World History:The Earth and its Peoples

Chapter 5

An Age of Empires:

Rome and Han China

753 B.C.E. - 330 C.E.

Objectives

• Explain how the Roman and Han Empires came into being.

• Be able to describe the sources of their stability or instability.

• Discuss the benefits and liabilities that these empires bring to the rulers and their subjects

Rome and Han China

Common Characteristics

• largest empires world had seen• greater central control than earlier empires• greater cultural impact• remarkable stability

Rome’s Mediterranean Empire

Crossroads• Italian peninsula• Europe and Africa

Natural Resources• ample, arable land

– volcanic soil

• timber and minerals• navigable rivers

Support of a large population

A Republic of Farmers

Inhabitation by 1000 BCE– Romulus 753 BCE

• Seven Hills– original Latins– Etruscans immigrants 700 BCE

• Economy– agriculture and land

• Politics– “Council of Elders”– seven kings of Rome

• 753 - 507 BCE

A Republic of Farmers

• Roman Republic - 507-31 BCE– ruled by assemblies of wealthy

male citizens

• Roman Senate– real center of power; made laws– served for life– consuls

Society• multi-generational family

– paterfamilias• oldest-living male

• hierarchical– patron/client relationship– mutual benefits and obligations

A Republic of Farmers

Women• child in eyes of the law• more freedom than Greeks• influence over husbands / son

Religion• polytheistic

– numina - invisible shapeless forces controlling nature

– pax deorum• peace with the gods

– diffusion with Greek gods

Roman Expansion

Early Roman Republic - 500 BC• Rome as ‘city-state’

– aggression or self-defense?

• friction– pastoral tribes / agriculturalists– Romans serves as ‘protectors’

• Roman loyalty - 290 BCE– privileges of citizenship to

conquered– military service

• Carthage Wars - 264-202 BC– control of western

Mediterranean Sea

Punic Wars: Rome - Carthage

Roman Expansion

Eastern Mediterranean• Hellenistic (200-30 BCE)

– Egypt and Greece

Interior• Gaul (59-51 BCE)

– Celts– Gaius Julius Caesar

Administration• considerable autonomy to

cooperative local elites– provincial governor from Senate

• inadequate and corrupt

Caesar

Caesar’s Empire

The Failure of the Republic

Forces• military service for farmers

– decline of independent farms• unemployment

– decline in soldiers• mercenaries

• war wealth of upper classes– rise in latifundia; cash crops

• slave labor– loss of food supply

• Civil War - 88 BCE - 31 BCE– allegiance to generals, not state

The Failure of the Republic

Octavian - 63 - 14 BCE– ends civil wars by 31 BCE– military dictator

• offensive to defensive– Augustus

• Roman Principate– “first among equals”

• equites– wealthy merchants / landowners– civil service

• Good Emperors– line of succession

An Urban Empire

Pax Romana– “Roman peace”– safety and stability

Importance of trade– support for emperor & govt– rich interior provinces

• Gaul and Egypt

Romanization– spread of Latin language /

Roman ways

• citizenship– Before 212 CE: military service– After 212 CE: all free males

Rome: 14 - 117 C.E.

The Rise of Christianity

Judea– Jewish homeland– Roman control by 6 CE

• Jesus– personal faith and spirituality

• Paul - (45 - 58 C.E.)– Jesus as Messiah (“anointed

one”– benefits of citizenship to preach

Disloyalty to Rome– refusal to worship emperor

Spread of Christianity

Roman Technology

Aqueducts– road system– water conduits using gravity– arches– domes

• concrete

“Third-century crisis”– 235 - 284 C.E.– frequent change of rulers

• coin devaluation– permeable frontiers

• loss of trade revenues– exodus from city to country

Aqueducts

Roman Transformation

Diocletian (284 - 305 C.E.)– government regulation

• prices and vocations

Constantine (306 - 337 C.E)– reunites entire empire– conversion to Christianity– Rome to Byzantium

• Constantinople

Diocletian’s Empire

Origins of Imperial China, 221 BCE - 220 CE

Warring-States Period• 1st empire under Qin

– Shi Huangdi (221-206 BCE)

• Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 CE)

Resources• agriculture

– free peasant taxes

• human labor– public works projects– military service

Hierarchy, Obedience, & Belief

Family– all generations; ancestors

• Values– Confucianism– obedience and proper conduct

• Women– three submissions

• parents, husband, son– live with husband’s family

• Nature– nature spirits– feng shui

Qin Dynasty

Qin - 221 - 206 B.C.E.– Imperial Age

• Shi Huangdi– “First Emperor”– totalitarianism

• primogeniture– outlawed sole land inheritance– abolished slavery

• standardization– coins, law code, writing– roads, canals, walls– unification of civilization

The Long Reign of the Han

Han - 206 BCE - 220 CE– replaces Qin

• Legalism reform– Confucianism social order– Mandate of Heaven

• Chang’an– capital of Early Han

• model of urban planning

• alignment with gentry– class below aristocrats

• efficient and responsive– Confucian guide to government

• civil service

• Daoism– popular among commoners

Han Dynasty

Technology and Trade

Metallurgy– poured versus pounded

• Military– crossbow and cavalry

• watermill– grindstone

• horse collar

Trade– silk as leading export

Fall of Han– reform failure; corruption– nomad attacks; hungry peasants