Dimensions
124 x 198 x 25mm
The Empire 30BC-AD476
Roman Empire was firmly rooted in the long history of the Roman Republic that preceded it. The transition from a city state governed by a Senate to an Empire ruled by an Emperor was a gradual. Augustus, the first Emperor, established the tradition of Imperial succession, passing on control to his step-son Tiberius. The Empire gradually expanded, reaching its greatest extent in AD117, under the Emperor Trajan. The succeeding Emperor Hadrian called a halt to continual conquest and annexation and enclosing the Empire within fixed boundaries. But the `Barbarians' fought back and the Empire was constantly at war. By the end of the third century AD, the Roman world changed beyond recognition. Society became more rigidly classified, and the gap between rich and poor widened. Civil wars broke out between rival contenders for the throne.
