ancient Rome

The birth place of Western Civilization. Located about 50 miles from the Mediterranean Sea in the center of the Italian peninsula on its west coast is where Ancient Rome began as a small village. It grew to a larger Kingdom quickly and then into the Roman Republic and then the Roman Empire. Ancient Rome began possible as early as the 10Th century with the founding of the city by the legendary twin brothers Romulus and Remus. The Ancient Roman Empire was split in two in the 3rd century by the Emperor Diocletian. This created a western and eastern empire which was ruled from the city of Rome. The Emperor controlling the Western Empire and the co-emperor controlling the east. Constantine moved the seat of the empire to Constantinople in 330 AD. The end of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD saw the end of the cities power as Europe fell into the Dark Ages. The Eastern Roman empire continued from its bas in Constantinople until 29 May 1453