As the Roman Republic transformed into an empire that encircled the entire Mediterranean and cities across the provinces undertook Roman government functions, they also developed distinctly Roman features such as a Roman forum, Roman baths, a theater or an amphitheater, and temples and sanctuaries dedicated to various deities.
The following gallery features 45 such administrative centers of the early Roman Empire.
A map illustrating the expansion of the Roman Republic during the wars and conquests of Julius Caesar until his assassination and the transformation into an empire under the reign of Caesar Augustus (also known as Octavian). By 14 CE, the Roman world encircled the entire Mediterranean and spanned from the North Sea to the Red Sea. It also depicts the administrative division of ancient Rome into various segments, some ruled directly by the Roman emperor and some by the Roman Senate, while others existed in relative autonomy as client states.
