Map of Ancient Rome (at its largest point)

This map of ancient rome shows the vast territory it covered. At the time of Emperor Trajan’s death in 117 AD, the Roman Empire was the largest it would be in history.

It spanned from England to the west coast of modern day Spain to South in Egypt and East to the Persian Gulf.

Rome reached its largest territorial extent during the period known as the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire’s peak size occurred in the year 117 CE (Common Era) under the reign of Emperor Trajan. At that time, the empire encompassed vast regions of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, making it one of the largest empires in history.

The territorial expanse of the Roman Empire included most of continental Europe, from Britain in the northwest to the Black Sea in the northeast, and from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Euphrates River in the east. It extended southward into the African continent, comprising territories in modern-day Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia. The Roman Empire also controlled parts of the Arabian Peninsula, including present-day Jordan and Israel.

It is important to note that the exact territorial boundaries of the Roman Empire varied over time due to conquests, territorial losses, and shifting political circumstances. However, during the reign of Emperor Trajan in the 2nd century CE, the Roman Empire reached its largest territorial extent, encompassing an area of approximately 5 million square kilometers (1.9 million square miles).

After this peak, the Roman Empire faced challenges, including external invasions, internal conflicts, and gradual territorial decline. Over the subsequent centuries, the empire underwent significant transformations, eventually splitting into the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire (later known as the Byzantine Empire). The Western Roman Empire faced further decline and ultimately fell in 476 CE, while the Eastern Roman Empire endured until the 15th century.