▁than ▁is ▁actually ▁the ▁case . ▁The ▁situation ▁is ▁similar ▁to ▁how ▁historical ▁nation - states ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁' H oly ▁Roman ▁Empire ' ▁presented ▁themselves ; ▁being ▁roughly ▁twice ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁modern ▁Germany . ▁While ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁noted ▁fict ional ▁emp ires ▁tend ▁to ▁en comp ass ▁a ▁large ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁galax y , ▁many ▁other ▁emp ires ▁may ▁be ▁class ified ▁as ▁inter plan et ary ▁or ▁inter stell ar ▁emp ires ▁since ▁they ▁en comp ass ▁only ▁a ▁local ▁group ▁of ▁star ▁systems . ▁ ▁W riter ▁P oul ▁Anderson ▁makes ▁the ▁point ▁that ▁the ▁decl ining ▁emp ire ▁dep icted ▁in ▁his ▁Domin ic ▁Fland ry ▁series ▁does ▁not ▁span ▁the ▁entire ▁galax y ▁but ▁only ▁a ▁fraction ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁spir al ▁arms . ▁Still , ▁however , ▁the ▁institution ▁is ▁vast ▁beyond ▁a ▁regular ▁human ‘ s ▁ability ▁to ▁truly ▁compreh end , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁col laps ing ▁under ▁its ▁own ▁weight . ▁ ▁Gal actic ▁Emp ires ▁are ▁many ▁cases ▁cons ci ously ▁mode led ▁on ▁historical ▁Earth - bound ▁emp ires . ▁As im ov ▁stated ▁explicitly ▁that ▁the ▁Gal actic ▁Empire ▁whose ▁fall ▁is ▁dep icted ▁in ▁his ▁Foundation ▁books ▁is ▁mode led ▁on ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire , ▁with ▁the ▁author ▁taking ▁direct ▁insp iration ▁from ▁the ▁historical ▁writ ings ▁of ▁Edward ▁Gib bon , ▁even ▁to ▁the ▁point ▁of ▁bas ing ▁some ▁individual ▁characters ▁on ▁historical ▁figures . ▁In ▁addition , ▁Anderson '