Compare and Contrast Han and Roman Empire free essay sample

To begin with, in the Han Empire it was believed that Fuxi, a mythological wise emperor, invented pestle and mortar and that later on they were improved to withstand the whole weight of the body. This shows how the ancient Chinese used their intellect to advance themselves; they saw that their materials were not as strong as they needed to be so they bettered them to get them up to standards (Doc. 3). In contrast, the Romans were retarded in their advancements because of the way they looked at different jobs, some as degrading and vulgar. They didn’t like to take ideas from people that were in a lower social class because that’d make them unrefined as well (Doc. 5). Gaius Gracchus was a very wise man; he was an expert at designing roads to maximize mobility. He paid close attention to the smallest details and he made sure everything was as perfect as possible. We will write a custom essay sample on Compare and Contrast Han and Roman Empire or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The idea of the road was to fix the problem of the time it took to get from place to place. It was important to receive the perspective of Plutarch because it shows that even as a bloody thirsty Roman official, he appreciated the art of road building (Doc. 6). Also, in order to make sure there was plenty of water in Rome they built extensive aqueducts. These aqueducts were very efficiently built, a special cement that hardened as water ran over it was invented by the Romans to strengthen these marvelous structures (Doc. 8). Both of these great empires had intellectual views towards technology and it showed in the way they used it to get over obstacles posed in front of them. Many innovative ideas were put into play during the Han Dynasty, for example, Tu Shih invented a water-powered blowing-engine for the casting of iron agricultural implements that allowed people to enjoy great benefit for ittle labor. This increased productivity greatly and also made him popular among the common people. It would have been helpful to get the point of view of a commoner in order to really prove that Tu Shih was as great as he is portrayed (Doc. 4). Again, tools and technological advancements were made only when needed. According Seneca, it did not take a wise man to create these advancements, just motivation and reason. Roman advancement was also retarded because they saw no reason to progress unless it was totally needed (Doc. ). Something that helped the Romans enhance their technologies was that they allowed outside cultures to influence them. They were able to use other wise men’s ideas with their own to help them progress, something the Han Empire refused to do. They did not wish to tolerate was outside influence them, the Han did not want to tarnish their culture, they believed they were the oldest, most continuous culture around, and that it was superior to all others. This closed mindedness retarded their advancement greatly. The Han and the Romans both had their own inventions and ideas to put forth to help improve their empires. The Han government established water conservation offices in order to prevent floods. They built dikes and stationed engineers and officials around the flood prone areas. The point of view of the Han government official was important because it showed how he thought forward to the future to save money. If floods were prevented and the surrounding suburbs, cities, and government buildings were kept safe the Han government would not have to spend money on having to rebuild and repair (Doc. 1. When tools were first beginning to be made during the Han dynasty, workers were allowed to do both foundry work and salt boiling as long as they reported the work and paid a tax. Tools manufactured by paid citizens were well made. When the state began to use convict labor to save money, the tools were very brittle and horrible quality. Prices began to skyrocket so that common people cannot af ford to buy them. The point of view of a common woman would have been another good point of view in this situation. It would of helped emphasize the hard times and the horrible tools they were given to work with. Another point of view that would of given us a different look on things would have been one from a convict, this would of shown how they were treated and why they made the tools as they did (Doc. 2). By placing stones on either side of the road at lesser intervals, Gaius was able to reduce to cost of traveling because he made it easier for those with horses to mount them without the help of a groom. Since they did not have to pay a groom, they could use that money to buy food for the animal or to provide for their family (Doc. 6). The economy of the Han and Roman empires was greatly enriched because of their positive outlooks on technology. Even though the views of the Han and Romans differed, they both had advancements and retardations due to their viewpoint on technology. They had some similarities as well; together they indirectly helped each other evolve within their limitations. The attitudes of the Han and Romans toward technology both had different ways of using intellect to solve enigmas, technological advancements to help everyday people, and helped the economy by preventing natural disasters and preventing unnecessary spending of money.