(Latin; "Roman Peace") State of comparative tranquility throughout the Mediterranean world from the reign of Augustus (27 BC-AD 14) to that of Marcus Aurelius (AD 161-180). The concord also included North Africa and Persia. The empire protected and governed provinces, each of which legislated and administered its own laws while accepting Roman taxation and military control. It was the Pax Romana that ensured the survival and eventual transmission of the classical Greek and Roman heritage