Roman Imperial Period
Explore the Roman Imperial period — the age of emperors from Augustus to the fall of Rome that created a unified Mediterranean civilization.
The Roman Imperial period (27 BCE – 476 CE) begins with Augustus' establishment of the Principate and ends with the deposition of the last Western emperor. During these five centuries, Rome created a unified Mediterranean civilization of unprecedented scale, connecting peoples from Britain to Mesopotamia under a common legal, administrative, and cultural framework.
The period divides roughly into three phases. The Principate (27 BCE – 284 CE) saw the Pax Romana, the empire's territorial expansion to its maximum extent, and — after the Crisis of the Third Century — near-collapse. The Dominate (284–476 CE), beginning with Diocletian's reforms, saw a more openly autocratic government, the adoption of Christianity, the division of the empire, and the eventual fall of the West.
The Roman Imperial period's legacy is immense. Latin evolved into the Romance languages. Roman law became the foundation of European legal systems. Roman engineering — roads, aqueducts, concrete — established infrastructure that lasted centuries. The empire's adoption of Christianity shaped the religion's development and spread. And the idea of a universal empire — a single political entity encompassing diverse peoples under common laws — became a powerful ideal that influenced European political thought from Charlemagne through the European Union.
Lessons covering this topic
Browse all lessons →The Roman Empire at Its Height
Pax Romana — two centuries of relative peace and prosperity.
Roman Law, Engineering & Culture
Roads, aqueducts, Latin, and the legal legacy of Rome.
The Fall of Rome
Internal decay, external pressure, and the transformation of an empire.