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Compare And Contrast Classical Empires

Decent Essays

It is evident that the two main largest classical empires were the Roman Empire and the Chinese Empire under the rule of the Han kings. These two empires had many social, political, and economic features in common, but likewise many of those features different from one another. A political feature that both classical empires shared was that both had powerful executive emperors who held absolute power. A second political feature that both empires had in common is that both empires had a central governmental body which maintained order, organized funds, collected taxes, and made executive decisions. Socially, the two empires also had features in common. The first similarity between the Roman social organization and the Han social organization …show more content…

The third social similarity that both civilizations cherished was that the emperor was given a religious meaning. In the Roman Empire the emperor was has worshipped like a god, and in China the emperor was said to have been chosen from heaven in a concept known as the Mandate of Heaven. In the world of economics both classical giants shared similarities. For instance, both empires heavily relied on the mastering of agriculture to supply the empire with income and food. Secondly, both empires avoided isolationism and did practice trading with other factions. For both Rome and China the epicenter for their trade routes was in the Middle East. Both empires created complex trade routes in the Middle East and beyond and even trading with one another through the Middle East during the prime of the Silk Road trading. As similarities did exist, there were also major differences in politics, social life, and economic foundation for both empires. The first political difference amongst the two empires was that the Chinese established provincial bureaucracies to apply provincial-political action, but the Romans did not have bureaucracies, but they had a Senate which collected and appointed and dealt with …show more content…

To start off, there are many differences in Mediterranean science than in Indian and Chinese sciences. As both the Chinese and Indians studied astronomy and calculated and charted planet distances and constellations, the Mediterranean civilizations left a larger emphasis on engineering and design, even though Greek astronomer Ptolemy created astronomical theories. The Romans building large structures like the Roman Coliseum, Hadrian’s Wall, the Circus Maximus, and miles of roads and aqueducts and the Greeks perfecting the column with different styles such as the Doric, Ionian, and the Corinthian designs and building massive temples like the Parthenon and the temple to Zeus at Olympia, clearly the Mediterranean factions focused more on architecture and engineering than astronomy. Also, expanding on Mediterranean engineering the Romans and the Greeks were one of the first civilizations to apply concrete, marble, and quartz in the construction of buildings. Also, the Mediterranean civilizations of Rome and Greece did not focus on medicine as much as the Chinese and the Indians did with the innovation of vaccinations, medical treatment, and plastic surgery; however, they did attempt to take a step into the world of chemistry. The Greek politician and scientist Democritus was the first recorded

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