The phrase, "the Empire on which the sun never sets", has been used with variations to describe certain global empires that were so extensive that there was always at least one part of their territory in daylight.
It was originally used for the Spanish Empire, mainly in the 16th and 17th centuries, and for the British Empire, mainly in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Especially in the 20th century, the metaphor (usually without the word "Empire") has been transferred to refer to American power.
Georg Büchmann traces the idea to a speech in Herodotus' Histories, made by Xerxes I of Persia before invading Greece.
Read more about The Empire On Which The Sun Never Sets: Spain, United Kingdom, United States, Punning Variations
Famous quotes containing the words empire, sun and/or sets:
“The foundation of empire is art & science. Remove them or degrade them, & the empire is no more. Empire follows art & not vice versa as Englishmen suppose.”
—William Blake (1757–1827)
“For in his morning orison she loves the sun and the sun loves him.”
—Christopher Smart (1722–1771)
“Music sets up ladders,
it makes us invisible,
it sets us apart,
it lets us escape;
but from the visible
there is no escape.”
—Hilda Doolittle (1886–1961)