Rome was founded in 753 B.C. by Romulus and Remus. The Roman Empire lasted from 752 B.C to 1476 A.D., for a total of about  2,228 years. Julius Caesar was one of the first leaders of the Roman Empire. He proclaimed himself dictator in 44 B.C. After Julius Ceasar died (not long after he proclaimed himself dictator) those who followed in his footsteps were called "Emporers" rather than Ceasar. Emperors rose and fell over the next 1,410 years. The Roman Empire was divided in 395 A.D. into two parts. The Western half, ruled by Rome, (take out "which") fell to the tribal Germanic peoples in the 5th century. The Eastern half, known as the Byzantine Empire, lasted for more than 1,000 years. Around 803 A.D., the Romans quit accepting Emperors because they were Byzantine in nature. Until the mid-11th century, when it began to decline in power, the Byzantine Empire was one of the leading civilizations in the world.