Comparison of Han and Roman Empires?

[Caliga]

You might enjoy this story Spellus.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1541421/Roman-descendants-found-in-China.html

They're not Romans... they're far more likely to be of Tocharian descent given their appearance and location.

[PRC]

Chung Kuo: the Middle Kingdom.  Pretty good sci-fi series about a China that has seemingly taken over the world during Roman times.

http://www.amazon.com/Chung-Kuo-Kingdom-David-Wingrove/dp/0440613868/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238291098&sr=8-1

[Queequeg]

You might enjoy this story Spellus.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1541421/Roman-descendants-found-in-China.html

They're not Romans... they're far more likely to be of Tocharian descent given their appearance and location.

Was thinking the exact same thing.  You end up with people like this in the Tarim Basin even today



Besides, hook-nosed, blonde Romans?  Looks more like my avatar (a Saka) than a Roman.

Thanks for the book recommendations people.  Interesting stuff. 

[Queequeg]

Also, is it just me, or would some kind of R:TW (or, to be honest, a Europa Barbarorum) that included Europe, the Middle East, India AND China from about 300 BC to the birth of Christ be about the coolest fucking thing ever?

Dunno how you would account for the insularity of the Chinese, though.  China was pretty much in a position to conquer the world several times, but always drew back because The World was "icky."

IDK about that; I think the insularity of China was more an ideal than a reality, the result of having to constantly fight nomadic people at the borders.  China's art was certainly influenced by the Greco-Bactrians and various nomadic peoples, for instance. 

[Siege]

Also, is it just me, or would some kind of R:TW (or, to be honest, a Europa Barbarorum) that included Europe, the Middle East, India AND China from about 300 BC to the birth of Christ be about the coolest fucking thing ever?

Europa Barbarorum is a fraud. I never managed to get it to work.

[Queequeg]

Also, is it just me, or would some kind of R:TW (or, to be honest, a Europa Barbarorum) that included Europe, the Middle East, India AND China from about 300 BC to the birth of Christ be about the coolest fucking thing ever?

Europa Barbarorum is a fraud. I never managed to get it to work.

Your grandmother was a fraud.

[syk]

Also, is it just me, or would some kind of R:TW (or, to be honest, a Europa Barbarorum) that included Europe, the Middle East, India AND China from about 300 BC to the birth of Christ be about the coolest fucking thing ever?

Europa Barbarorum is a fraud. I never managed to get it to work.

Your grandmother was a fraud.

You never got her to work?

[katmai]

The Europeans made the great journeys of discovery because they wanted access to the riches of the Indies and China. The Chinese had no similar carrot.

Yep as they knew Europe was a shit hole. 

[Queequeg]

The Europeans made the great journeys of discovery because they wanted access to the riches of the Indies and China. The Chinese had no similar carrot.

Yep as they knew Europe was a shit hole. 

From what I've read from what they knew of the Romans and Persians they seem to have respected.  From my (very cursory) readings it almost seemed like they regarded them as their civilized counterparts on the other side of the world.  At least those who visited (or came close to visiting) thought as much.

That said, it seems there were generally more European and Arab explorers than Chinese ones (with a few big exceptions, most of them Muslim anyway).

[Siege]

Also, is it just me, or would some kind of R:TW (or, to be honest, a Europa Barbarorum) that included Europe, the Middle East, India AND China from about 300 BC to the birth of Christ be about the coolest fucking thing ever?

Europa Barbarorum is a fraud. I never managed to get it to work.

Your grandmother was a fraud.

WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?

[Queequeg]

Also, is it just me, or would some kind of R:TW (or, to be honest, a Europa Barbarorum) that included Europe, the Middle East, India AND China from about 300 BC to the birth of Christ be about the coolest fucking thing ever?

Europa Barbarorum is a fraud. I never managed to get it to work.

Your grandmother was a fraud.

WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?

My name is from Moby-Dick and I've spent most of this thread cumming over Steppe history.  Who do you think I am?

[Siege]

Also, is it just me, or would some kind of R:TW (or, to be honest, a Europa Barbarorum) that included Europe, the Middle East, India AND China from about 300 BC to the birth of Christ be about the coolest fucking thing ever?

Europa Barbarorum is a fraud. I never managed to get it to work.

Your grandmother was a fraud.

WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?

My name is from Moby-Dick and I've spent most of this thread cumming over Steppe history.  Who do you think I am?

I know who you were, but I don't know who you ARE.

People that change their names deserve to be fed to CdM's cats.

[Siege]

I FUCKING HATE YOU!!!!!!1111

NAME CHANGER!!!!111

TRAITOR!!!!!!1111

[Habbaku]

RAHR

[KRonn]

I'm amazed that neither China especially, nor Japan found and settled/traded/got resources from North America. Both very advanced tech and societies, and pretty much just had to follow the coastline to N. America. Maybe they made some journeys, probably did, but I'm not aware of any signicificant history there.

China was so large and self-sufficient that there was no pressure to get resources from elsewhere.  It had everything it wanted.

Yes but curiosity at the least. And to find what was there, even just individuals exploring along coastlines, not necessarily a government action. Just doesn't make a lot of sense really.