The Roman Empire stands as one of the most enduring and influential civilizations in human history. From its minor beginnings as a small city-state in Italy to its vast dominion spanning over three continents, the rise and fall of the Roman Empire is a saga of ambition, conquest, innovation, and eventual decline. The Roman Empire was a major empire in the Mediterranean region in the classical period. Over centuries, the Roman Empire expanded to control the land on all sides of the Mediterranean. Power was always held by the aristocrats of Rome and the Roman emperors until the empire split apart.