[Chancellor Palpatine]

For a bunch of corrupt and inept people, they managed to hang onto things from the 4th century to midway through the 15th century - over a thousand years of continuity, not even counting that it could claim the Roman continuity as well. That makes for over 1800 years of a civil government.

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

Er, I was talking of the last few years - mainly from the time of Justin going forward to the first crusade.