Rome later became the center of culture, politics, and religion of Western civilization in ancient times. Rome entered its Golden Age, a peaceful and prosperous period under the rule of the first emperor Augustus (63 BC – 14). Many factors of Greek culture were passed on to Rome from the Etruscans and were developed to their peak. After that, the Roman Republic spread out to conquer the surrounding peoples and became the dominant force over a vast territory in Europe, North Africa, and Asia.
Among them, an Italic tribe, the Latins, founded the Roman Kingdom at the legendary mark of 753 BC.
In early times, inhabiting this area were ancient peoples such as Italic, Phoenician, Carthage, Greek, Etrusca and Celt. Italy has territories stretching out to the central part of the Mediterranean. The founding legend of Rome and the Roman Empire was heavily associated with the goddess Venus in Roman mythology, therefore the state of modern Italy is now also known as the land of sunset and love.
