The Toman Empire is not a known historical entity. However, the Roman Empire was a post-Republican state of ancient Rome that existed from 27 BCE to the final eclipse of the empire of the West in the 5th century CE. The Roman Empire was one of the largest in history, with contiguous territories throughout Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. It was a vast collection of states, backed up by force, and was not always peaceful. The empire was an enormous achievement, and it was a huge marketplace in which citizens could trade and travel unhindered. This helped the spread of foreign religions like Judaism and early Christianity as far as Rome itself.