The Roman Empire is thought to be the primary foundation of Western culture and modes of

government. The Han Dynasty, on the other hand, provided the basis for culture and government in
China, one of the most powerful Eastern influences.

Organization of the empires Both the Han and Roman empires were so large that they had to break up
their land into districts, so an indispensable part of their bureaucracies was those appointed to
administrate each. The Han Dynasty separated China into commanderies and appointed a civilian official
and military commandant administered each commandery. The Romans instead had provinces, each
headed by a governor appointed by the emperor. While Roman governors had advisors, the citizens
were part of the ruling class along with the senate and the military consuls. The Han Dynasty, on the
other hand, did not allow every member of the public to participate in the government. Instead, a grand
counselor headed the civil bureaucracy drawn from the educated men representing powerful local
communities. Roman bureaucracy was less, and incorporated a balance of powers with the people,
while in Han China the bureaucrats were a distinct class with special education and training which
looked after their local areas.

For Roman, military conquest was a main part for expansion of empires and wealth. Taking more land by
force was a major source of wealth for Rome. But the Han were more defensively minded than the
Romans. The Chinese, though, built their famous Great Wall to keep out the rest of the world, and were
able to bring in revenue from the Silk Road, partly due to diplomacy.