Now, I know the above is an oft-quoth statistic. But I'm not sure how accurate it is? So here I shall calculate the average (mean) age of empires, both in the literal sense and the loose sense.
The following numbers are the ages in years of the empires.
Literal: 1193 + 1130 + 1058 + 915 + 844 + 790 + 717 + 704 + 668 + 660 + 636 + 629 + 626 + 623 + 596 + 570 + 520 + 500 + 496 + 482 + 474 + 473 + 471 + 438 + 435 + 431 + 427 + 422 + 422 + 422 + 420 + 416 + 411 + 405 + 337 + 331 + 330 + 319 + 317 + 315 + 310 + 307 + 302 + 299 + 289 + 277 + 276 + 275 + 268 + 264 + 257 + 255 + 249 + 240 + 238 + 235 + 234 + 232 + 230 + 230 + 220 + 218 + 211 + 209 + 209 + 206 + 199 + 196 + 196 + 193 + 188 + 180 + 180 + 162 + 158 + 157 + 154 + 154 + 149 + 144 + 137 + 136 + 134 + 128 + 127 + 124 + 120 + 119 + 112 + 110 + 108 + 108 + 99 + 94 + 88 + 88 + 87 + 87 + 81 + 79 + 78 + 72 + 71 + 67 + 63 + 60 + 60 + 57 + 57 + 51 + 50 + 50 + 48 + 42 + 42 + 41 + 41 + 37 + 37 + 36 + 34 + 29 + 27 + 25 + 24 + 24 + 22 + 20 + 18 + 18 + 16 + 14 + 13 + 11 + 10 + 10 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 0 ... Total: 143 ... Mean: (34878 / 143) 244 ... Range: 1193 ... Median: 180 ... Mode: 422 or 3
Thus an average age of Empires of 244 years, or 1193 years, or 180 years, or 422 years or 3 years
Looser: 1193 + 1130 + 1058 + 915 + 844 + 790 + 717 + 705 + 704 + 668 + 660 + 636 + 629 + 626 + 623 + 596 + 584 + 570 + 559 + 520 + 500 + 500 + 496 + 482 + 474 + 473 + 471 + 450 + 438 + 435 + 431 + 427 + 422 + 422 + 420 + 416 + 411 + 405 + 342 + 337 + 331 + 330 + 319 + 317 + 315 + 310 + 307 + 302 + 289 + 286 + 277 + 276 + 275 + 268 + 264 + 262 + 257 + 255 + 249 + 240 + 238 + 235 + 234 + 232 + 230 + 230 + 220 + 219 + 218 + 211 + 209 + 209 + 208 + 206 + 199 + 196 + 196 + 193 + 188 + 180 + 180 + 162 + 158 + 157 + 154 + 154 + 150 + 149 + 144 + 137 + 136 + 134 + 128 + 127 + 124 + 122 + 120 + 119 + 112 + 110 + 108 + 108 + 101 + 99 + 95 + 94 + 88 + 88 + 87 + 87 + 81 + 79 + 79 + 78 + 74 + 72 + 71 + 70 + 68 + 67 + 63 + 60 + 60 + 60 + 57 + 57 + 51 + 50 + 50 + 48 + 42 + 42 + 41 + 41 + 37 + 37 + 36 + 34 + 29 + 27 + 25 + 24 + 24 + 24 + 22 + 20 + 18 + 18 + 16 + 14 + 13 + 12 + 11 + 10 + 10 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 0 ... Total: 165 ... Mean: (39082 / 165) 237 ... Range: 1193 ... Median: 158 ... Mode: 3 or 24 or 60
Thus an average age of Empires of 237 years, or 1193 years, or 158 years, or 3 years or 24 years or 60 years
Update: It's very late at night, I've been working on this for ages :/ Expect a correction edit within a few days to rectify the mistakes I must surely have made
Out of the eleven different averages I have therefore accrued, the one most similar to the off-quoth number of 250 years is...
Breaking-news style self interruption: I didn't consider 'til now what it means for somewhere to be a global empire. I suppose that would only include empires that committed colonialism, have/had global influence, or span(ned) more than one continent. But I don't want to have to re-adjust my figures 'so late in the game', so I shall carry on as I was. Sorry.
Out of the eleven different averages I have therefore accrued, the one most similar to the off-quoth number of 250 years is 237 years. ...Which could quite reasonably be rounded up to 250 years.
So, yes, it looks like this number is correct (possible difference if only global empires were to be considered, notwithstanding).
Empires which lasted close to the average include: Gupta Empire (230 years), Asante Empire (232 yrs), Majapahit (234), Akwamu (238), Chenla (252 yrs), Empire of Trebizond (257)
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