It is poetic comparison. Calculations performed out of curiosity. My point was "comparison with greatest of its time, is it possible today?" Your question bas

It is poetic comparison. Calculations performed out of curiosity. My point was "comparison with greatest of its time, is it possible today?" Your question based around "look how magnificent our civilization is." And perfect counterbalance to your question would be "How does one compare biggest city of its time with New York City?" [1] [2]. I don't like such questions, they already contain judgement. And that I think is pointless. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_urban_community_sizes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_urban_community_siz... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_cities https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_cities