Chapter 6 Outline ? An Age of Empires: Rome and Han China, 753 B.C.E.?330 C.E. An Age of Empires: Rome and Han China, 753 b.c.e.?330 c.e. I. Rome?s Creation of a Mediterranean Empire, 753 b.c.e.?330 c.e. Geography and Resources Italy and Sicily are at a crossroads of the Mediterranean and serve as a link between Africa and Europe. Rome is at a crossroads of the Italian peninsula. Italy?s natural resources included navigable rivers, forests, iron, a mild climate, and enough arable land to support a large population of farmers whose surplus product and labor could be exploited by the Roman state. A Republic of Farmers, 753?31 b.c.e.