How often do you think of the roman empire?

I've studied about it off and on. From it's humble beginnings as a republic, to it's ascendancy and decline as an empire. In the ancient world, Rome was the vortex of civilization, the fountainhead of art, culture and trade. And yet, Rome was a very violent and brutal place. One particularily brutal ruler at the time was Nero, who condemned many a poor soul (many of whom were Christians) to death in the Colosseum. He even had his own wife and mother executed for political purposes. Nero's reign ended in 65 A.D., when he took his own life.