America will turn 250 years in 2026, how does that stack up with previous empires?
Throughout history the average empire has lasted 250 years.
The first great world empire – the Achaemenid Persian empire – was founded by Cyrus the Great after he revolted against the Median Empire in 553 BC & defeated the Medes in 550 BC, capturing Astyages and taking the Median capital city of Ecbatana, near modern day Hamadan.
The Achaemenid empire was instrumental in some of the world’s greatest inventions, and lasted until Alexander the Great defeated Darius III in 330 BC – thus about 220 years, slightly less than the average length of empires: which is 250 years.
The subsequent Seleucid empire (named after one of Alexander’s generals) lasted 182 years, and was followed by at least two empires (Parthian and Sasanian) that lasted 400+ years.
The Safavid dynasty – notable for introducing Shia Islam to Iran lasted 235 years.
Even the Qajar dynasty which weakened Iran through poor economic policy and territorial concessions lasted 131 years.
How Long Did the Greek and Roman Empires Last?
The Greek empire is considered to have lasted from the period following Mycenaean civilization, which ended about 1200 BC, to the death of Alexander the Great, in 323 BC – roughly 900 years. The Roman Empire is deemed to have last either from when Augustus Caesar proclaimed himself the first emperor of Rome in 31 BC and ended with the fall of Constantinople in 1453 AD; though other historians view it from the Period of Kings (625-510 BC), through Republican Rome (510-31 BC) and ending at the dawn of Imperial Rome (31 BC – AD 476). Empires could have consisted of monarchies/kingdoms or republics, as was the case with the Greek and Roman empires. The Persian empire consisted of a monarchy until 1979 when the Pahlavi dynasty’s 54 year-reign (1925-79) ended when the Islamic revolution replaced Mohammad Reza Shah with a theocratic republic, headed by supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini. Related articles: the 2,500 monarchy of Iran, the 20th century legacy of the Pahlavis and why today the term republic is seen negatively by many.
Iran’s history consists of multiple sub-periods that in aggregate represent the oldest nation in the world, going back to 3200 BC. It’s yet another testament to how old and long-lasting Iran has been, when it’s counted multiple rulers that lasted longer than the average empire. Oh, and if you’re counting, the American empire will turn 250 in 2026 – will it end then? Watch.
June 8, 2025 at 1:48 am
Trump jumps the gun on everything, so he can have that power feeling all the time. His narcissism
gives him that feeling all the time. He is also a very hateful person and a racist. It is always all about him. When he signs all those bills or whatever, he has to hold them up to show everyone how he is always in charge, and if you don,t like it – TOUGH!!!!
June 10, 2025 at 3:52 pm
What’s listed, are those the only empires you’re using as a reference? I’m not seeing major European empires like the Holy Roman Empire (AD 800-1806), Spanish Empire (1492-1976), British Empire (1497-1997 but essentially began in 1066 or even 886), and you could theoretically consider kingdoms who were part of or eventually became empires, such as the Kingdom of Hungary (1526-1867 as part of the Austrian Empire). There are some major ones that are less than 250 years (Russian Empire, for example) but I’m just curious if the ones listed were the only sources (note that I didn’t math them out before commenting).