Topic: Tell me a short, interesting fact about

One interesting fact about the Roman Empire is that it was not always called the Roman Empire. The term "Roman Empire" didn't come into common use until much later, around the 16th century A.D. During its existence, it was simply known as the Roman Republic (509-27 B.C.) and then the Roman Empire (27 B.C.-476 A.D.). This long-lasting civilization started as a small city-state in the Italian peninsula and grew into a vast territory that spanned many parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia, lasting for approximately 1,500 years.