For history buffs: Roman Empire and chinese Han Empire

[Tiberius]

There is an exhibition in Fireze right now that shows artifacts of contacts between Roman Empire and the chinese Han Empire. Its super interesting. Goods were traded on the silk route between Rome and China.

It was emperor Marcus Aurelius who established some kind of diplomatic relations between the two great empires and send a delegation to China and China send a delegation to Rome.

Historians say this contacts were unique i world history because the enormous distance and that both empires were so far away from each other.

There was greatest respect from both sides for each other. Rome saw China as only equal in the world.

And same counted for China. China saw the Roman Empire as its western counter part.

Letters written between the emperors are extremly rare and super important for historians.

As far we know today no roman emperor and chinese emperor ever have meet in person but i guess that would have been a big thing back then.

 

[war&peace]

Nero is most well known roman emperor.

 

[xenon54 out]

Nero is most well known roman emperor.

I'd say Julius Caesar.

 

[Tiberius]

I'd say Julius Caesar.

Fun fact Caesar was never roman emperor. The first was was his sucessor Octavian (Augustus)

 

[xenon54 out]

Fun fact Caesar was never roman emperor. The first was was his sucessor Octavian (Augustus)

Yeah he was counselor or whatever it was called, yet he was basically the emperor since he was still the mightiest man in the empire.

 

[Tiberius]

Yeah he was counselor or whatever it was called, yet he was basically the emperor since he was still the mightiest man in the empire.

That is true. He basicly created the imperial system but was murdered before he became emperor himself. In a way he acted like emperor just without the title.

 

[Offshore]

wonder what kind of language they used back then to communicate each other

 

[war&peace]

I'd say Julius Caesar.

I insist on Nero...after all he, he had a good penchant for music.

 

[TurnThyCheek]

I'm fairly certain the Romans saw the Persian empire as an equal, Politically, militarily, economically, technologically and culturally the Persians were rivals of Rome.

 

[Tiberius]

wonder what kind of language they used back then to communicate each other

Thats what wonders me as well and i have not found any info yet. Here in Italy we have letters written in latin and in China in chinese. I assume they had translators.

In Rome the emperor always had two translators with him to make sure the one who translates doesnt say bullshit. I guess teh chinese did the same.

I'm fairly certain the Romans saw the Persian empire as an equal, Politically, militarily, economically, technologically and culturally the Persians were rivals of Rome.

Actually not. Rome saw Persia as savages. Political it was seen as typical oriental despotism, economical it was also falling short. In techology it lacked in evry aspect. Emperor Vespasian called them primitiv savages whose luck is that logistics made it hard to build up an effective front against them.

 

[Offshore]

Thats what wonders me as well and i have not found any info yet. Here in Italy we have letters written in latin and in China in chinese. I assume they had translators.

In Rome the emperor always had two translators with him to make sure the one who translates doesnt say bullshit. I guess teh chinese did the same.

.

is the latter writen by Matteo Ricci ?

 

[TurnThyCheek]

Actually not. Rome saw Persia as savages. Political it was seen as typical oriental despotism, economical it was also falling short. In techology it lacked in evry aspect. Emperor Vespasian called them primitiv savages whose luck is that logistics made it hard to build up an effective front against them.

Roman and Persian emperors would adress one another as "brother" in official letters, Persian courtly customs and styles were adopted by the Romans, and Roman emperors even intermarried with them!
Technologically they were in no way inferior, they had irrigation networks, advanced metallurgy, Cataphracts, stirrups, Composite bows, siege warfare technology on par with the Romans, advanced medicine, they had universities which Roman citizens travelled to etc.
And finally the idea that the Romans couldn't defeat Persia because of logistics is a myth, supposing it was true, it would mean they could defeat the Persians but simply couldn't project power into their lands because of supply issues, yet the Persians repeatedly raided Roman territory, sacked Roman cities, humilitated a Roman emperor by using him as a footstool, and forced Rome to pay tribute. Will you blame that on logistics too?

 

[Figaro]

wonder what kind of language they used back then to communicate each other

Uhh ... Latin???? Remember the US military motto "Semper Fi" ... it is the Latin phrase for "always faithful"

Roman and Persian emperors would adress one another as "brother" in official letters, Persian courtly customs and styles were adopted by the Romans, and Roman emperors even intermarried with them!
Technologically they were in no way inferior, they had irrigation networks, advanced metallurgy, Cataphracts, stirrups, Composite bows, siege warfare technology on par with the Romans, advanced medicine, they had universities which Roman citizens travelled to etc.
And finally the idea that the Romans couldn't defeat Persia because of logistics is a myth, supposing it was true, it would mean they could defeat the Persians but simply couldn't project power into their lands because of supply issues, yet the Persians repeatedly raided Roman territory, sacked Roman cities, humilitated a Roman emperor by using him as a footstool, and forced Rome to pay tribute. Will you blame that on logistics too?

That's ridiculous. Ctesiphon, the Persian Empire's capital, was sacked on numerous occasions by Roman armies. Has any Persian army ever actually gotten past the Roman hinterlands, let alone be able to sack Italia itself? One of the few advantages the Persians had over the Romans was their superior calvary ... especially light units and later cataphracts. But in terms of infantry, armor, weaponry, and siege equipment, the Roman Army was much better equipped than the Persian forces. And let's not even talk about infrastructure ... the Roman aqueducts were centuries beyond whatever Ancient Persia had to offer. Saying that the Persian Empire was more technologically advanced than that of Rome is simply ignorant. And please provide factual evidence that the Romans treated Persians as equals ... AFAIK, the Romans thought the Persians were barbarians (just like the Germanic hordes).

 

[kuge]

I insist on Nero...after all he, he had a good penchant for music.

& a penchant for killing christians too?

 

[war&peace]

& a penchant for killing christians too?

All Roman emperors killed Christians as they played in the hands of Jews.