Roman Empire vs Achaemenid Empire
At their height the two were about the same size: the Roman Empire about 5.0 million km² in 117 CE, the Achaemenid Empire about 5.5 million km² in 500 BCE. The Roman Empire lasted about 502 years (27 BCE to 476 CE), the Achaemenid Empire about 220 (550 BCE to 330 BCE). They never existed at the same time: the Roman Empire began 303 years after the Achaemenid Empire ended.
| Roman Empire | Achaemenid Empire | |
|---|---|---|
| Began | 27 BCE | 550 BCE |
| Ended | 476 CE | 330 BCE |
| Lasted | about 502 years | about 220 years |
| Largest extent | about 5.0 million km² (117 CE) | about 5.5 million km² (500 BCE) |
| Share of the world’s land | 3.4% | 3.7% |
| Capital | Rome | Persepolis |
Roman Empire
From Augustus in 27 BCE, Rome ruled the whole Mediterranean world and reached its largest extent under Trajan in 117 CE. The western half fell in 476; the eastern half lived on as the Byzantine Empire.
Began 27 BCE: Augustus becomes emperor. Ended 476 CE: the last western emperor is deposed; the eastern half lives on as the Byzantine Empire.
On the history map: World map in 1 BCE, World map in 200 CE, World map in 400 CE
Achaemenid Empire
The first Persian Empire, founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BCE, stretched from the Balkans and Egypt to the Indus. Alexander the Great conquered it in 330 BCE.
Began 550 BCE: Cyrus the Great overthrows the Medes. Ended 330 BCE: Alexander the Great conquers it.
On the history map: World map in 500 BCE, World map in 400 BCE
Achaemenid Empire on Wikipedia
More comparisons
- Roman Empire vs Mongol Empire — about 5.0 million km² vs about 24 million km²
- Roman Empire vs Han dynasty — about 5.0 million km² vs about 6.0 million km²
- Roman Empire vs Byzantine Empire — about 5.0 million km² vs about 2.7 million km²
- Roman Empire vs Ottoman Empire — about 5.0 million km² vs about 5.2 million km²
- Roman Empire vs British Empire — about 5.0 million km² vs about 36 million km²
- Mongol Empire vs British Empire — about 24 million km² vs about 36 million km²
- Mongol Empire vs Russian Empire — about 24 million km² vs about 23 million km²
- Ottoman Empire vs Byzantine Empire — about 5.2 million km² vs about 2.7 million km²
- Ottoman Empire vs Mughal Empire — about 5.2 million km² vs about 4.0 million km²
- Ottoman Empire vs Russian Empire — about 5.2 million km² vs about 23 million km²
- Achaemenid Empire vs Macedonian Empire — about 5.5 million km² vs about 5.2 million km²
- Han dynasty vs Tang dynasty — about 6.0 million km² vs about 5.4 million km²
- Tang dynasty vs Abbasid Caliphate — about 5.4 million km² vs about 11 million km²
- Umayyad Caliphate vs Abbasid Caliphate — about 11 million km² vs about 11 million km²
- British Empire vs Spanish Empire — about 36 million km² vs about 14 million km²
- Spanish Empire vs Inca Empire — about 14 million km² vs about 2.0 million km²
Compare empires · The interactive history atlas
Largest extents are the widely cited estimates by Rein Taagepera and others, as listed in Wikipedia’s List of largest empires. Dates are the conventional ones; several are debated. Shares are of the world’s land area, about 148.9 million km².