Overview
The Roman Empire was a vast and influential state that dominated the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa during the classical period. It evolved from the Roman Republic, with Octavian's rise to power in 27 BC marking the beginning of the Principate regime. The empire eventually split into western and eastern halves, with the Western Empire collapsing in 476 AD and the Eastern Empire enduring until the fall of Constantinople in 1453. The Roman Empire's legacy can be seen in the modern-day influence of [[roman-law|Roman law]] on [[european-union|European Union]] policies and the architectural inspirations of [[colosseum|Colosseum]] in contemporary sports stadiums.