emerged. The ultimate and most widely accepted version of events was provided by Livy in his history of Rome.
