How many years did the Romans rule?

In Short: Rome is probably over 3,000 years old. As a political entity it was at it's most powerful a little under 2,000 years ago, and the civilization of ancient Rome is judged to have ended 1524 years ago.

In Long: Rome was probably founded in the 10th century B.C. as a tiny farming village. It gradually absorbed it's neighbours and became a strong Kingdom. The last and unpopular King was overthrown, and the Republic of Rome came into being in approximately 509 B.C. The Republic then grew in strength, size and wealth until it became an Empire after a period of Civil War. Although Augustus' seizure of absolute power is now considered the beginning of the Roman Empire it was deliberately subtle at the time in order to avoid lingering anti-King feeling. The Empire became vast, and split into two. The Western Empire, which included Eternal Rome, is generally considered to have fallen in 476 A.D. when the last Western Emperor abdicated at the demand of the conquering Vandal Chief Odoacer.