The Roman Empire is usually said to start in 27 BCE, when Octavian was given the title “Augustus” and became the first Roman emperor, marking the end of the Republic and the beginning of the imperial system.

Quick Scoop

  • Most historians date the beginning of the Roman Empire to 27 BCE, when the Senate granted Octavian the title Augustus and extraordinary powers.
  • This followed centuries of earlier Roman history, including the Roman Kingdom (traditionally from 753 BCE) and the Roman Republic (509–27 BCE), which laid the groundwork for imperial rule.
  • In everyday history writing, “Roman Empire” usually refers to the period from 27 BCE until the fall of the Western Empire in the 5th century CE, while the Eastern (Byzantine) Empire continued until 1453.

Why 27 BCE?

  • The change in 27 BCE was political: Rome shifted from a republic with elected magistrates to a system dominated by a single ruler, Augustus, even though republican offices and titles were kept in appearance.
  • Ancient and modern authors treat this settlement as the formal start of the imperial phase, which is why timelines and reference works list 27 BCE as the start date of the Roman Empire.

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