|Part of the series on| The Roman Empire marks the period when
government control in Rome went from a Republican form of
government to rule by an emperor. The appointment of Augustus
Caesar as ruler in 27 BC has been used as the starting date for
the Roman Empire, although, alternately, the appointment of
Julius Caesar as perpetual dictator in 46 BC is sometimes
considered as a short-lived precursor. The Roman Empire was the
direct successor to the Roman Republic which had already
established Rome as the dominant force in the west. Because of
this succession, there is no definitive date when the Roman
Republic became the Roman Empire. Indeed, in the early years of
Augustus' reign, it was unclear that a permanent change had
taken place, although this was apparent by the end of his long
reign. Utilizing the rule of law and a strong military, the
Roman Empire ruled most of the western civilized world. While
the general goal of the Empire as put forth by Augustus became
keeping the status quo instead of adding ne