The Western Roman Empire officially began in 27 BCE and ended in 476 CE, marking roughly 500 years of imperial rule in the western Mediterranean world.
Founding of the Empire
The Roman Empire began when Octavian, the adopted heir of Julius Caesar, was granted the title Augustus by the Roman Senate in 27 BCE. This marked the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of imperial rule, with Augustus as the first emperor. The empire expanded rapidly, consolidating power across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.
Duration and decline
Over the next five centuries, the Western Roman Empire experienced periods of stability and crisis. It reached its territorial peak in the 2nd century CE but gradually declined due to internal strife, economic troubles, military overreach, and invasions by various tribes. The traditional date for the fall of the Western Empire is 476 CE, when the last emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was deposed by the Germanic leader Odoacer.
The Eastern Roman Empire
While the Western Empire fell in 476 CE, the Eastern Roman Empire — known as the Byzantine Empire — continued for nearly another thousand years, until the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Thus, the Roman imperial legacy endured far beyond the western collapse.
Quick related facts
- Start date: 27 BCE (Augustus becomes emperor)
- End date: 476 CE (fall of Western Roman Empire)
- Duration: ~503 years (Western Empire)
- Legacy: Eastern Roman Empire continued until 1453