Roman Empire

Map of the Roman Empire at its height in 117 CE.

The Roman Empire was the post-Republican form of state of Roman society which was instituted under Augustus, the first emperor of Rome, in 27 BCE. The Roman Empire was dominated by slavery as its chief mode of production but would later be replaced by feudalism.

The Roman Empire was a transcontinental realm which spanned much of Europe, North Africa, and Asia. At its height at the time of emperor Trajan, it spanned from the British Isles in the west to Mesopotamia in the east.

The Roman Empire would be finally split in two at death of emperor Theodosius I. The Western half would fall to Germanic invasions and migrations in 476 CE while the Eastern portion, known to modern historians as the Byzantine Empire, would survive until 1453 CE.

See also

• Roman Republic
• Western Roman Empire
• Eastern Roman Empire