<P> During this period , Europe , North Africa and the Near East fell under increasing domination by the Roman Empire , which continued expanding , most notably conquering Britain under the emperor Claudius ( AD 43 ) . The reforms introduced by Augustus during his long reign stabilized the empire after the turmoil of the previous century 's civil wars . Later in the century the Julio - Claudian dynasty , which had been founded by Augustus , came to an end with the suicide of Nero in AD 68 . There followed the famous Year of Four Emperors , a brief period of civil war and instability , which was finally brought to an end by Vespasian , ninth Roman emperor , and founder of the Flavian dynasty . The Roman Empire generally experienced a period of prosperity and dominance in this period and the First Century is remembered as part of the Empire 's golden age . </P>
in the first century c.e. much of europe north africa and the middle east were under the rule of the
Roman Empire