The Epic History of the Chinese and Roman Empires

When people think of the greatest empires of the ancient world, they think of the Roman Empire and the Chinese Han Dynasty. The history of the Roman Empire and of the Han Dynasty is epic. Both of these empires ruled over vast numbers of people, and both ruled for approximately four centuries. The Roman Empire was known for its unstoppable military. The Roman military literally changed the way that war in Europe, the Middle East, and parts of northern Africa was fought. The Han Dynasty had a similar effect on the way that war was fought in the Orient.

Both the Roman Empire and the Chinese Empire were known for trade. Rome created trade routes that covered the globe. There are many accounts in history where the Roman Empire and the Chinese Empire interacted for economic trade. The Roman Empire caused Latin to be the primary language that was spoken throughout Europe. For centuries, Latin was the language of the people, and then it became a language that was closely linked to Christianity. The growth of the Roman Empire had a powerful effect on the religion that was practiced by people who lived under the Roman domain. The Han Dynasty had the same effect.

Confucianism was the religion that was dominant in China during the Han Dynasty. This religion not only influenced the belief system of the empire's subjects, but it also influenced the way that emperors within the Han Dynasty ruled. It was said that an Emperor was selected by God. Therefore, they had the responsibility to rule following the dictates of God. This meant that they could not overtax the people, they should avoid war when possible, and they should encourage education among the people. When an Emperor was thought to have abandoned the way that God has set out for him, he was subject to being overthrown.

Roman emperors owed much of their power to religion. They were said to be installed on their thrown by the power of Roman gods. When the Roman military went to war, victory was attributed to the power of their gods. When an Emperor fell from grace, it was assumed that he had somehow displeased the gods, and as such no longer had the right to rule the people.

The Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire fell as they saw their trade routes disappear. This forced these governments to rely on taxation in order to create revenue, which in turn led to social unrest and the eventual collapse of the government.