THE ROMAN EMPIRE AND THE HAN DYNASTY The Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty Imagine being the head of government in one or two of the most famous governments in the history of the world ! The Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty are two of the most famous governments in history. The Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty were ruled in very different ways, yet both contributed greatly to Western civilization. The Roman Empire remained in power for 1,000 to 1,200 years. The Han Dynasty remained in power for about 400 years, with a small break in between. The Han Dynasty was the longest ruling dynasty in China. Looking at these two great powers it might be evident that the Han Dynasty would last longer due to the way it was run in contrast to the Roman Empire. How could these governments, which governed so differently, reign to become so powerful for a period of time, but then collapse so abruptly? The Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty were governed with extremely different philosophies. The Roman Empire led with a mixture of sophistication and brutality. Suddenly he went from civilization, strength and power to terror, tyranny and greed. The powers given to the emperors were abused. However, the rulers of the previous Han Dynasty understood the people's needs for peace and production. This led to their prosperity. The term “yin and yang” comes from the philosophy of their time in China, where unity is the theme of the most important fundamental attribute of political philosophy. The Roman Empire thrived on power; in contrast, the Han Dynasty did not thrive on power. They were very rich and powerful, the most powerful government in the Mediterranean state. However, they wanted to conquer further land. ...... middle of paper ...... w.ancient.eu.com/Han_Dynasty/ (accessed March 24, 2014).Ancient History Encyclopedia, “Roman Empire,” http://www.ancient. eu.com/Roman_Empire/(accessed 24 March 2014).“Eastern Han Dynasty”,http://www1.chinaculture.org/gb/en_aboutchina/2003- 09/24/content_22734.htm(accessed 24 March 2014) .Guojuan, Li. "Confucianism and the Establishment of the Ideology of the Qin and Han Dynasties / LECONFUCIANISME ET L'ÉTABLISSEMENT D'IDEOLOGIE DE QIN ET DYNASTIEHAN." Intercultural Communication 7, no. 1 (2011): 129-31, http://search.proquest.com/docview/864755529?accountid=12085 (assessed April 5, 2014.) “The Roman Empire.” History learning site, http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/roman_empire.htm (accessed March 24, 2014).