Looking at this map (a very cool one from the 16th Century), I am flooded with questions and ideas:
- The sea is bottlenecked at both ends -- Gibraltar on the west and the Bosporus to the east. One leads out to the ocean, the other to a large inland sea. Both are highly strategic. Who controls these chokepoints? What do they do? Are there fortresses? High tariffs? Gigantic gates?
- A narrow strip of land separates the Med from the Red Sea, at the Suez. Is there a canal? Who controls it? Are there ports on both sides? If there isn't a canal, is there a well-established trading road?
- There are lots of islands, from large ones (Sicily, Sardenia) to tiny ones, scattered about like pebbles. What's on them? Is this where the pirates hang out? Is there a pirate city?
- What does one need to to to get from the ports surrounding the sea into the interior? There's desert to the south, forests to the north. How easy is it to get there, or to get across land at all? What are the hazards?
These are just a few. They are all based on existing geography, topography, and climate. There's plenty to think about, even assuming I don't make any major changes. I am considering making a significant one -- something may explode. . .