Roman Empire
Topic: The Roman Empire · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 2 "An Empire Across Three Continents"
Meaning
The Roman Empire was a huge state centred on the Mediterranean Sea. It began when Augustus became the first emperor in 27 BCE. At its peak in the second century CE it stretched from Scotland to Armenia and from the Sahara to the Euphrates, with about 60 million people. Its subjects spoke many languages, but they all lived under one emperor. The government used Greek in the east and Latin in the west. The western half broke up into Germanic kingdoms in the fifth century. The eastern half, ruled from Constantinople, survived as Byzantium.
Example
Under Diocletian (284–305), the empire was reorganised into about 100 provinces. Civilian and military jobs were separated, and land that was of little use was given up.
Don't confuse with
- Roman Republic (509–27 BCE): in the Republic the Senate held power and there was no emperor.
- Byzantine Empire: this was the eastern Roman Empire that lived on after the west fell.