[Eternal?
That’s an interesting word in the context of geopolitical conquest.]
Napoleon’s empire is no more. Ditto for Alexander and Genghis Khan. But their exploits remain well-known. If you had a poll asking about the biggest names in history, each of these names would come up. Like it or not, conquerors have a special place in the history books. In fact, prior to the modern era, history was basically military history.