Rima Lahdhiri 6th Hour- Mrs.

Lining 3/28/14

Geography and the Roman Economy

The geography of Rome both negatively and positively impacted its economy. According to Source B, it states, Some of Italys mountains, such as Mount Vesuvius, are volcanic. Their eruptions could devastate Roman towns. This evidence related to the claim because if these volcanoes/mountains erupted, there would be no more civilization and the economy would heavily decrease. The volcanoes also spew out ash, and the ash would cover the crops, so the Romans wouldnt be able to make money. In addition, the damage from these eruptions would cost a lot of money to fix; money the Romans didnt have. To add on, Source E says, Thus, the city could receive by sea the products it needed and also dispose of its superfluous (extra) commodities. By the river the sea could bring up from the sea the

necessities of a civilized life as well as bring them down from the interior. This evidence supports my claim because it proves that the river made it easier to trade. The farmers could grow their crops using the water and distribute it through the seas/rivers to make money, which helped the economy. In conclusion, Romes geography, including volcanoes and bodies of water, impacted its economy in both a positive and negative way.