I read a book on it and was quite surprised to the scale of it. There’s been a growing archaeological effort in the region that shows fortified Roman ports which supported the trade.
There never has been, isn't and never will be anything like the ROMAN EMPIRE.
I often thought that God permitted it to exist JUST for Jesus. His crucifixion put the Roman Empire to the front, via Pontius Pilate, for a long, long time. And it is still there with the Vatican.
St. Peter was crucified upside down in Rome. He didn't feel worthy to die like Jesus did.