The Romans are classified as a subgroup of ITALICS, Indo-European peoples of the Italian Peninsula. They are named after the city of Rome (or Roma) on the Tiber River. The Roman Empire at its greatest extent in the second century C. E. included all of southern Europe, much of the British Isles, as well as much of northern Africa and southwestern Asia. Over the centuries peoples of varying ancestry were considered Roman. Some among them are grouped among the Byzantines of the Eastern Roman Empire.
Origins
The Latins, speakers of dialects of Latin, are considered the primary ancestors of the Romans. It is believed that the first Indo-European-speaking migrants, the most ancient ancestors of the Italics, crossed the eastern Alpine passes into the plain of the Po
River sometime around 250 B. C.E., then spread 1200-1100 b. c.e. during the Late Bronze Age,
Southward. Later Indo-European groups may when many peoples were on the move in the have immigrated from elsewhere in about Mediterranean region, and settled other
Regions of the Italian Peninsula. They could have commingled with, displaced, or absorbed pre-Indo-European peoples, such as the Ligurians and Villanovans; a combination of all these processes is probable. Other groups, speaking unique or unknown lan-guages—perhaps non-Indo-European—are thought to have migrated to Italy about the same time, such as the Etruscans. Still others, some of them non-Italic speaking, such as the
44 Assassination of Julius Caesar
31 Defeat of Mark Antony and Queen Cleopatra of Egypt at Battle of Actium; Egypt annexed. 27 Senate gives Octavian title of Augustus, making him emperor in all but name.
World History
