Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the period of ancient Roman civilization marked by imperial governance following the transition from the Roman Republic in 27 BC under Augustus, its first emperor. It expanded across territories surrounding the Mediterranean Sea and profoundly influenced law, language, architecture, and culture throughout Europe and beyond. The empire eventually divided into Western Roman Empire (which fell in 476 AD) and Eastern Roman Empire, commonly known as the Byzantine Empire, which endured until its fall in 1453 AD.