Roman Empire

Roman Empire also Rome  (rm)

An empire that succeeded the Roman Republic during the time of Augustus, who ruled from 27 b.c. to a.d. 14. At its greatest extent it encompassed territories stretching from Britain and Germany to North Africa and the Persian Gulf. After 395 it was split into the Byzantine Empire and the Western Roman Empire, which rapidly sank into anarchy under the onslaught of barbarian invaders from the north and east. The last emperor of the West, Romulus Augustulus (born c. 461), was deposed by Goths in 476, the traditional date for the end of the empire.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Roman Empire - an empire established by Augustus in 27 BC and divided in AD 395 into the Western Roman Empire and the eastern or Byzantine Empire; at its peak lands in Europe and Africa and Asia were ruled by ancient Rome ancients - people who lived in times long past (especially during the historical period before the fall of the Roman Empire in western Europe) prefecture - the district administered by a prefect (as in France or Japan or the Roman Empire) Byzantine Empire, Eastern Roman Empire, Byzantium - a continuation of the Roman Empire in the Middle East after its division in 395 Western Empire, Western Roman Empire - the western part after the Roman Empire was divided in 395; it lasted only until 476 Africa - the second largest continent; located to the south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the Indian Ocean Asia - the largest continent with 60% of the earth's population; it is joined to Europe on the west to form Eurasia; it is the site of some of the world's earliest civilizations Europe - the 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula of Eurasia); the British use `Europe' to refer to all of the continent except the British Isles Roman - an inhabitant of the ancient Roman Empire