The history of Rome spans more than twenty-eight centuries, since its mythical foundation by Romulus in 753 BC. J.-VS. up to its current role as capital of the Italian republic. Second cradle of Western civilization after Athens, the city was successively the center of the Roman monarchy, of the Roman republic (509 BC. J.-VS. - 27 BC. J.-C.), Then of the Roman Empire (27 BC. J.-VS. - 330). During this period, when the famous proverbial expression "all roads lead to Rome" was born, the city had between one and two million inhabitants and dominated Europe, North Africa and the Middle East both militarily and culturally, diffusing in these territories the Latin language, its arts and techniques as well as the Christian religion. Since the 1st century it has housed the seat of the Roman Catholic Church, in the Papal States (752-1870) and then in the Vatican City.