Roman Empire vs Ottoman Empire: Two Empires, the Same Lands
More than a thousand years apart, two great empires ruled many of the same lands around the eastern Mediterranean: the Balkans, Anatolia, the Middle East, Egypt and North Africa. Both even ruled from the same city, Constantinople, today’s Istanbul.
Roman Empire vs Ottoman Empire at a glance
| Roman Empire | Ottoman Empire | |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | 27 BC to 476 AD in the west; the east lasted until 1453 | About 1299 to 1922 |
| Largest area | About 5 million km², around 117 AD | About 5 million km², late 1600s |
| Capital | Rome, later also Constantinople | Bursa, Edirne, then Constantinople from 1453 |
| Ruler | Emperor | Sultan |
| Main religion | Roman gods, then Christianity from the 300s | Islam, with Christian and Jewish communities |
| Language | Latin in the west, Greek in the east | Ottoman Turkish |
| Famous army | The legions | The Janissaries |
| Lands both ruled | Greece, the Balkans, Anatolia, Syria, Egypt, North Africa | Greece, the Balkans, Anatolia, Syria, Egypt, North Africa |
The city that links them
The Roman emperor Constantine made Constantinople a new capital in 330 AD. After Rome fell in the west, the eastern Roman Empire, later called the Byzantine Empire, ruled from there for another thousand years. In 1453 the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II captured the city and made it the Ottoman capital, which it stayed until the empire ended.
Ruling many peoples
Both empires held together people of many languages and faiths. Rome spread Latin, Roman law and citizenship. The Ottomans let religious communities run many of their own affairs, an arrangement later known as the millet system. Each lasted for centuries, far longer than most empires.
Quick facts
- The Ottoman Empire lasted more than 600 years.
- Roman roads and Ottoman bridges are both still used today.
- Suleiman the Magnificent led the Ottomans at the height of their power in the 1500s.
- Trajan led Rome at its largest, around 117 AD.
- The Ottomans besieged Vienna twice, in 1529 and 1683.
Watch them on the 3D globe
Roman Empire vs Ottoman Empire questions
Which was bigger, the Roman or Ottoman Empire?
At their largest both covered roughly 5 million km².
Which lasted longer?
The Ottoman Empire lasted about 623 years. The western Roman Empire lasted about 500 years, but the eastern half carried on until 1453.
Did the Ottomans conquer the Roman Empire?
They conquered its eastern survivor, the Byzantine Empire, taking Constantinople in 1453.
What was the capital of both empires?
Constantinople, today’s Istanbul, was a Roman capital from 330 and the Ottoman capital from 1453.
When did the Ottoman Empire end?
In 1922. The Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923.
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