Yes and no. (As it happens, my current book du jour is "The Collected What If".)<p>The Greek, Roman, Islamic, and Frankish empires all became huge due to the need for exploration and conquest, usually from a relatively small number of people. Their massive growth led to greater wealth and cultural exchanges, which enriched the empires, sometimes at the cost of conquered territories and peoples. That, in turn, usually led to stability.<p>The great exception to this is of course the Mongol Empire. They were the largest empire in history, led by just a few people, and they were incredibly destructive. They had a certain distaste for cities and everything that they represented (education, culture, liberalism), so they became an unstoppable destructive force. The "What If" book claims that some regions of the world are still feeling of the effects of this. But, the empire only lasted for around a hundred years.<p>I'd say that a civilization's thirst for exploration and adventure is one of the traits which would tend to lead to longevity, but others include a respect for education, intellectualism, and liberalism.