网友细数各个历史时期的地表最强国家有哪些？（上）

Matthew Nghiem, Pro Deo et Patria
Note: There’s no pleasing everyone when itcomes to a topic like this, so I won’t bother apologizing (if you disagree,feel free to comment below).
9,000–3,000 BC: The first cities emerge inthe Middle-East. Uruk is the greatest and most organized of these settlements. Verdict:Sumerian civilization.
3,000 BC: The unification of Upper andLower Egypt. Verdict: Ancient Egypt.
2,900–2,500 BC: Egypt maintains itsposition as the world’s preeminent power.
2,500–2,300 BC: At this point, with dozensof settlements established on the Indian Subcontinent, the Indus ValleyCivilization is considered to be at the height of its power despite the factthat the world’s most populated settlements were still in Egypt or Sumer then.Verdict: Indus Valley Civilization.

注：像这样的话题，不可能取悦所有人，所以我不会道歉的（如果你不赞同我的看法，请在下面评论区留言）。
公元前9000-3000年：第一批城市出现在中东。其中乌鲁克是最大的也是最有组织性的。结论：苏美尔文明。
公元前3000年：上埃及和下埃及统一。结论：古埃及。
公元前2900-2500年：埃及维持了自己世界第一强国的地位。
公元前2500-2300年：这个时候，随着印度次大陆出现数十个定居点，印度河谷文明达到了自己力量的顶峰，尽管当时世界最多人口的定居点依然位于埃及或苏美尔。结论：印度河谷文明。

2,260–2,120 BC: The world’s first empireemerges along the River Euphrates and Tigris, and its power is unprecedented.Verdict: Akkadian Empire.
2,100 BC: With the collapse of the AkkadianEmpire, and a series of conquests which see a decrease in the territories heldby Egypt, India is once again the world’s preeminent power. Verdict: IndusValley Civilization.
2,000 BC: The Xia Dynasty emerges in China,but it - and everyone else - is overshadowed by Ur who emerge along EuphratesRiver with the most populated cities, and also its largest territories. Verdict:Ur (Sumerian civilization).
1900 BC: Indus Valley Civilization beginsto decline, Egypt whilst small continues to maintain the world’s largestcities, the Kassite Dynasty collapses and the Xia maintain a steady hold onpower. The Minoans also hold steady. Decision is difficult to make. Verdict:Minoan civilization or Xia China.

公元前2260-2120年：世界第一个帝国出现在幼发拉底河和底格里斯河沿岸，而且其力量是空前的。结论：阿卡德帝国。
公元前2100年：随着阿卡德帝国的崩溃，以及一系列征服导致埃及领土损失，所以印度再次成为了世界第一强国。结论：印度河谷文明。
公元前2000年：夏朝出现在中国，但是和其他地方一样，都不及兴起于幼发拉底河沿岸的乌尔，它拥有人口最多的城市，领土也是最多的。结论：乌尔（苏美尔文明）。
公元前1900年：印度河谷文明开始衰弱，埃及虽然小，但依然拥有世界最大的城市，凯喜特王朝崩溃，夏朝依然稳操权力。米诺斯文明也是稳操权力。所以很难判断。结论：米诺苏文明或中国夏朝。

1800 BC: Egypt returns to power in terms ofterritories held, and continues to hold onto the world’s largest cities.Verdict: Ancient Egypt.
1700 BC: Egypt splits into two halves, withXois controlling the north. Babylon emerges as the world’s largest citymeanwhile, with a population of 60,000. Verdict: Babylonia.
1600 BC: Egypt maintains the world’s mostpopulous cities, but is split into three parts now, with Hyksos maintainingcontrol of the north, whilst the south is under Nubian rule. Hittites andElamites (Iranians) emerge in full vigour. Minoan civilization continues toprosper and reaches its peak. But Hittites are also powerful. Xia meanwhiledeclines. Verdict (in order): Minoan civilization and Hittites.
1500 BC: The Shang Kingdom is prosperous,having overthrown the corrupt Xia. However Egypt also recovers at this point intime, and continues to have the world’s largest cities. Both China and Egypthave similar territories (size). Verdict: Ancient Egypt or Shang China.

公元前1800年：埃及在领土方面再次复兴，依然拥有世界上最大的城市。结论：古埃及。
公元前1700年：埃及分裂成两半，索伊斯控制北方。同时巴比伦成为世界上最大城市，人口达6万。结论：巴比伦王国。
公元前1600年：埃及依然拥有世界最多人口的城市，但是分裂成了三部分，希克索斯王朝控制着北方，努比亚人控制着南方。希泰族和埃兰人（伊朗人）开始强力崛起。米诺斯文明继续繁荣发展，并达到顶峰。但是希泰人也非常强大。同时夏朝在衰弱。结论（按顺序）：米诺斯文明和希泰人。
公元前1500年：商朝开始繁荣，推翻了腐败的夏朝。然而此时的埃及也开始恢复，继续拥有世界上最大的城市。中国和埃及拥有类似的领土面积。结论：古埃及或中国商朝。

1400 BC: Minoan civilization is replaced bythe Mycenaeans, who quickly rise to power. China and Egypt’s New Kingdomlikewise also maintain stable rules over their respective domains at this time.Difficult decision. Verdict: Ancient Egypt, Mycenaean civilization, and ShangChina.
1,300–1,200 BC: The Mycenaeans are at thepeak of their power at this time. Yinxu meanwhile emerges as the most populouscity in the world (120,000 inhabitants) thus supplanting Thebes, Egypt. TheHittites meanwhile emerge as a powerful force to be reckoned with, especiallyafter the Battle of Kadesh (1274 BC) in which they even defeated Egypt. Again,difficult to come to a decision. Verdict (in order): Mycenaean civilization,the Hittites and Shang China.
1,100 BC: The Assyrians emerge as a forceto be reckoned with. Shang declines and so do the Mycenaeans. Meanwhile Egypthas regained its place as the nation with the world’s most populous cities. Itis also a shadow of its former self however. Verdict: Assyrian civilization.

公元前1400年：米诺斯文明被迈锡尼替代，迈锡尼人快速崛起。中国和埃及的新朝代继续稳定统治各自地区。很难做出决定。结论：古埃及，迈锡尼文明和中国商朝。
公元前1300-1200年：此时迈锡尼人处于自己权力的顶峰。同时殷墟成为了世界人口第一的城市（12万居民），因此替代了埃及的底比斯。希泰人与此同时成为了一支强大的力量，特别是在卡叠什战役（公元前1274年，打败了埃及）之后。所以也很难做出决定。结论（按顺序）：迈锡尼文明，希泰人以及中国商朝。
公元前1100年：亚述人开始崛起。商朝开始衰败，迈锡尼也是如此。同时埃及重新拥有世界人口第一的城市。结论：亚述文明。

1,000 BC: Egypt continues to decline, theAssyrians continue to prosper, but China is the biggest winner withoverthrowing of the corrupt Shang, and its replacement with the powerful ZhouKingdom. At this point, China has the world’s biggest cities and largestdomain. Verdict: Zhou China.
900 BC: China continues to thrive underZhou rule. Haojing emerges as world’s most populated city with 125,000 inhabitants.Assyrians are gaining in strength, but at this point in time are overshadowedby the Chinese. Verdict: Zhou China.
800 BC: By now, the “Indo-Aryans” of Indiahave the world’s largest domain, but the most populated cities still belong toChina. Assyria meanwhile has become an empire at this point in time, and isextremely influential, monopolizing power in the Middle-East. The Zhoumeanwhile is declining due to a series of bad rulers. Verdict: Assyrian Empire.
700 BC: The Etruscans emerge as a force inthe Italian Peninsula, but are completely overshadowed by the Assyrians who arenow at the peak of their power and influence. By stark contrast, Zhou China hasbeen decentralized and is broken up into many smaller polities, each with a defacto ruler. Verdict: Assyrian Empire.

公元前1000年：埃及继续衰弱，亚述继续繁荣，但是中国是最大赢家，推翻了腐败的商朝，迎来了强大的周朝。此时，中国拥有世界上最大的城市和最大的疆域。结论：周朝。
公元前900年：中国在周朝的统治下继续发展。镐京成为了世界上人口最多的城市，达12.5万居民。亚述人变得越来越强大，但是此时不及中国。结论：中国周朝。
公元前800年：此时，印度的“印度雅利安人”拥有世界最大的疆域，但是人口最多的城市依然在中国。此时亚述已经成为了一个帝国，影响力巨大，垄断了中东的权力。而周朝由于统治者的无能开始衰败。结论：亚述帝国。
公元前700年：伊特鲁里亚人在意大利半岛开始崛起，但是不及权力和影响力都达到顶峰状态的亚述人。相比之下，周朝开始去中心化，分裂成了很多小国体，每一个都有一个实际的统治者。结论：亚述帝国。

600 BC: Babylon and Luoyi each have 200,000inhabitants. Carthaginians, Lydians, Medes all emerge as powerful nations -none of which are to be underestimated. However the Medes are at the height oftheir power under King Phraotes. Verdict: Median Empire.
500–400 BC: The Achaemenid Empire isfounded by Cyrus the Great. It is the world’s first “Hyperpower” and spans acrossthree continents with an an area of 5.5 million km^2. Under the succeedingreigns of the “King of Kings”, Persia becomes the first empire to invent andpropel both monotheism (disputed) in addition to a system of human rights. Atthis point, its power is both unprecedented and unrivalled by anyone anywhere.Verdict: Achaemenid Empire.
330 BC: In a mere matter of years,Alexander the Great conquers the entirety of the Achaemenid Empire, addingthese conquests to his territories in Macedonia. The new found polity is thelargest and richest in the world. However, it should be noted that Carthage wasthe world’s most populated city then (500,000 inhabitants). Even so, itsinfluence and power was nothing next to Macedonia’s. Verdict: MacedonianEmpire.

公元前600年：巴比伦和洛邑（洛阳）分别拥有20万居民。迦太基，吕底亚和米底亚都崛起成为强国，都不能等闲视之。然而米底亚在国王Phraotes的统治下达到了权力的顶峰。结论：米底亚帝国。
公元前500-400年：阿契美尼德王朝是由居鲁士大帝创立的。是世界上的第一个“超级强国”，横跨3个大陆，面积550万平方公里。在“万王之王”的连续统治下，波斯成为了第一个发明和推进一神论（有争议）的帝国，外加人权制度。此时，它的权力达到了空前的强大，同时也是无可匹敌的。结论：阿契美尼德王朝。
公元前330年：仅仅几年，亚历山大大帝就征服了整个阿契美尼德王朝，再加上其在马其顿的领土。这个新成立的政体变成了世界最大最富有的政体。然而，值得注意的是迦太基是当时世界上人口最多的城市（50万居民）。尽管如此，其影响力和权力都远不及马其顿。结论：马其顿帝国。

250 BC: With a population of 50 millioninhabitants in addition to a land area of 5 million km^2, the Mauryan Empireemerges as the world’s strongest and largest nation in the world during themid-3rd century BC. Having defeated Carthage recently, the Roman Republic wasalso growing in strength at the time. Similarly, the Seleucids were also aforce not to be trifled with. China meanwhile was divided still at the time(though that was quickly changing). Verdict: Mauryan Empire.

公元前250年：人口5000万，土地500万平方公里，公元前3世纪中期的孔雀王朝成为了世界上最强大最大的国家。同时，在打败了迦太基后，罗马共和国也开始强大起来。类似的，西流基王朝也是一支不可小觑的力量。当时的中国依然是分裂的状态（尽管这一点正在快速改变）。结论：孔雀王朝。

200 BC: After 550 years of disunity, all ofChina is finally unified under the totalitarian but strong, efficient andcentralized Qin Dynasty. The Qin is quickly replaced by the Han however, whocontinues to build up and reinforce the prosperity of the newly unified Chinesenation. With 400,000 inhabitants, China’s Chang’an emerges as the world’s mostpopulous city. Mauryan India meanwhile was declining, and whilst the SeleucidEmpire was in the midst of a revival, its power relative to Han was not comparable.Verdict: Han Dynasty.
100 BC: The Roman Republic declines, whilstthe Seleucids are being conquered by a newly emergent power: the ParthianEmpire. Even so, Parthia is no match for Han China - in any respect - who bythis point in time were at the heights of their power under the infamous andbrutal Emperor Wu. Chang’an is still the largest city in the world (disputed),and China maintains a monopoly on trade along the Silk Road, albeit Parthia hassomewhat of a large “market share” too. Only the Xiongnu Empire - a Turkicpolity - at the time could challenge Chinese power, but then even so onlymilitarily. Verdict: Han Dynasty.

公元前200年：在经过550年的分裂后，全中国开始在极权但强大、高效和中央集权的秦朝下统一。但是秦朝很快就被汉朝替代，汉朝继续建设和巩固刚刚大一统的中国繁荣。40万人口的长安成为了世界人口第一城市。同时印度孔雀王朝开始没落，虽然西流基帝国还在复苏中，其力量也完全无法和汉朝相比。结论：汉朝。
公元前100年：罗马共和国衰弱，西流基王朝被一个新崛起的强国征服，那就是帕提亚帝国。尽管如此，帕提亚依然不是汉朝中国的对手，任何方面都不是对手，这时的汉朝在臭名昭著和残忍的武帝的统治下达到了权力顶峰。长安依然是世界最大城市（有争议），中国垄断了丝路上的贸易，尽管帕提亚拥有很大的“市场份额”。当时只有匈奴帝国——一个突厥政体——有能力挑战中国，但是也只是在军事上可以挑战中国。结论：汉朝。

1 AD: The Han Dynasty whilst still the mostpopulous nation at this time, was now a shadow of its former self by the turnof the new millennium. The Roman Empire reigns supreme and unchallenged inEurope meanwhile, and emerges as the most dominant force in the West. Parthiato that extent, is ultimately no match for Rome despite the military disasterwhich was the Battle of Carrhae (53 BC) several decades prior. Verdict: RomanEmpire.
100: The Roman Empire by this point intime, nears the peak of its power, and the “Pax Romana” becomes a thing. Romeemerges as not only the largest city in the world at the time, but also thefirst settlement to ever surpass 1 million inhabitants (disputed). Figuresvary, but at the height of its power the Empire was estimated to have 75million people (25% of the world), a peak land area of 5 million km^2 and aneconomy which controlled 30% of the world’s wealth. Whilst China also made ahuge come back at this time, peaking with an area of 6.5 million km^2, apopulace of 60 million and an economic share of 25%, it is ultimately no matchfor a Rome at its zenith. Verdict: Roman Empire.

公元1年：虽然此时汉朝依然是世界上人口最多的国家，但是到了世纪之交，和之前的自己相比，汉朝也黯淡了。同时罗马帝国的统治在欧洲是无可匹敌的，成为了西方最强大的一支力量。帕提亚根本不是罗马的对手，尽管公元前53年发生了那次军事灾难（卡莱战役）。结论：罗马帝国。
公元100年：此时的罗马帝国几乎达到了权力顶峰，“罗马帝国统治下的和平”开始形成。罗马不仅成为当时世界上最大的城市，而且成为了首个人口超百万的城市（有争议）。各方数据不一，但是罗马帝国在其权力顶峰，人口达到7500万（四分之一世界人口），土地面积500万平方公里，控制了全世界30%的财富。虽然这时的中国再次卷土重来，领土最大达到650万平方公里，人口6000万，经济占据世界四分之一，所以无法与巅峰时期的罗马相抗衡。结论：罗马帝国。

200: All major powers of Eurasia are indecline at this time with the exception of the Kushan Empire. However, itspower is still no match for the Pax Romana, as Rome’s decline is not as fast aseither Parthia’s or Han’s. And to that extent, it is still in a somewhathealthy shape, and still has the world’s most populated city, and now also theworld’s largest and richest empire. Verdict: Roman Empire.
300: Exacerbated by the disaster that wasthe “Crisis of the Third Century”, Roman power was now in rapid decline by thedawn of the 4th century. A newly reunified China under the Jin Dynasty, is notthat much better off at this stage either. Taking advantage of Roman andParthian decline, the Sassanian Shahdom comes to power inPersia and emerges as the world’s greatest country. Verdict: Sassanian Empire.
400: The newly ascendant Gupta Dynasty isat the peak of its power with a land area of 3.5 million km^2, and an economicshare relative to the world at 30%. The legacy of the Guptas saw theintroduction of “0” to the world during their reign (disputed), andprecipitated in an era known as the “Golden Age of India”, in which theSubcontinent emerged as the most prosperous region on Earth. Whilst Rome wasstill the most populated city in the world by 400, it was by this time a mereshadow of its former self. The Sassanians meanwhile were then in between theirgolden eras and were no match for the Guptas. Verdict: Gupta Dynasty.

公元200年：此时欧亚的所有大国都在衰弱，除了贵霜帝国。然而，其权力还是无法比肩罗马，因为罗马的衰弱没有帕提亚或汉朝那么快。所以某种程度上，罗马的状况依然良好，而且依然拥有世界人口最多的城市，也是世界上最大最富有的帝国。结论：罗马帝国。
公元300年：在“三世纪危机”的影响下，在4世纪之初罗马开始快速衰弱。晋朝统一了中国，但是情况也没有好到哪里去。趁着罗马和帕提亚的衰弱，萨珊王朝开始在波斯崛起，成为了世界上最大的国家。结论：萨珊帝国。
公元400年：新崛起的笈多王朝开始走向权力顶峰，土地面积350万平方公里，占据世界经济总量的30%。笈多王朝对世界的贡献就是发明了“0”（有争议），而且成就了“印度的黄金时代”，期间印度次大陆成为了世界上最繁荣的地区。虽然公元400年的时候罗马依然是实际上人口最多的城市，但是和之前相比也衰退了。而萨珊王朝也处在两个黄金时期的过渡时期，所以无法匹敌笈多王朝。结论：笈多王朝。