
For much of ancient history, the Roman Empire was the strongest and most advanced civilization in the world (27 BCE until 476 CE aside from Eastern Roman Empire also known as Byzantine empire which continued till 1453 CE). The ancient Roman Empire, at its territorial height, included such regions as:
Center of empire: Italy (capital: Rome)
France
Spain
Portugal
Greece
Turkey
Egypt
Israel/Palestine
Jordan
Tunisia
Algeria
Morocco
Libya
Syria
United Kingdom (parts of it)
The empire achieved many successes in engineering (roads, aqueducts, architecture), law (Roman legal system) military conquest and culture (Roman festivals). — it absolutely would leave its mark on western civilization. It was ultimately divided into Western Roman Empire and Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire), the fall of the west ended antiquity and began Middle Ages.