The Roman Empire

history · ancient · empires

Three continents. The Roman Empire stretched across parts of Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa, all circling the Mediterranean Sea.

Ruled by emperors. In 27 BC, Octavian (later called Augustus) became Rome's first emperor, beginning one-person rule over the empire.

Split in two. By the late 200s AD, the empire was divided many times, eventually into Western and Eastern halves.

The West falls. The Western Roman Empire collapsed in 476 AD, ending Roman rule in that part of the world.

The East lives on. The Eastern Roman Empire kept going for nearly 1,000 more years until Constantinople fell in 1453.