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Greatest Western empire in history

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  • #16
    The Roman Empire was the greatest. It lasted for basically a thousand years. It dominated everything concerning culture except possibly the language. Greek was the language of choice and the Romans always recognized the value of anything whether art or skill.

    Their building of roads and waterways influenced generations of people in the multitude of conquered nations under their subjection. Their military skill was copied by many. Their early form of government was a form of Democracy. Actually they were a Republic like the U.S. instead of a Democracy as Ancient Greece was.

    The Byzantine Empire was only the eastern half of the Roman Empire so it is not comparable to the Roman Empire. The Ottoman Empire wasn't much larger than the Byzantine Empire and did nothing of value to influence the world. The Holy Roman Empire did not cover as much of the known world as the Roman Empire did and it was mostly a loose linkage of nations rather than an actual empire run by one person. The British Empire covered a lot of territory, but was it as much of the known world as the percentage the Roman Empire ruled? Not really. Not to mention the British Empire only lasted a fraction of the time the Roman Empire did. Is the U.S. a World Empire? No, we are currently the strongest nation militarily but we do not rule the world, just Iraq, Afghanistan, and the U.S. (minus California, nobody rules there!) Alexander the Great probably had either the largest or second largest contiguous empire ever. Unfortunately, he died at an early age and left no heirs. Thus his kingdom ended rather quickly…….

    wink
    Revelation 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
    (Been There)

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    • #17
      British Empire, everybody knows that

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      • #18
        Yeah, but the Romans "stole" most of their gods from Greece.
        Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

        Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.

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        • #19
          And the romans never ruled the world either. They failed in their invasion of Germany, they never pushed far into Arabia or Persia. The Chinese had their own empire of comparable strength at the time as well.

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          • #20
            It's funny how we always judge world domination from a western viewpoint. India was quite large herself and Russia held onto a large portion of the world for a long time, still do actually....
            Revelation 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
            (Been There)

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            • #21
              The Russian empire, while large, was never very great in comparison to the other empires of the time. Under Catherine the Great it achieved the most, but the Western European powers were far more advanced in industrial and military technology, as well as governmental structures. In Britain, France, Germany, and Italy, people were getting progressivly freer. The opposite seemed to happen in Russia.

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              • #22
                The only infamous Eastern Empire (the largest land empire in history) that is even mentioned is old Genghis himself and what the Mongols did to two of the world's three major civilizations at the time - China and Arabia and nearly kicked the door down on the third - European Christiandom.

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                • #23
                  I thought that the Mongals actually made past Germany. But that could be because I get to much of my history from Age of Empires II :D

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                  • #24
                    If you look at all the places we have troops it takes up a grater suface area of the Planet then the British Empire during its height.

                    I have no problem with being an Empire just as long as the ones being conquered attacked us/our interest first and we give them individual rights equal to thoose of Americans unless they support terrorist then we shoot them.

                    Japan, Guam, South Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Phillipines, Iwo Jima(I think it is still occupied by Marines), Bulgaria, Germany, Great Britian, Kosovo, Liberia, Kuwait, Saudia Arabia(aren't moving out for a year or something, Qatar, Horn of Africa, Cuba, Deago Garcia, and so many others I don't even know.

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                    • #25
                      The US would not be able to refuse a demand by Western European governments to withdraw its troops. Personally, I wouldn't mind the US kicking some euro-ass, but realistically, the US forces in Europe would not be able to fight entire European armies (mobilized for war that is). And if tensions ever rose to that point, surely US forces would have been asked to leave way before the outbreak of hostilities. So to suggest that the Euros are part of an American empire may have been accurate just after WWII, but its not anymore. This is a testamet to the US' good intentions on building a free world.

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                      • #26
                        ZFBoxcar,

                        The Mongols got as far as Poland but were challenged (not very well) by the Teutonic Knights all the while.

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                        • #27
                          Ah, thanks for the info. So they were never expelled right? They just withdrew? why?

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                          • #28
                            Internal Mongol politics and dirt poor European farms make a very poor powerbase for any Khanate trying to exert his right to Genghis's holdings. The Golden Horde (Siberian Russia), the Persain Khanates, and Kublai's Yuan China were the richest places on the planet at the time. Where there's money, there's power and in Europe, there wasn't any of either.

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                            • #29
                              The Mongols were the largest occupiers if one looks into real estate captured. However, an Empire is not just devastating areas. It also means ruling. But then, in the times of the Mongols such was not the aim. It was pillaging. Hence, the 'greatest' would depends on how one looks at the issue.

                              Real Estate- wise, it apparently are the Mongols.


                              "Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

                              I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

                              HAKUNA MATATA

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                              • #30
                                The Colonel is right about the Roman empire, altough I submit that until the end of the 2nd Punic war their empire was not without a rival. Over the course of centuries the form and direction of Roman government altered, oh, and Rome got sacked a couple of times.

                                Perhaps one of Romes great strengths was her ability to adapt and absorb positive things from other cultures. This is what has allowed western culture to rise and dominate the world. It extends in an unbroken line from the retreat of arab and chinese culture from advancement to this day. (Not unchallenged, of course, remember ole' Ghengis?) Whether the United States is an empire, or not (would someone look up Hegemony for me?, Thanks.), and whether we stand or fall, western culture is likely to continue to "rule" the world for centuries to come.

                                Oversimplified I know, But Gibbon, McNeil, and Durant don't summarize all that well.
                                sigpicUSS North Dakota

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