For centuries1 the Roman Empire spread around the Mediterranean2 which the Romans called Mare Nostrum 3our sea4.

Apuntes

For centuries, the Roman Empire spread around the Mediterranean, which the Romans called Mare Nostrum (our sea). These lands were united under the same political unit (the Empire) and shared the same language (Latin), laws and ways of life. A single currency facilitated trade, and the network of cities and roads united the vast empire, which split in half (East and West) in 395 AD. The Byzantine Empire While the Germanic tribes destroyed the Western Empire, the more populated Eastern Roman Empire withstood invasion and maintained its wealth. In the 6h century, the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire, set out to reconquer part of the Western Empire and keep the Roman legacy alive. Over time it was Hellenised: Greek became the official language, and it adopted Eastern political and cultural practices that differed from Roman culture. Following Rome's collapse in the late 5th century, the territories surrounding the Mediterranean split into different civilisations and ways of life. In the early 5th century, the Huns, a barbarian people from Asia, led by Attila, invaded and devastated the Western Roman Empire. They were finally defeated in Gaul and withdrew. To es...