Roman Empire vs British Empire
At its height the British Empire (about 36 million km² in 1920) was about 7 times the size of the Roman Empire (about 5.0 million km² in 117 CE). The Roman Empire lasted about 502 years (27 BCE to 476 CE), the British Empire about 397 (c. 1600 to 1997). They never existed at the same time: the British Empire began 1124 years after the Roman Empire ended.
| Roman Empire | British Empire | |
|---|---|---|
| Began | 27 BCE | c. 1600 |
| Ended | 476 CE | 1997 |
| Lasted | about 502 years | about 397 years |
| Largest extent | about 5.0 million km² (117 CE) | about 36 million km² (1920) |
| Share of the world’s land | 3.4% | 23.8% |
| Capital | Rome | London |
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
British Empire
Grown from trading posts and colonies from around 1600, it covered about a quarter of the world’s land by 1920, the largest empire in history. Most of it became independent between 1947 and the 1960s.
Began c. 1600: the first lasting overseas trading companies and colonies. Ended 1997: Hong Kong is handed to China.
On the history map: World map in 1600 CE, World map in 1880 CE, World map in 1994 CE
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 Achaemenid Empire — about 5.0 million km² vs about 5.5 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.