1. Italy: Rome's original homeland was the Italian Peninsula, where the city of Rome was founded. The Romans gradually conquered and unified the Italian peninsula, defeating various Italic tribes and city-states.
2. Western Europe: The Romans expanded their control into Gaul (modern-day France, Belgium, and parts of Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands) through a series of military campaigns in the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE. They also conquered Hispania (modern-day Spain and Portugal) and Britannia (modern-day Great Britain).
3. North Africa: The Romans conquered North Africa in several stages. They first took control of Carthage and the province of Africa (modern-day Tunisia) during the Punic Wars in the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE. Later, they expanded their rule to include Numidia, Mauretania, and Egypt.
4. Balkans and Greece: The Romans gained control of the Balkans, including Greece and Illyria (modern-day Albania and parts of Croatia and Slovenia), through military campaigns in the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE.
5. Anatolia and the Near East: The Romans conquered the kingdom of Pontus in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) in the 1st century BCE and established the province of Bithynia and Pontus. They also gained control of Syria, Judea (modern-day Israel and Palestine), and parts of Armenia.
6. North Africa and Parts of the Middle East: Roman control extended to the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the regions of Mauretania, Numidia, Egypt, Cyrenaica (modern-day Libya), and parts of Arabia Petraea (modern-day Jordan).
These conquests resulted in the creation of an extensive Roman Empire, which played a significant role in the development of European civilization, law, and culture. The empire reached its peak under the reign of Emperor Trajan in the early 2nd century CE, encompassing a vast territory spanning Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia.