# Roman Empire
## English
### Etymology

The sense something that one frequently thinks about is a reference to the "How Often Do You Think About the Roman Empire?" meme, popularized on Instagram and TikTok around September 2023.

### Pronunciation

* (UK) IPA: /ˈɹəʊmən ˈɛmpaɪə/
* (US) IPA: /ˈɹoʊmən ˈɛmpaɪɚ/
* Audio (US):(file)

### Proper noun

the Roman Empire
* (historical) The empire which succeeded the Roman Republic and existed between 27 B.C.E. and 476 C.E. in the west (and until 1453 C.E. in the east; see Byzantine Empire), encompassing territories stretching from Britain and Germany to Spain, North Africa and the Persian Gulf. [from 15th c.]
    Synonym: Rome (metonymically)
    Coordinate terms: Roman Kingdom; Roman Republic; Western Roman Empire; Byzantine Empire (Byzantium, Eastern Roman Empire)
* (historical, now rare) The Holy Roman Empire. [from 16th c.]

#### Derived terms

* Medieval Roman Empire
* Revived Roman Empire

#### Translations
### Noun

Roman Empire (plural Roman Empires)
* (Internet slang) An unexpected or apparently random topic that one frequently thinks about.
** 2023 September 18, @fleabagreact, Twitter‎, archived from the original on 22 January 2024:the dinner party episode from fleabag is my roman empire
** 2023 October 4, u/Soggy_Biscuit_, “Whats your version of the Roman empire?”, in Reddit‎, r/popculturechat, archived from the original on 22 January 2024:Yeah we had a big convo about this at work. I work in a pharmacy which is like 90% women (it's the best) and we collectively decided our "Roman empire" is either Genghis Khan or blood clots, and the teenage version was toxic shock syndrome lol
** 2023 October 15, @lexkwondo, Twitter‎, archived from the original on 22 January 2024:No one understands how much I crave this. I yearn for this. This is my Roman Empire. You visualize an apple in your head, I visualize this at all times
** 2023 October 26, Neia Balao, quoting Alexandra Gulla, “‘The desire to be smaller’: These women reveal that their ‘Roman Empire’ is tied to body image, and others agree”, in Yahoo!‎:“My Roman Empire is the fact that I have thought about the desire to be smaller every single day for the past 20 years,” she says in a video posted on Oct. 18.
** 2023 December 3, u/8Jennyx, “What's a fact you wish you didn't know?”, in Reddit‎, r/AskReddit, archived from the original on 22 January 2024:Prions are my Roman Empire. I swear I think of prions absurdly more than anyone should. The fact that they exist and can do that amount of damage is haunting.
** 2023 December 5, @GenevaWren38, Twitter‎, archived from the original on 22 January 2024:I have a rotating set of Roman empires, currently it seems to be Foolish & Philza as a duo cause the amount of feral energy that floods me every time I see something regarding them....I adore them
** 2023 December 8, Laura Henshaw, “Living Well with Laura Henshaw: body image used to be my Roman Empire”, in Vogue‎:The size of my body used to be my Roman Empire, and I know I’m not alone. […] Body image is consuming. For so many of us, it’s our Roman Empire.
** 2023 December 17, u/HiLittleDarling, “Let's Discuss, Hollywood Siblings”, in Reddit‎, r/popculturechat, archived from the original on 22 January 2024:Wondering why they are feuding can be an occasional Roman Empire for me.
** 2024 October 1, Marybel Martin, “Halloween is my Roman Empire”, in Marybel Martin‎:So, that is why I say Halloween is my Roman Empire. It’s exciting, it’s fun, and it makes my inner child happy. I feel like almost all my art has a whisper of Halloween somehow, don’t you think?

#### See also

* idée fixe

### References

* ↑ “My Roman Empire”, in Know Your Meme, website first launched 2007
* ↑ “How Often Do You Think About the Roman Empire?”, in Know Your Meme, website first launched 2007