Rome and Han China
Driving Question: How did Roman and Han Dynasty rulers grow and maintain their empires?
The Roman Empire and Han Dynasty China were the two pillars of the ancient world. These two empires linked with each other across a vast network of Silk Road trade. In the Mediterranean Sea and East Asia, they conquered vast territories and ruled over periods of peace and prosperity, thanks to innovative economic, political, and miliary strategies.
Learning Objectives
- Analyze the formation and characteristics of the Roman Empire and Han Dynasty China.
- Explain and compare the roles of women in classical societies such as ancient Rome and Han Dynasty China.
Luxury goods, such as silk, drove long-distance trade in the ancient world. This quick activity uses a primary source excerpt to help you understand the demand for silk.
Did you know: A tax on pee helped fund the colosseum. Emperors Nero and Vespasian imposed a urine tax on Rome. The ammonia-rich pee was valued in the tanning and laundry industries. To raise money, the emperors put a tax on the guys who collected pee from public urinals. Public toilets became known as vespasianos, after Emperor Vespasian.
What can two ancient empires from very different parts of the world teach you? You’ll find out as you read about Rome and Han China.
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Guiding Questions
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Before you read
Preview the questions below, and then skim the article. Be sure to look at the section headings and any images.
While you read
Look for answers to these questions:
- What was the Pax Romana?
- How did Rome’s wars of conquest shape Roman society?
- How did the Roman approach to religion help them create an empire?
- What does silk tell us about women in Roman society?
- When did the Roman Empire fall?
After you read
Respond to these questions: What do you think made Rome so successful at building, expanding, and ruling its empire?
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Guiding Questions
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Before you read
Preview the questions below, and then skim the article. Be sure to look at the section headings and any images.
While you read
Look for answers to these questions:
- What types of state and communal structure existed prior to the formation of the Han Dynasty in China?
- What types of philosophies did the Han rulers adopt and why was it an advantage to incorporate multiple philosophies instead of just one?
- What innovations in farming and trade developed during Han rule?
- Who were the Xiongnu and how did the Han attempt to deal with this group?
- What issues eventually led to the fall of the Han Dynasty?
After you read
Respond to this question: What factors do you think were most important in making the Han period a golden age for China?
Organizing students into groups and assign roles, such as vocabulary master, claim cruncher, evidence gatherer, content connector. While they’re reading, each student writes down and looks for the specific thing they’re assigned. When they’ve finished, students meet in their homogenous groups and share, and then meet with their heterogenous groups and discuss the reading..
Women’s struggle for equality has been ongoing for millennia. Whether in ancient China or ancient Rome, women pushed or ignored boundaries set by men.
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Guiding Questions
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Before you read
Preview the questions below, and then skim the article. Be sure to look at the section headings and any images.
While you read
Look for answers to these questions:
- Why is it difficult to find evidence about the lives of women in Rome and Han Dynasty China?
- What is one similarity and one difference between women in Rome and Han Dynasty China in terms of economic opportunities and challenges?
- How did Confucian law limit women’s roles in Han Dynasty China? Use evidence from the primary sources in the article to support your answer.
- How could Roman women exercise political power? Use evidence from the primary sources in the article to support your answer.
- What types of cultural roles did women have in Rome and Han Dynasty China?
After you read
Respond to these questions:
- Do you agree with the author’s comment about how some women may have been more powerful than male authors liked to admit? Explain your reasoning.
- If you were a woman living during this period, do you think you would be more comfortable in Rome or in Han China? Explain your reasoning.
Blog post: Who Really Built the Silk Roads? This blog post reveals the middlemen who helped keep the Silk Roads alive as the Roman and Han Empires died.
The Silk Roads moved more than just silk. Explore the trade routes that connected Rome and Han China.
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Guiding Questions
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Before you read
Preview the questions below, and then skim the article. Be sure to look at the section headings and any images.
While you read
Look for answers to these questions:
- How did the growth of imperial power expand trade?
- What were the Pax Sinica and Pax Romana, and how did they impact trade?
- Why were camels the best way for traders to move their goods on land?
- What was the role of women in silk production, and why is that role significant?
- What were some things the Silk Roads spread without even trying?
After you read
Respond to this question: What would you expect to happen along the Silk Roads during a period in which the Roman Empire, and then the Han Dynasty, collapsed? Use evidence to support your thinking.
What would you do if you were transported to the ancient world? Use your imagination as you choose an empire.
