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Roman Empire: Quick Facts

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News •

Giant statue of Roman emperor once stood in southern Scotland • Nov. 12, 2026, 1:02 AM ET (BBC)
A man using a metal detector in Germany found the biggest stash of Roman silver coins from Emperor Hadrian ever discovered • Nov. 7, 2026, 10:30 AM ET (Earth.com)
Chris Wickham obituary • Oct. 23, 2026, 6:30 AM ET (The Guardian)

Facts

Date 27 BCE - 476

Photos and Videos

Map showing the maximum territorial extent of the Roman Empire in AD 117, shaded in yellow, spanning from western Europe and North Africa to the Near East. Major rivers and seas are labeled, and various symbols mark the locations of Roman colonies and municipia established during the Pre-Caesarian, Caesarian, and Augustan periods. The boundary at the death of Emperor Trajan is highlighted.
Marble statue of Augustus stands between two columns in a stone niche at the Roman theatre in France, with ancient masonry visible behind.
Constantine I
Colosseum
The Pont du Gard, a three-tiered ancient Roman aqueduct with large stone arches, spans a river near Nimes, France, surrounded by trees and rocky banks.
Glimpse remnants of the Roman Empire in the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Via Appia
The rise and fall of the Roman Empire
How Constantine the Great changed Rome forever
Learn about the magnificent infrastructural work of imperial Rome, especially Roman masonry
Hannibal's daring strategy against Rome explained
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Related Topics and References

Topics
Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Major Events

Battle of Milvian Bridge
Battle of Milvian Bridge
Hermannsdenkmal, Teutoburg Forest, Germany
Battle of the Teutoburg Forest
Parthenon frieze with Poseidon, Apollo, and Artemis
Classical antiquity
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Battle of Mursa
Antoninus Pius
Antonines
Augustus from Prima Porta
Pax Romana

Related Places

Pannonia
Pannonia
historical region, Europe
Capua
Capua
ancient city, Italy
Kayseri, Turkey: courtyard of the Sultanhanı caravansary
Kayseri
Turkey
Africa
Africa
Roman territory, North Africa
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Moesia
ancient province, Europe
Caria
Caria
ancient district, Anatolia
Cisalpine Gaul
Cisalpine Gaul
Roman province, Europe
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Tauric Chersonese
ancient region, Ukraine
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Raetia
ancient province, Europe
Arabia
Arabia
Roman province
default image
Belgica
ancient province, Europe
Asia (Roman province)
Asia
ancient Roman province
Map showing the location of the historical site of Canuntum in Austria.
Carnuntum
ancient site, Austria
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Lugdunensis
Roman province, Europe
Breisgau, Germany
Breisgau
historical region, Germany

Key People

Augustus
Augustus
Roman emperor
Constantine I
Constantine I
Roman emperor
Marble bust of Roman emperor Tiberius showing a youthful male face with short, wavy hair and a neutral expression.
Tiberius
Roman emperor
Hadrian
Hadrian
Roman emperor
Diocletian
Diocletian
Roman emperor
Tacitus
Tacitus
Roman historian
Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon
British historian
Theodosius I
Theodosius I
Roman emperor
Bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius with his right arm raised, seated on a horse, at Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome, Italy.
Marcus Aurelius
emperor of Rome
Bust of Vespasian, found at Ostia; in the Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome.
Vespasian
Roman emperor
Nero
Nero
Roman emperor
Trajan
Trajan
Roman emperor
Theodor Mommsen.
Theodor Mommsen
German historian, philologist, and legal scholar
Claudius I
Claudius
Roman emperor
Julian the Apostate
Julian
Roman emperor
Caracalla
Caracalla
Roman emperor
Detail of a marble bust of Domitian, in the Palazzo dei Conservatori, Rome
Domitian
Roman emperor
Gaius Maecenas, marble bust; in the Palazzo dei Conservatori, Rome
Gaius Maecenas
Roman diplomat and patron
Septimius
Septimius Severus
Roman emperor
Aurelian
Aurelian
Roman emperor

Related Quizzes

Overlooking the Roman Forum with Temple of Saturn in Rome, Italy
The Roman Empire