- The followers of Romulus were shepherds, hunters, farmers, and merchants who lived in small huts scattered on the seven hills on which the city was built.

-The 6 kings who had followed Romulus were: Numa Pompilius, Tullus Hostilius, Ancus Martius, Tarquinius Priscus, Servius Tullus, and Tarquinius Superbus.

- If you go to Rome today you can see parts of the Servian Wall which was once believed to have been built by Servius Tullius.

- The Latins were strongly influenced by the Greeks and the Etruscans

- The Etruscans, a hard and warlike people, settled in Tuscany (first civilized people in Italy)

- In Tuscany they built cities, developed law codes, established trade and were into art

- In the 8th century BC they controlled north and central Italy through a chain of city-states

- They also had colonies on Corsica and traded with the Carthaginians living in Sardinia

- In southern Italy and eastern Sicily were Greek colonists (centers of culture and commerce)

- They wanted to civilize (rather than conquer) the Latin tribes and teach them skills and fine craftsmanship of the East, the Greek alphabet, and Greek religion.

- There were also the Carthaginians (Sicily and Sardinia) who were commercial rivals of Rome that exercised control over many city-states.

- The Romans fought the Carthaginians in the Punic Wars for commercial and political control of the western Med.