The late centuries bce and the early centuries ce see the rise of larger, more centralized empires

The late centuries BCE and the early centuries CE see the rise of larger, more centralized empires

• The late centuries BCE and the early centuries CE see the rise of larger, more centralized empires

• Imperial Rome & Han Dynasty China (Han China)
• Rome & China have no direct contact
• Connected by complicated trading networks
• Rome & China have little influence on each other
• Rome & China establish long lasting stability in area
• Rome & China both establish territorial-cultural links that persevere to the present day

• Important differences

• Han China looked to past dynasties for inspiration
• Romans evolved pragmatically

Small republic of farmers grows rich through trade

• Small republic of farmers grows rich through trade

• Italy’s central location in Mediterranean makes natural marketplace for trade, agricultural tradition meant land = wealth

• Geography = fertile farmland, cultural unity

• Romans influenced by neighbors: Etruscans & Greeks
• The Seven Hills of Rome (Palatine Hill)
• Seven kings of Rome, overthrown by Brutus “the Liberator”—creates the Res Publica “The Public Thing”

• The Roman Republic

• Senate and consuls, votes of the wealthy counted more
• Conflict of the Orders: patricians vs. plebeians
• Twelve Stone Tablets: Rome’s first code of laws
• Tribunes: officials elected to protect the interest of the lower class

Latin Clan of Indo-Europeans

• Latin Clan of Indo-Europeans

• Patron/Client Relationship

• Emperors=patrons of the masses, give gifts

• Basic unit of Roman life = family

• paterfamilias

• Roman women have more rights than Greek

• Rome adopts the Greek pantheon

• Priests appointed from the wealthy class to perform rituals and maintain pax deorum

Roman divisions more maneuverable than Phalanx

• Roman divisions more maneuverable than Phalanx

• Drafted conquered peoples into army
• Non-Italians afforded citizenship
• Rome’s army gains power as it conquers

• Rome vs. Carthage

• First Punic War, Rome wins control of Sicily
• Second Punic War, Hannibal attacks Italy
• Rome sacks Carthage, Carthaginian Empire ends

• The Roman War Ethos

• Romans hold strong ideals of honor, fight harder
• Soldiers are rewarded for courage

After defeating Carthage, Romans set sights on Greek city-state of Corinth—and win

• After defeating Carthage, Romans set sights on Greek city-state of Corinth—and win

• Romans continue to fight for control of the Hellenistic kingdoms of Asia & Africa

• Julius Caesar conquers the Gauls

• Caesar’s army kills a million Gauls, enslave another million

Rich farmers leave for long military service

• Rich farmers leave for long military service

• Investors consolidate land into latifudia
• Conflict of the Orders increases—crisis
• Dictators keep the peace during times of crisis
• Ruled for six month terms, dicta (word) = law
• 90s-30s BCE: Rome engulfed in civil war
• Generals command personally loyal armies
• Two Triumvirates
• Julius Caesar, Pompey, & Crassus
• Marc Antony, Octavian, & Lepidus

Octavian emerges victorious from civil war

• Octavian emerges victorious from civil war

• Designated Imperator by the Senate
• Changes name to Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus
• Assumes other titles like princeps

• Emperors presented as semidivine with civil consent

• Caligula presents self as “living god”
• Many emperors commit suicide or assassinated

• Military now comprised by life-long professionals

• Emperors seen as successful based on military victory

• Private contracting of government function creates tension between fair government and profit motives of the publicans

Urban centers administer and benefit from empire

• Urban centers administer and benefit from empire

• Heavy commerce during pax romana

• Also aided by the Romanization of the empire
• Eastern side of the empire still has Hellenistic culture

• Citizenship extended to non-Italians

• Military service = path to citizenship

• City centers in the provinces provide some of the most influential Romans of the first few centuries C.E.

Insulae

• Insulae

• Bread & Circuses

• Coliseum and arenas

• Economy of Scale

• Aqueducts

• Roads

Yeshua ben Yosef (Joshua/Jesus son of Joseph)

• Yeshua ben Yosef (Joshua/Jesus son of Joseph)

• Jewish charismatic preaching in early C.E.
• Crucified by Romans for what others claimed he was

• Jesus taught exclusively to the Jewish pop of Palestine, and only in the local Aramaic dialect

• The Christian scriptures written in Greek
• Preached about the responsibility of rich to the poor
• Empowerment of the “meek”

• Paul of Tarsus: Jewish Roman citizen

• Calls Jesus “Christos” or “anointed one”
• Spreads Christianity throughout Mediterranean

Paul travels, writes letters, preaches throughout the Mediterranean

• Paul travels, writes letters, preaches throughout the Mediterranean

• Roman elites see Christianity as exciting, exotic faith

• Roman government sees Christianity as a threat to the well-being of the state

• Persecution of Christians
• Martyrs

• Conversion of Constantine, Edict of Milan

• Theodosius establishes official religion

Augustus warns against expanding the empire

• Augustus warns against expanding the empire

• Emperors continue to expand in Europe & North Africa
• War with the Germanic Tribes & Parthian Empire

• Roman army reorganized to defend, not conquer

• Hadrian’s Wall, forts on the Danube & Rhine rivers
• Germanic tribes = ready supply of slaves, wars erupt
• Roman cities begin to erect walls

• Political instability=military & economic breaks

• Progressively deeper raids by Germanic tribes
• Wars drain treasury, coins devalued, rise of barter
• Diocletian’s economic reforms help save economy

Government now seen as oppressive, disloyalty

• Government now seen as oppressive, disloyalty

• Emperor Constantine reorganizes the empire

• Conversion to Christianity, religious tolerance
• Transfer of capital from Rome to Greek Byzantium
• Renames city Constantinople, major building projects
• Eastern end of empire richer, more educated, more Christian

• Byzantium

• Constantine appoints new patriarchs of Constantinople
• Constantine affects church doctrine—Council of Nicaea (325 CE)
• Many in the country side (pagani) retain old religion

• 395 CE: Western and Eastern empires formally split

• 476 CE: Western Roman Empire collapses
• Germanic kingdoms form, Roman cities in ruins, rural population
• Eastern Roman Empire changes name to Byzantine Empire

230-221 BCE: King Zheng of Qin defeat the Warring States

• 230-221 BCE: King Zheng of Qin defeat the Warring States

• King Zheng assumes Zhou Dynasty’s Mandate of Heaven
• Declares self Shi Huangdi “First August Emperor” (like Augustus)
• Establishes capital in Xianyang

• Qin administrative system: commanderies & counties

• Commanderies ruled by civilian and military governors
• All male citizens register with imperial clerks for conscription and taxes
• Establishment of standard weights and measures, coinage minting

• Qin emperors expand into Korean peninsula & Vietnam

• Han idea of “grand unity” justifies expansion, oppression of rebel states

• Qin officials Han Fei & Li Si espouse Legalism

• Citizens organized into mutually responsible groups

• Free labor preferred over slaves, high tax base = wealth

• Economic regulation, agricultural surplus, high level of regional trade

Nomadic warrior peoples on frontier

• Nomadic warrior peoples on frontier

• Xiongnu people especially troublesome for Qin
• Qin emperors push on, build defensive wall
• Wall allows for the colonization of Inner Eurasian Steppe

• Constant warfare burdens Qin tax base

• Dissention among nobles & conscripted workers

• Chief Master Li Si executed, Xiang Yu leads rebellion
• Third Qin Emperor surrenders to Han forces
• Xiongnu Confederacy reconquers Steppes

• Xiang Yu commits suicide, feudal lords war

• Han prince Liu Bang declares himself Han emperor
• Rules with Confucian philosophy, moral value

Han rulers keep Qin bureaucratic system

• Han rulers keep Qin bureaucratic system

• Army of 50,000+ crossbow armed soldiers

• Western/Former Han Dynasty (206 BCE-9 CE)

• Territorial expansion, economic prosperity

• Dynastic Cycles

• Families compete for power, claim authority of past dynasties—mandate of heaven
• Dynasties rise and fall according to the cycle
• Imperial continuity through multiple dynasties until 1911

World’s most centralized bureaucracy

• World’s most centralized bureaucracy

• Regional administrators played active role in local affairs
• Removal of princes, management of aristocrats
• Governor-Generals appointed during crisis/famine

• Bureaucratic schools breed government officials

• Imperial University started by Emperor Wu (136 BCE)
• Rational thought brings diagnoses of body function, link between weather and disease, invention of magnetic compass, making of paper
• Confucian thought dominates education of the elites
• Balance between emperor’s power and bureaucracy
• Honor tradition, emperor’s responsibility, respect history’s lessons

Han unite various groups who once warred

• Han unite various groups who once warred

• Allowed former Qin lords to reacquire power

• Status of scholars rises in society—masters

• Emperor Wu est. state monopolies to pay for wars

• Minting of standard copper coins, The Silk Road

• Han cities designed in grid, wide avenues

• Palaces become forbidden inner cities
• Large building projects aggrandize imperial power

• Patriarchal family, women worked/respected

• Public entertainment, gambling, debauchery

• Funerary rites important to rich and poor

Free peasantry=base of society

• Free peasantry=base of society

• Farmers honored, merchants controlled

• Scholar officials protect moral authority

• Top of society=imperial clan and nobles

• Merchants begin to espouse Daoist ideas to improve position

• Emperor Wu turns Confucian philosophy into the state religion, Confucius=divine/demigod

• Astronomical omens

• Chinese not as religious/otherworldly as Romans

Creating stability for improving trade

• Creating stability for improving trade

• Standing army of 1,000,000; 10,000 Imperial Guard

• Emperor Wu conquers Korea and Sichuan

• Emperor Wu sends expeditionary forces to battle the Xiongnu and their horsemen

• Xiongnu tribes split; southern tribes conquered
• Northern Xiongnu pushed westward, threaten Rome (Huns)

• Retreat of Nomadic peoples=pax sinica

“China’s Sorrow” natural disaster

• “China’s Sorrow” natural disaster

• Economic problems, political instability

• The usurper Wang Mang (9-23 CE)

• Later Han emperors justify anti-reformist rule

• Elites reform tax code, benefit

• Government no longer controls economy
• Increased social inequality, rebellion

• Confucius replaced by Laozi & Yellow Emperor as model citizen—rise of Daoism

• The Yellow Turban rebellion

• Buddhism arrives—millenarian movement

• Han fall=three competing states (Wei, Shu, Wu)