In addition to studying from the resources listed at the bottom of this page, you can use the internet very effectively to find maps that you should study to prepare for VJCL and NJCL contests. Some search topics to consider are maps of:
- Ancient Rome
- At the height of the empire (during Trajan’s reign)
- During the late Republic (time of Caesar, etc.)
- During the early Empire
- Roman Roads (in Italy)
- Roman provinces
- Roman Roads (across the Empire)
- Buildings and layout of the Roman Forum
- In fact, here is newly created (as of August, 2014) list of “40 Maps that Explain the Roman Empire“
You should also consider studying some facts that do not necessarily require a map. These include:
- The sites of famous battles (e.g. Zama is in Africa, Pharsalus is in Greece, etc.)
- The birthplaces of famous Romans (political figures, generals, literary figures, etc.)
- General facts about famous places in the classical world generally, such as:
- Delphi–site of the oracle of Apollo, Mt. Parnassus, and “center” of the Greek world and location of the “omphalos” stone or “navel” of the world
- Alexandria in Egypt (named after the Macedonian king Alexander the Great) was the site of the world’s most extensive and famous library in ancient times
- Cyclades islands (named for the “wheel”-like spiral these Greek islands form in the sea)
- Epidauros is the site of a major, well-preserved Greek theater and was a center of the worship of Aesculapius, and a center of healing, as was the Tiber Island in Rome later on
- Crete was the island that was the site of “Minoan Civilization,” named after its mythological king Minos
- Eleusis–major site of the worship of Demeter known as the “Eleusinian Mysteries,” not far from Athens
- Rome is in the region of Italy called Latium; Athens is in a region of Greece called Attica, etc.
- Cavalry from Numidia played a critical role in the Roman victory at Zama in 202 B.C>
- The Black Sea was known as the Pontus Euxinus
- etc.
- Famous sites of mythological stories, including cities, rivers, mountains, etc. (e.g. Mt. Ida is the main mountain near Troy; the Scamander/Xanthus was the river of Troy; the Hellespont, now called the Dardenelles, was named after the character Helle who fell off the golden ram that became the Golden Fleece; Hercules set up “The Pillars of Hercules” on Spain and Africa to mark how far he had come in his travels, etc.)
For Beginners:
- A workbook that covers just about all of the basics: A Roman Map Workbook
- Scans of maps from various books: Geography Packet
For Intermediate and Advanced Students:
- Annotated Maps Scanned from Cary & Scullard on Google Drive
- Susan Schearer’s Photos of the Plastic Model of Imperial Rome from the EUR building in Rome on Google Drive
- Florida Geography study guide: geography_study_guide
- An alphabetical guidebook on the historical significance of various places in the ancient world: A Guide to the Ancient World (Michael Grant)
Classics Club & Certamen 