1. Rome consolidated the achievements of ancient civilizations and became the peak of development, though it also exacerbated problems like slavery, inequality, and violence. 2. Sources for early Roman history are unreliable as they were written centuries later and used fragmentary sources, though Rome developed from Latin villages on the hills overlooking the Tiber River. 3. Etruscan dominance over the early Romans introduced many cultural and political innovations to Rome before being expelled, allowing the patricians to establish the Roman Republic.