Classical Rome lasted for about 1000 years - the first half, run by elected senators, was known as the Republic, while the second half, run by un-elected emperors, is what we call the Empire. The reign of Julius Caesar marked the turning point between Rome the Republic and Rome the Empire when he established a no-nonsense, more disciplined government appointing himself dictator for life and immortalizing his name in what today we call the month of July. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit www.ricksteves.com.
