What are some characteristics of the Roman Empire?

The Roman Empire
emerged after the assassination of Caesar in 44 BC. After Caesar's, death, there were years of
civil war. Finally, in 27 BC, Augustus became Caesar's successor and the emperor of
Rome.

Augustus (63 BC€“14 AD) enjoyed a long and prosperous reign. His rule
marked the beginning of the Pax Romanatwo hundred years of peace. He was a
capable organizer and reformer, but his power was absolute. He suffered only one setback as
emperor: the Germans wiped out a Roman force at Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD.

One
characteristic of the Roman Empire was its vastness. It stretched from Scotland to the Arabian
desert and from Morocco to the Black Sea. The Mediterranean Sea was a de facto Roman lake. Roman
territory was so extensive that Augustus decided not to enlarge it any further.

The huge empire was held together by a first-rate system of roads. A postal service was
run by the military. Industry and commerce thrived, and goods were efficiently carried by ship.
Literature and artusually inspired by Greeceflourished.

After the
Pax Romana, the empire began to decline. The rise of Christianity vexed
Rome. Some of the subsequent Roman emperors, such as Commodus, were unusually cruel and inept.
Barbarian tribes pressed against the Roman frontiers.

Rome finally collapsed
in 476.