• Rome-ing the Mediterranean

	*Rome and Trade on the Mediterranean Sea*

				Introduction Ah, Rome! Caesar! Patricians! Plebeians! Centurions! Gladiators! The Coliseum! The Forum! But what about the traders who went to the far reaches of the empire bringing goods, gold and glory back to Rome? Who were they? Where did they go? What goods did they trade? What did they bring back? Roman entrepreneurs traded with other cultures along a system of Roman roads and via ships on the Mediterranean Sea. Roads – a source of great commercial importance -- led out of Rome in every direction linking the capital with the distant provinces. At the same time, the Mediterranean Sea – sometimes called the “Roman Lake” – also provided access to distant ports and the goods that could be obtained from foreign lands. As a result, Romans were able to satisfy their economic wants for scarce resources by engaging in trade with other parts of the world.

				Your World Cultures teacher announced that the class will host a Roman Festival for parents at a PTA meeting at the end of your unit on Rome. The festival will highlight projects completed by groups of students in your class and will cover a variety of topics such as “Daily Life”, “Government”, and “Architecture.” You and the other members of your group are investigating the topic of “Trade in the Roman Empire" and how the exchange of imports and exports led to interdependence throughout the Roman World. The group decided to create a project entitled “Rome-ing the Mediterranean” for the festival.

Rome and Trade on the Mediterranean Sea

Introduction