Rome. The state that grew from tiny settlements around the Palatine Hill in central Italy into a vast empire that ruled most of western Europe and the Mediterranean for centuries and set the framework for the states of today.
Let us embark on a journey through time, from Augustus, the first emperor of Rome, to the final ruler of the Byzantine Empire. Along the way, we'll encounter both great and terrible emperors, and witness golden and tumultuous ages.
The map shows the territory controlled by the emperor at the end of his reign.
Co-ruling emperors are connected by a line.
Portraits are from Wikimedia.