Roman Republic: Map & History
The dominant Mediterranean superpower of antiquity, encompassing over 5 million square kilometers across Southern Europe, North Africa, and the Levant.
Wikipedia Encyclopedic Compendium
Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
The Roman Republic was the era of classical Roman civilisation beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom and ending in 27 BC with the establishment of the Roman Empire following the War of Actium. During this period, Rome's control expanded from the city's immediate surroundings to hegemony over the entire Mediterranean world.
Modern Countries Once Part of Roman Republic
At its mapped extent, Roman Republic covered territory in 26 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Belgium50–32 BCE · nearly all
- Cyprus50–32 BCE · nearly all
- Luxembourg50–32 BCE · nearly all
- North Macedonia144–32 BCE · nearly all
- Montenegro164–32 BCE · nearly all
- Malta216–32 BCE · nearly all
- San Marino281–32 BCE · nearly all
- Vatican (Holy See)337–32 BCE · nearly all
- Albania203–32 BCE · most
- France230–32 BCE · most
- Portugal144–32 BCE · most
- Lebanon63–32 BCE · most
- Tunisia144–32 BCE · most
- Italy337–32 BCE · most
- Greece164–32 BCE · most
- Syria63–32 BCE · a large part
- Turkey164–32 BCE · a large part
- Slovenia164–32 BCE · a large part
- Spain208–32 BCE · a large part
- Netherlands50–32 BCE · a large part
- Algeria212–32 BCE · a large part
- Jordan63–32 BCE · a large part
- Switzerland50–32 BCE · a large part
- Croatia164–32 BCE · a large part
- Libya91–32 BCE · a large part
- Germany50–32 BCE · a small part
States and Provinces
- Andalucía, Spain
- Rhône-Alpes, France
- Bretagne, France
- Calabria, Italy
- Emilia-Romagna, Italy
- Kentriki Makedonia, Greece
- Languedoc-Roussillon, France
- Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
- Toscana, Italy
- Apulia, Italy
- Campania, Italy
- Sicily, Italy
- Ajdabiya, Libya
- Anatoliki Makedonia kai Thraki, Greece
- Castilla y León, Spain
- Hatay, Turkey
- Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur, France
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Roman Republic's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Roman Republic in Depth
History
Rome had been ruled by monarchs since its foundation. These monarchs were elected, for life, by the men of the Roman Senate. The last Roman monarch was called Tarquin the Proud, who in traditional histories was expelled from Rome in 509 BC because his son, Sextus Tarquinius, raped a noblewoman, Lucretia. The tradition asserted that the monarchy was abolished in a revolution led by the semi-mythical Lucius Junius Brutus and the king's powers were then transferred to two separate consuls elected to office for a term of one year; each was capable of checking his colleague by veto.
Military
Rome's military secured Rome's territory and borders and helped to impose tribute on conquered peoples. Rome's armies had a formidable reputation; but Rome also "produced [its] share of incompetents" and catastrophic defeats. Nevertheless, it was generally the fate of Rome's greatest enemies, such as Pyrrhus and Hannibal, to win early battles but lose the war.
During this period, Roman soldiers seem to have been modelled after those of the Etruscans to the north, who themselves are believed to have copied their style of warfare from the Greeks. Traditionally, the introduction of the phalanx formation into the Roman army is ascribed to the city's penultimate king, Servius Tullius (ruled 578–534).
People and economy
The Roman Republic's economy was predominantly agrarian, but also highly complex. As the Romans continued to conquer the Mediterranean basin, it became fully integrated with the wider Mediterranean economy, a process which completed during the first century BC. The population of the republic expanded considerably during the centuries of its existence; indeed, the vastness of the Roman citizen population was part of how it was able to mobilise such expansive military power.
Agricultural production during the republic was highly regional. Literary evidence from ancient elite writers was highly simplifying and is not entirely consistent with the regional differences revealed by modern archaeology.
Culture
The basic Roman garment was the Greek-style tunic, worn knee-length and short-sleeved (or sleeveless) for men and boys, and ankle-length and long-sleeved for women and girls. The toga was distinctively Roman and became a mark of male citizenship, a statement of social degree. Convention also dictated the type, colour and style of calcei (ankle-boots) appropriate to each level of male citizenship.
The whitest, most voluminous togas were worn by the senatorial class. High-ranking magistrates, priests, and citizen's children were entitled to a purple-bordered toga praetexta.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Roman Republic (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Roman Republic: Key Facts
| Capital | Rome |
|---|---|
| Official languages | Italian, French |
| Religion | Catholicism |
| Form of government | directorial system |
| Currencies | Roman scudo, baiocco |
| Founded | 15 February 1798 |
| Dissolved | 30 September 1799 |
Facts from Wikidata Q175881 (CC0).
Roman Republic Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Roman Republic appears, with the other states of the time.
Imperial History & Territorial Expansion
Forged from the Roman Republic following the civil wars of Julius Caesar and Octavian Augustus, the Roman Empire unified the Mediterranean basin into "Mare Nostrum" (Our Sea). Its administrative genius lay in monumental civil infrastructure—over 80,000 kilometers of paved roads, monumental aqueducts, and legal codes codified in the Corpus Juris Civilis that remain foundational to modern Western jurisprudence.
Roman Republic Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Octavian receives the title of Augustus, inaugurating the Roman imperial era.
Roman legions conquer Dacia and Mesopotamia, reaching peak extent of 5.0 million km².
Diocletian establishes the Tetrarchy, dividing administrative governance into East and West.
Constantine the Great consecrates Nova Roma on the Bosporus as the imperial seat.
Romulus Augustulus is deposed in Ravenna, marking the end of the Western Empire.
Key Monarchs, Architects & Strategists
Enduring Planetary Legacy
- ✓Codification of Roman civil law underpinning modern continental legal systems
- ✓Latin language evolution into French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian
- ✓Architectural breakthroughs including the hydraulic concrete dome and monumental arches
- ✓Establishment of urban networks from London (Londinium) to Cologne and Alexandria
Roman Republic: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Roman Republic exist?
The Roman Republic is dated to 27 BCE – 476 CE (Western) / 1453 CE (Eastern), in the Classical Antiquity era.
What was the capital of the Roman Republic?
The capital of the Roman Republic was Rome (later Ravenna, Constantinople).
How large was the Roman Republic at its peak?
At its peak in 117 AD the Roman Republic covered about 2,342,054 km².
How did the map of the Roman Republic change over time?
The Roman Republic appears on 4 dated world maps in the atlas, from 500 BCE to 100 BCE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.