Ancient was initially located in modern Italy in Southern . The city of Rome was the heart of this unique, boot-shaped peninsula and its surrounding islands. Mountains, known as the edge the northernmost part of Italy, isolating the early ancient people who settled there. The second largest city-state of Ancient Rome was . Florence sat just north of the Mountain range that runs along the Eastern Coast of Italy on the Sea. The River ran between Rome and Florence, and provided the largest fresh water source for the people of Ancient Rome. Two of the biggest Islands to the West of Italy in the Sea were to the north, and to the south. A narrow strip of land called an isthmus connect mainland Italy with , a major city-state of Rome. At the height of the Roman Empire, through military force, the Romans would extend their vast empire all around the Sea. Lands in , , and were acquired by Rome, enabling valuable resources to be traded throughout the empire via a network of roads and shipping routes. I NEED HELP