The story of Rome began in the 8th century BC (799 - 700), when villagers grew on Seven Hills along the banks of the river Tiber the villages joined together to form the city of Rome in 753 BC.
Rome expanded, and conquered all of Italy by 250 BC. The city then conquered all the lands around the Mediterranean Sea. Eventually the Roman empire stretched from Hadrian's Wall (built between Scotland and England), along the Rhine and the Danube to Turkey. The Empire also controlled all the lands of North Africa. For the next 600 years, the Roman empire dominated these lands, until it's final collapse in 476 AD.