The position of the Italian peninsula was favorable to the growth of the
Roman power. It was situated almost in the center of the Mediterranean
Sea, on the shores of which had flourished the great nations of
antiquity--Egypt, Phœnicia, Carthage and Greece. By conquering Italy,
Rome thus obtained a commanding position among the nations of the
ancient world. As the peninsula projects southward into the
Mediterranean it bends toward the east, so that its southern coasts
afforded an easy access to the civilized peoples of Greece. The eastern
shores of the peninsula, washed by the Adriatic Sea, with few bays and
harbors, were not favorable to the early progress of the people; while
the western coasts, bordering upon the Tyrrhenian Sea, with their
numerous indentations afforded greater opportunities for commerce and a
civilized life.