What do you think are the greatest Civiliations in history?

[cybrxkhan]

okay, here my update on numbers:

First place so far is Rome
Second place so far is a tie between China and England/Britain.
Third place so far is Hellenic Civilization.

And honorable mention is a tie between Mesopotamia, Persia, and America. (hmm... thats a funny coincidence...)

What is Ethopia up there? Did they do something great that I am ignorant of?

i tried to represent all the civs included in the civ game in some way or another. and Ethiopia is the third African civ to be added to the Civ franchise, with BtS.

 

[aronnax]

strangly, even though it was the second largest empire ever, mongolia was not voted, is it possible that the world would be the same with or without the mongol conquest

 

[Plotinus]

What is Ethopia up there? Did they do something great that I am ignorant of?

Ethiopia is one of the most ancient and interesting civilisations currently in existence, and they have achieved many great things, from having (at one time) the largest fleet on the planet to building the monuments of Lalibela, often cited as the eighth Wonder of the World, and being the first sub-Saharan civilisation to develop writing. They certainly have more right than the Hebrews to be considered a long-lived civilisation, given that Israel had no political existence between late antiquity and late modern times, whereas the Ethiopian empire remained in existence right up to the 1970s, being only briefly conquered once, by Mussolini. Why not look it up before asking...?

Why isn't america on there? We have the best government in the world Today, doesn't that count for something?

You have surely got to be joking, right? If you mean the system of government, there isn't a single element of the American system that isn't done better in some other country, and I think there are rather a lot of countries that come out better overall, such as most European countries.

 

[dutchking]

^They're in the new expansion so they're a choice.

 

[Marla_Singer]

sorry double post

 

[Marla_Singer]

One must judge a civilization by the quality of its food. Hence my pick would be :
- Latin culture (France, Italy, Spain)
- China
- India

 

[Emperor2]

You are in New York right? I am too and I'd have to say that most people around here are DEMOCRATS, such as myself...I don't want to get into an arguement about Bush alright?

I am not in NY city, in the STATE of NY. And when I said "Stand by my choice
", I meant I still would have voted for CHINA!!!!!!!! And the commies are destroying it.

 

[BEHIND_THE_MASK]

I am not in NY city, in the STATE of NY. And when I said "Stand by my choice
", I meant I still would have voted for CHINA!!!!!!!! And the commies are destroying it.

Again...

You can blame Communists for the destruction of China, but face it, there was an equally good chance that some Capitalists would have done the same god damn thing...

 

[Ace]

1: Rome
2: Greece
3: Great Britian

Rome and Greece have to be 1-2 because of their vast contributions to Western Civilization. Most of the others have made important contributions to civilization, but, have not had the impact that Rome and Greece have had over the long haul. Probably the British Empire is #3....

 

[cybrxkhan]

hmm.. Rome still is clear winner with China and England/Britain catching up... im surprised China and the Hellenes aren't doing better... but oh well.

And the commies are destroying it.

they are tehcnically "getting the job done"... but they're still destroying it. and so would the cappies. and the fassies. where are the impees, now that i wonder...

 

[Steph]

Why isn't america on there? We have the best government in the world Today, doesn't that count for something?

Of course you have: Georges W Bush is the best head of state ever!!

Go America

Or instead of current government, do you mean government system?

When, once again, you have the best system ever! The rest of the world is either under the dictatorship of evil commies, or evil tyrants, or evil nazi madmen! Some are even under Goa'uld oppression! Go America, go!

 

[West 36]

I voted Hellenic- mostly because it encompasses not one but many cultures that brought about things to fill in most if not all the categories. By different cultures I'm talking how there were different city-states and far-sprung colonies and empires encompassing the Hellenic ideals.

 

[Plotinus]

Oh, and my top three are China, Germany/Scandinavia, and Mesopotamia. China for sheer immensity, longevity, and immense influence; Germany/Scandinavia for their role in forming European culture plus general coolness factor, and Mesopotamia for being the original civilisation and for a high coolness factor as well. The Sumerians have always been among my favourites. Honourable mentions go to Ethiopia, Greece, Rome, Arabia, India, and - well, most of the rest of them, I suppose.

 

[Naskra]

We are the children of the Greeks.

 

[Shqype]

Albania, for housing the oldest surviving people of Europe, that speak the oldest Indo-European language, that have contributed to the world great people such as:

the spreader of Greek culture, Alexander the Great,
the "Illyrian Dynasty" of the Roman Empire (Diocletian, Constantine the Great which accepted Christianity, Justinian the Lawgiver, etc.),
St. Jerome which translated the Bible from Greek to Latin,
Gjergj Kastrioti (Athlete of Christendom) which defended Catholic Western Europe from the Ottoman armies for a quarter of a century,
Mehmet Ali (the founder of modern Egypt),
Mother Teresa, the humanitarian Roman Catholic Nun,

and, having survived 33 armed invasions since antiquity, they have truly withstood the test of time.

 

[Tee Kay]

I'll judge these by categories...

1. Importance to History
The award goes to...CHINA! Longest lasting civilisation, Confucianism, Taoism, Chinese inventions, Chinese dominance of trade from dawn of history to present day, et cetera, et cetera.

2. Military Power/Influence
United States of America. It has the most powerful military in all of human history.

3. Political Power/Influence
United States of America. No country in all of human history have the same level of extensive global political power as does the USA today.

4. Cultural Power/Influence
I'd say the Arabs or Romans. The Arabs spread their culture all across Eurasia, and Roman culture serves as a foundation for "Western" culture.

5. Scientific and Innovative Achievements
I'd say Britain - electricity, steam power, theory of gravity, et cetera. Other honourable mentions: China, Arabia, India, Greece, USA, Germany

6. Cultural Longetivity
China, undoubtly. Longest lasting civilisation. Its culture spread across the East Asia and then the world.

7. Economical Power/Influence
United States of America. The USA's economic influence is unmatched in history.

8. Architectural Achievements
Hmm tough call. I'd say Egypt and Rome (longest lasting large structures). Other honorable mentions: France (Eiffel Tower, Suez Canal), China, USA

9. Capability to Destroy
United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the two Cold Warring nations, with enough nuclear weapons between them to cause a mass extinction.

10. Humanity
Modern civilisation, circa AD2007.

 

[Steph]

Albania, for housing the oldest surviving people of Europe, that speak the oldest Indo-European language

Aren't you confusing it with the Basque?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_indigenous_peoples

List of indigenous peoples of Europe:

Basques: Northern Spain and Southern France
Crimean Karaites: Crimean Peninsula in Southern Ukraine
Crimean Tatars: Crimean Peninsula in Southern Ukraine
Krymchaks: Crimean Peninsula in Southern Ukraine
Izhorians Northwest of Russia
Komi: Komi Republic in Northeast of European Russia
Nenets: Northeastern part of European Russia
Sami: Northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and Kola peninsula in the Northwest of Russia
Veps: Republic of Karelia, Northwest of Russia

Except in Russia/Ukraine, Basque is the only people listed. Where are albanians?

and, having survived 33 armed invasions since antiquity, they have truly withstood the test of time.

Well, it also means they managed to get invaded 33 times. And they were integrated in the Roman Empire in 165 BC, they became really indepedant again in 1912, with a period of figthing against the Ottomans in the 15th century where they were semi independant.
That's almost 2,000 years when it doesn't as independant country. I don't really see how it's better than other countries.

 

[St Exupère]

Aren't you confusing it with the Basque?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_indigenous_peoples
List of indigenous peoples of Europe:

Jesus, seldom have I seen such non-sense propaganda wiki definition as these "List of indigenous peoples". I wonder who wrote this.

On Euskaldunak (which means Basque people, or more precisely those who speak Euskal - which is the basque language): it is still at this stage, impossible to say whether
a/ they migrated from the East just like all other what we call today, European-type peoples and ethnies (which by the way are not listed at all as indigenous people, yet they must be originally indigenous from somewhere...) and roughly at the same time
b/ they settled in Europe much before that period

- Language wise, it is also tough to say whether Euskal (the language) should be included into a sub-set of indo-european languages among with a few others (ie Hungarian) or should be treated as a distinct family alltogether. There are in particular some smilarities with what we know of some ancient celtic dialects, but the linguists' consensus seems to be rather that it should be treated as another family

- Genetics wise, Euskaldunak clearly bear all genetic markers found amongst all other European peoples and not found at the same level of density amongst other peoples in the world. Yet they also present some genetic particularities, the most famous of which is the almost complete absence of B blood types amongst them, as well as the very high proportion of Rh-.

With all precautions needed in such matters where we still are pretty ignorant, it tends to show that though Euskaldunak are European peoples (either originally, or through a later mix), they might have been isolated as a group for a longer period of time - which gives a case to the hypothesis of an earlier settlment in Europe. Does that make them indigenous, and most of the others not? I do not think so.

 

[Steph]

Jesus, seldom have I seen such non-sense propaganda wiki definition as these "List of indigenous peoples". I wonder who wrote this.

If you would have read the whole article (like click on the link for the Basque), you would have seen that your doubts are indeed explained as well.
Basque are "perhaps" one of the few indegeneous people of Europe, although other hypothesis regarding their origin exist.

My point was "what makes Albanian the oldest surviving people than Europe?" Is there any more evidence than for the Basques?

You will agree that if there is a lot evidence than for the Basques (who don't have enough to make them the oldest for sure), then it's even less likely the Albanians are the oldest.

 

[Plotinus]

St. Jerome which translated the Bible from Greek to Latin

Jerome came from Stridon, which I believe is in Croatia. Plus of course he translated most of the Bible from Hebrew, not Greek, a controversial decision at the time.

Mother Teresa, the humanitarian Roman Catholic Nun,

Mother Teresa's family was originally Albanian, but she came from Macedonia.