Roman empire
The period when the Roman state and its overseas provinces were under the rule of an emperor, from the time of
Augustus
(
27
BC
) until
476
AD
. The Roman empire was divided in
375
AD
by
Emperor
Theodosius
into the Western and Eastern empires. The term is often used to refer to all Roman territories during both the republic and the empire.
The city of Rome gradually gained power from the time of the Tarquins (6th century bc), subduing the Etruscans, Sabines, Samnites, and Greek settlers, and by the mid-3rd century bc, controlled Italy. It came into conflict with
Carthage
in the western Mediterranean and with the Hellenistic world in the east. Success in the
Punic wars
gave Rome its first overseas...
[The entire page is 475 words long]
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