Rome was founded on seven hills along the Tiber River in Italy. By the 2nd century BC, Rome had expanded throughout the Italian peninsula and beyond to control Spain, North Africa, Greece, Gaul and parts of Asia. At its height in the 1st century BC under Augustus, the Roman Empire stretched from Britain to Egypt. However, military overspending and economic issues like inflation weakened Rome over time. The Western Roman Empire fell in 476 AD due to invasions and usurpation by Germanic tribes.