1. World History: The Earth and its Peoples
Chapter 5
An Age of Empires:
Rome and Han China
753 B.C.E C.E.

2. 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

3. Rome and Han China Common Characteristics
largest empires world had seen
greater central control than earlier empires
greater cultural impact
remarkable stability

4. 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

5. A Republic of Farmers Inhabitation by 1000 BCE Seven Hills Economy
Romulus 753 BCE
Seven Hills
original Latins
Etruscans immigrants 700 BCE
Economy
agriculture and land
Politics
“Council of Elders”
seven kings of Rome
BCE

6. A Republic of Farmers Roman Republic - 507-31 BCE Roman Senate Society
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

7. 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

8. 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 BCE
privileges of citizenship to conquered
military service
Carthage Wars BC
control of western Mediterranean Sea

9. Punic Wars: Rome - Carthage

10. 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

11. Caesar’s Empire

12. 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

13. The Failure of the Republic
Octavian 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

14. An Urban Empire Pax Romana Importance of trade Romanization
“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

15. Rome: C.E.

16. The Rise of Christianity
Judea
Jewish homeland
Roman control by 6 CE
Jesus
personal faith and spirituality
Paul - ( C.E.)
Jesus as Messiah (“anointed one”
benefits of citizenship to preach
Disloyalty to Rome
refusal to worship emperor

17. Spread of Christianity

18. Roman Technology Aqueducts “Third-century crisis” road system
water conduits using gravity
arches
domes
concrete
“Third-century crisis”
C.E.
frequent change of rulers
coin devaluation
permeable frontiers
loss of trade revenues
exodus from city to country
Aqueducts

19. Roman Transformation Diocletian (284 - 305 C.E.)
government regulation
prices and vocations
Constantine ( C.E)
reunites entire empire
conversion to Christianity
Rome to Byzantium
Constantinople

20. Diocletian’s Empire

21. Origins of Imperial China, 221 BCE - 220 CE
Warring-States Period
1st empire under Qin
Shi Huangdi ( BCE)
Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 CE)
Resources
agriculture
free peasant taxes
human labor
public works projects
military service

22. 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

23. Qin Dynasty Qin - 221 - 206 B.C.E. Shi Huangdi primogeniture
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

24. The Long Reign of the Han
Han BCE 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

25. Han Dynasty

26. Technology and Trade Metallurgy Military watermill horse collar Trade
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