The Roman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire are two different empires that existed at different times in history. The Roman Empire controlled all of the land around the Mediterranean Sea, including present-day Spain and France, England, and as far as the Carpathian Mountains and the Black Sea. The Roman Empire ended around 476 C.E. The Holy Roman Empire, on the other hand, began around the year 800 C.E. How did the land areas controlled by the two empires differ?