The Roman Empire began as a small city-state in the 7th century BC but had expanded greatly by the 1st century BC when it controlled much of what was Alexander the Great's former empire. Rome was a republic unlike the Greek city-states, with power concentrated in patricians, consuls, and proconsuls commanding legions. Julius Caesar seized control of the Roman senate in the 1st century BC after conquering Gaul from 58-51 BC. Though assassinated in 44 BC, his death did not restore the republic as hoped but instead led to civil war that nearly destroyed the empire.

1. People and empiresDiego Serrat0History 140

2. The Roman empireRome has consistently provided the inspiration, the imagery, and the vocabulary for all the European empires.

3. Rome began in the seventh century B.C. as a small city-state of farmers and tradesman occupying a territory of a few square miles on the lower Tiber.

4. By the first century B.C., most of what had survived of the empire of Alexander the great had fallen into roman hands.The Roman empireRome had become a republic, unlike the Greek city-states on which it was loosely modeled, in no sense was it a democracy.

5. The empire of the roman Republic might have benefited mostly the patricians, the consuls, and the proconsuls who commanded the legions and whose power and wealth derived from their success in battle.