Why were new settlements built along rivers in Ancient Rome?

Answer 1

They settled near rivers for water and animals. Animals would go to the water so the area would be good for hunting. They also needed the water for themselves. Back then, water was the ultimate resource.

Answer 2

ancient Rome did not settle anywhere. A city cannot travel or settle anywhere.

Moreover, the foundation of Rome did not involve settling somewhere and building a new city. It involved the creation of the Roman city-state. The separate and independent settlements on what were to become the Seven Hills of Rome were unified under a single state and a common king. These unified settlements formed the early city of Rome. . The original inhabitants in Rome lived in the area which was to become Rome long before the foundation of Rome.

An environmental factor which contributed to this unification was the fact that the area of Rome was hilly. People liked to live on hills in those days because they made defence against raids easier. Therefore, the presence of settlements on neighbouring hills made it easier for them to come together and form a single state which unified them.

These hills were near the river Tiber. It is common for settlements to be formed along river as these provided water and , if navigable, they could also be used for sailing. Rome was also by the only Ford on this river, which made her an important north-south communication point in the region as the Tiber flowed east-west from the mountains to the east of Rome to the coast to its west.