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Compare And Contrast Han China And Rome

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When comparing ancient civilizations, there are many things to consider. Among them are administrative systems, geography, religion, and social division. Social division and the separation of classes can affect the empire. Rome and the Han Dynasty in China were two ancient societies that flourished around the same time period, the Roman empire lasting from 509 BC to 476 AD, and the Han civilization falling into that time period from around 206 BC to 220 AD. Both of them faced the issue of social stratification, but they dealt with the situation differently. The Han dynasty had a strong belief that if technology was widely available, it would benefit the entire Chinese empire. They felt responsible to make it available for the workers and laborers that lived in China. On the other hand, Roman philosophy and administration considered laborers to be low-class, and not deserving of the help of intellectuals in government. The first group of documents were all from Han Dynasty …show more content…

There are some exceptions. The Han dynasty had a positive attitude towards technology, and most of the Romans had negative opinions on the role of technology in the society. The only exceptions were Seneca, a philosopher who hoped to advance the mind, and Frontius, a water commissioner promoting his own technology. If I had documents that showed how the legal codes of Rome and the Han, I could better explain how the systems of administration in the two areas varied based on the way they treated low-class citizens and the way they treated technology. But solely using the documents provided, it can be reasonably argued that the Han Dynasty promoted technology, therefore creating a better environment for their low-class citizens. Since Rome did the opposite, it can be concluded that they treated their low-class citizens with less respect because of the negative attitude they had towards

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