User:InformationvsInjustice/sandboxromanemplede

For other uses of "Roman Empire", see Roman Empire (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with Latin Empire or Holy Roman Empire.

Roman Empire Senatus Populusque Romanus (Latin) Imperium Romanum (Latin) Βασιλεία Ῥωμαίων (Ancient Greek) Basileía Rhōmaíōn
27 BC – 395 AD 395 – 476/480 (Western) 395 – 1453 (Eastern)
Aureus of Augustus Vexillum
The Roman Empire in AD 117, at its greatest extent at the time of Trajan's death (with its vassals in pink).
Capital	Rome (27 BC–330 AD) Mediolanum (286–402, Western) Ravenna (402–476, Western) Nicomedia (286–330, Eastern) Constantinople (330–1453)
Common languages	Latin (official until 610) Greek (official after 610) Regional / local languages
Religion	Imperial cult-driven polytheism (Before AD 380) Nicene Christianity (State Church of the Roman Empire) (From AD 380)
Government	Mixed, functionally absolute monarchy
Emperor
• 27 BC  – AD 14	Augustus (first)
• 98–117	Trajan
• 284–305	Diocletian
• 306–337	Constantine I
• 379–395	Theodosius I
• 474–480	Julius Nepos
• 527–565	Justinian I
• 976–1025	Basil II
• 1449–1453	Constantine XI
Legislature	Senate
Historical era	Classical era to Late Middle Ages
• Final War of the Roman Republic	32–30 BC
• Empire established	30–2 BC
• Constantinople becomes capital	11 May 330
• Final East-West divide	17 Jan 395
• Fall of the Western Roman Empire	4 Sep 476
• Fourth Crusade	12 Apr 1204
• Reconquest of Constantinople	25 Jul 1261
• Fall of Constantinople	29 May 1453
• Fall of Trebizond	15 August 1461
Area
25 BC	2,750,000 km2 (1,060,000 sq mi)
AD 117	5,000,000 km2 (1,900,000 sq mi)
AD 390	4,400,000 km2 (1,700,000 sq mi)
Population
• 25 BC	56,800,000
Currency	Sestertius, Aureus, Solidus, Nomisma
Preceded by Succeeded by Roman Republic Western Roman Empire Eastern Roman Empire

The Roman Empire (Latin: Imperium Rōmānum, Latin pronunciation: [ɪmˈpɛ.ri.ũː roːˈmaː.nũː]; Koine and Medieval Greek: Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, tr. Basileia tōn Rhōmaiōn; Italian: Impero romano) was the period of the ancient Roman civilization which began in 27 BC with the naming of Julius Caesar's nephew and adopted son, Augustus as the first emperor, ending the Roman Republic era. The empire controlled large areas around the Mediterranean Sea in Europe, North Africa, and West Asia. The city of Rome served as its capital until it was shifted to Constantinople by Constantine the Great in the 4th century AD. Large invasions by Germanic peoples and the Huns of Attila led to the decline of the Western Roman Empire, and, with the overthrow of Romulus Augustulus in 476 AD by Odoacer, the Western Roman Empire finally collapsed.

The empire's first two centuries were a period of peace and prosperity known as the Pax Romana ("Roman Peace"). However, civil wars and other struggles in the 3rd century caused widespread chaos, which lasted until the emperors Aurelian and Diocletian restored order and stability. Christians rose to power in the 4th century, during which time a system of dual rule was developed in the Greek East and Latin West. The Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire, continued until 1453 with the Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire.

The institutions and culture of Rome have had a profound and lasting influence on the peoples of its former territory, particularly, those of Europe. The Latin alphabet is now the world's most widely used writing system. Latin is the mother tongue of the Romance languages. The spread of Christianity is attributable to its adoption as the official state religion. Roman philosophy and law are the foundation of modern legal doctrine. Roman art had a profound impact on the Italian Renaissance, and Roman architecture served as the basis for Neoclassical architecture. Rome's government would go on to influence the political development of later nations, such as the United States.