How Powerful Were The Romans Really.

I think that the Roman Empire is very interesting.  It’s cool that they had a democracy just like us (the United States of America).  The romans were one of the most powerful empires at that time.  The romans were so powerful that they made people try to fight ferocious animals like lions.  In a building called the coliseum.  What do you think we would do if people were forced to fight against animals like these?