Was the Ottoman Empire actually bigger than the Roman Empire?

[klirko]

I have been looking at maps of both of them at their greatest extent and I can't see how the Ottomans were bigger. They have roughly the same amount of land in the Middle East, but then Rome has Western Europe. Is there something more to how this is determined, or am I just really dumb?

[CatLover]

Size doesn't matter, it's what inside it that does.

[Jonathan Sensei]

How much land their empires covered really isn't the best way to measure who was bigger. Usually army size and resources is a better tool for comparison.

[trousers]

The Ottomans controlled a lot of useless land or desert (such as Arabia) which sometimes isn't included in maps because it's desert and nobody cares. They also had possibly looser borders, with a few more vassal or client states at peak.

And different maps use different map projections, some of which stretch out parts of the map, or the opposite. Europe in reality isn't really that big. so controlling more of it can look a bit deceptive dependent on map projection

[Electric Cupcake]

They both were sissiebabies compared to the Mongols. And the Persians were pretty awesome. Cyrus the Great was a Messiah before it was cool.

[76109108007942031]

According to Google, the Roman Empire was over double the size of the Ottoman Empire based on land mass, but I'm not sure if this included areas that were technically loyal to the Sultan but maintained a certain level of independence.

BUT, the Ottoman Empire was obviously more modern and could probably make better use of its resources due to that, so that might even the playing field even if we overlook the vast advantages the Ottomans would have when it comes to technology.

[Xautos]

Originally posted by Alpharius:

According to Google, the Roman Empire was over double the size of the Ottoman Empire based on land mass, but I'm not sure if this included areas that were technically loyal to the Sultan but maintained a certain level of independence.

BUT, the Ottoman Empire was obviously more modern and could probably make better use of its resources due to that, so that might even the playing field even if we overlook the vast advantages the Ottomans would have when it comes to technology.

Romans controlled part of the southern UK, a lot of Europe, they had holdings from Morocco to the middle east, all the way up taking parts of Jordan, most of Syria, large parts of Iran and most of Turkey and everything between the Black and Caspian seas. everything around the Mediterranean sea was theirs and then it got split down the middle, the western half collapsed and the eastern half was rebranded as the Byzantine Empire not long after, essentially what remained of the Roman empire until it was crushed.

The Ottomans ruled over the ashes and the skeletons that sit on the iron throne before sweeping it all aside, in effect what the east Romans ruled plus a little more going up into Algeria, Iran and most of the Balkans. however while there was no holding of Italy, Spain and those islands in between, the Ottomans captured more of Romania and some of Ukraine to make up for it.

so in effect, yes, the Ottomans only had half the size of the Romans during the height of their power if the history books are to be believed.

[Zoomii]

The size of it doesn't matter. It's what you do with it that does.

[Panazois λ]

Do you guys know about the independence of Greece? :)

[Panazois λ]

Originally posted by Dem Bones:

Originally posted by Panagiotis:

Do you guys know about the independence of Greece? :)

300 Spartans pwned about a million Persians right?

Um no that's a different time. In BC in fact. Persians are even older than the Ottoman Empire, which in modern day Persia is Iran. Our independence is actually reaching its 200th year anniversary next year. If you guys want I will tell you all about it.

[Panazois λ]

Originally posted by Dem Bones:

Originally posted by Panagiotis:

Um no that's a different time. In BC in fact. Persians are even older than the Ottoman Empire, which in modern day Persia is Iran. Our independence is actually reaching its 200th year anniversary next year. If you guys want I will tell you all about it.

sure why not?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_War_of_Independence
I will tell you more in details if anyone wants to know because I am writing this at 1 am.

[76109108007942031]

Originally posted by Captain Morgan:

The empire mentioned was created by frenetic savages who raided, aped, burned to the ground, r@ped, destroyed, stole, converted, genocided and occupied plus looted&ransacked, territories of others.

This applies to the Romans just as much as any other Empire, despite the nostalgia they were not good people.

[Pookie]

Persia?

[76109108007942031]

Originally posted by 󠀡󠀡Spotify:

Persia?

The Achaemenid Empire doesn't get the recognition it deserves, they were playing the empire game before it was cool.

[Panazois λ]

Originally posted by Alpharius:

Originally posted by 󠀡󠀡Spotify:

Persia?

The Achaemenid Empire doesn't get the recognition it deserves, they were playing the empire game before it was cool.

Macedonian Empire: It's free real estate

[76109108007942031]

Originally posted by Panagiotis:

Originally posted by Alpharius:

The Achaemenid Empire doesn't get the recognition it deserves, they were playing the empire game before it was cool.

Macedonian Empire: It's free real estate

Ok Macedonia may have defeated them but at least the Achaemenid Empire was able to survive the death of a ruler without imploding on itself :P