Answer:
The Roman Republic was an unequal system where Patricians(the elite) had special rights and power for most of the Republican existence, whereas other people living in Rome were divided between free Roman citizens, non-citizens who had reduced rights, and slaves who has no rights.
The Roman Empire was an empire ruled by emperors that controlled parts of the Mediterranean as well as parts of Asia and Africa, during their rule, Rome was one of the most powerful cities in the world.