1001 Space Earth Nature History First Civilisations Ancient Egypt Biblical Times Ancient Greece Ancient Rome Chinese, Japanese Civilisations Indian Civilisation African Civilisation The Early Americas The Rise of Islam The Middle Ages The Renaissance Civil War and Revolution The Industrial Revolution Two World Wars 20th-century Achievements Human World Science and Technology	Was there a king of Rome? Emperor Augustus Before 509 BC the Romans were ruled by kings, but they were so unpopular that they were overthrown, and Rome became a republic run by politicians called senators. From 31 BC, a long line of emperors ruled the empire for many centuries.   Previous: Back Book: 1001 Section: History Chapter: Ancient Rome