Ancient Greece was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity, that comprised a loose collection of … 

Beginning date: 800 BC (around)

7th, The Roman Empire , the ruthless, ferrocious, wicked and with iron teeth

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When Did the Roman Empire Start and End?

The Roman Empire was one of the greatest and most influential civilisations in the world and lasted for over a 1000 years. The extent and length of their reign has made it hard to trace their rise to power and their fall. That’s where we come in…

We’ve gone ahead and done the research for you so you can learn more about this fascinating part of history which all started in the city of Rome, Italy. There are some things we should clarify however, before we get started. It’s important to realise that the Rome Empire was a period encompassed by Ancient Rome. Ancient Rome refers to the very beginning of the city of Rome, founded in the 8th century BC, and it’s expansion, through to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It’s different stages and developments have been split into the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire.

The Start of the Empire

Before the Empire, the Roman Republic existed, governing the land for 500 years. The Republic, first situated in Rome expanded out to the rest of Italy and then to North Africa and the Mediterranean. It is hard to trace the wars and success the Romans had during the Republic as historical writing in Rome didn’t start until the late 3rd century BC. What we do know however, is that the Republic’s authority soon started to fade due to its incapability to adjust to their expanding power. With the overwhelming difference between the rich and the poor, a new practice took place where the army was paid with gold. This resulted in soldiers no longer fighting for the republic, but rather for their generals. Julius Caesar, a military leader, took this opportunity and seized control, becoming dictator of Rome that dismantled the government. This is what initiated the beginning of the Roman Empire. Caesar’s order to the Senate to make him dictator for life was the last straw, resulting in his assassination in 44 BC. However, the senator’s plan were all in vain as the crumbling Roman Republic finally died along with Caesar, transforming the entire expanse into the Roman Empire. It was Caesar’s adopted son Octavian who replaced him as leader of the Empire, becoming to be known as Emperor Augustus, igniting a period of peace and authority across Rome and the rest of the Empire (Pax Romana). This period also saw the peak of Roman power, controlling the North African Coast, Egypt, Southern Europe, most of Western Europe, the Balkans, Crimea and much of the Middle East, including Anatolia, Levant and parts of Mesopotamia and Arabia. With the vastness of their reign, scholars have split the Roman Empire into Western and Eastern making it easier to follow the Empire’s developments and its collapse.