The Roman Empire was established around the Mediterranean, building upon the foundations laid by the Greeks and Phoenicians. These earlier peoples had already mastered the sea; they were skilled navigators, and Rome first had to wrest control of the Italian peninsula from them to ultimately rule the Mediterranean. Operating one of their early ships were two parallel lines of rowers – all equals – who had to work in perfect unison. The captain was simply the one with the heaviest oar: the rudder.
søndag 14. september 2025
How to examine the divergent histories of ancient Rome and China
The differences between the ancient Chinese state and the ancient Roman state, as observed by Feng Youlan a century ago, begin with the geographical environments in which the two civilizations developed.
The Roman Empire was established around the Mediterranean, building upon the foundations laid by the Greeks and Phoenicians. These earlier peoples had already mastered the sea; they were skilled navigators, and Rome first had to wrest control of the Italian peninsula from them to ultimately rule the Mediterranean. Operating one of their early ships were two parallel lines of rowers – all equals – who had to work in perfect unison. The captain was simply the one with the heaviest oar: the rudder.
The Roman Empire was established around the Mediterranean, building upon the foundations laid by the Greeks and Phoenicians. These earlier peoples had already mastered the sea; they were skilled navigators, and Rome first had to wrest control of the Italian peninsula from them to ultimately rule the Mediterranean. Operating one of their early ships were two parallel lines of rowers – all equals – who had to work in perfect unison. The captain was simply the one with the heaviest oar: the rudder.
