This enormous empire remained mostly intact until 395, when it was irreparably split into Eastern and Western regions. At its height, under Trajan, the Roman Empire was a colossal 1.7 million square miles (quite a feat in an era without motorized vehicles and modern communication tools). The peak of the Roman Empire is one of the more dramatic moments shown on this animated European map. These decisive victories paved the way for the Roman Empire’s eventual domination of the Mediterranean.

The fall of Carthage left the Romans in control of territory in North Africa, and the ransack and destruction of the Greek city-state of Corinth also kickstarted an era of Roman influence in that region. Empires rise and fall, invasions sweep across the continent, and modern countries slowly begin to take shape (with the added bonus of an extremely dramatic instrumental).īelow are nine highlights and catalysts that shifted the dividing lines of the European map: 146 BC – A Year of Conquestġ46 BC was a year of conquest and expansion for the Roman Republic. Today’s video comes to us from YouTube channel Cottereau, and it shows the evolution of European map borders starting from 400 BC. While there are rare exceptions like Andorra and Portugal, which have had remarkably static borders for hundreds of years, jurisdiction over portions of the continent’s landmass have changed hands innumerable times. The history of Europe is breathtakingly complex. How the European Map Has Changed Over 2,400 Years

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