File talk:Empires.png

I have some concerns with this diagram, even bearing in mind the "rough estimate" disclaimer.

1) Egypt appears to be grossly misrepresented as the civilization has been comparatively influential and prosperous since ~2,500 BCE even if its foreign policy was only empiric during later periods. Since the diagram forgives Babylon for its decline and reemergence I question why Egypt is treated differently. 2) Assyria is equally misrepresented as it and Akkadia have been merged to form a single empire with a single continuous period -- this is incorrect, despite their geographical proximity. Unlike Egypt and Babylon they represent two similar but separate administrations. 3) Byzantium is generally regarded as having lost its empire with the fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the Ottomans, almost a millennium after the diagram depicts. 4) Absence of the Portuguese, Spanish and both French empires despite all achieving global hegemony for a period. And if influence doesn't constitute largeness, perhaps longevity does -- as in China's case -- or in effective policy -- as with Russia -- also sadly absent. 5) Inclusion of the U.S. as an empire, which is a technical misrepresentation of the definition. Obviously the U.S. is a highly influential nation, but it's simply not an empire in the historical sense. 6) The use of "A.D." and "B.C." as opposed to the more neutral "B.C.E." and "C.E.".

For these reasons I'm removing the image albeit with some reluctance owing to my appreciation of the effort involved and the sentiment intended. No hard feelings.