Roman Empire
Roman state following the Republic (27 BC–1453 AD) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Roman Empire[lower-alpha 1] was the post-Republican state of ancient Rome. It is generally understood to mean the period and territory ruled by the Romans following Octavian's assumption of sole rule under the Principate in 27 BC. It included territories in Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia and was ruled by emperors. The fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD conventionally marks the end of classical antiquity and the beginning of the Middle Ages.
Roman Empire
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27 BC–AD 395 (unified)[1] AD 395–476/480 (Western) AD 395–1453 (Eastern) | |||||||||||
Capital |
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Common languages | |||||||||||
Religion |
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Demonym(s) | Roman | ||||||||||
Government | Semi-elective absolute monarchy (de facto) | ||||||||||
• Emperor | (List) | ||||||||||
Historical era | Classical era to Late Middle Ages (Timeline) | ||||||||||
Area | |||||||||||
25 BC[15] | 2,750,000 km2 (1,060,000 sq mi) | ||||||||||
AD 117[15][16] | 5,000,000 km2 (1,900,000 sq mi) | ||||||||||
AD 390[15] | 3,400,000 km2 (1,300,000 sq mi) | ||||||||||
Population | |||||||||||
• 25 BC[17] | 56,800,000 | ||||||||||
Currency | Sestertius,[lower-alpha 5] aureus, solidus, nomisma | ||||||||||
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Rome had expanded its rule to most of the Mediterranean and beyond. However, it was severely destabilized in civil wars and political conflicts which culminated in the victory of Octavian over Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, and the subsequent conquest of the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Egypt. In 27 BC, the Roman Senate granted Octavian overarching power (imperium) and the new title of Augustus, marking his accession as the first Roman emperor of a monarchy with Rome as its sole capital. The vast Roman territories were organized in senatorial and imperial provinces.
The first two centuries of the Empire saw a period of unprecedented stability and prosperity known as the Pax Romana (lit. 'Roman Peace'