Roman Empire Dbq

The formation of the Roman Empire was begotten by way of the first Roman Emperor Augustus, whom formed the Roman Republic within the Italian Peninsula. Many wars were fought in efforts to expand itself along the vast Mediterranean. Territories acquired during this time are as follows:

“Rome acquired Sicily (241 BC), the two province of sardine and Corsica (238 BC); most of the Spain (197 BC); Macedonia and parts of northern Africa (146 BC) etc.”

Within the early years of the Roman Empire, each province drafted their own constitutions, which were comprised by the Senates’ in Rome. Much like the Greek’s, the world’s first democracies within these provinces, were oligarchic in structure. For each province a separate governor was appointed.

The empire quickly grew to reap the economic benefits of its location. As placed within easy access to neighboring wealthy empires, the Mediterranean and its tributaries allowed for trade and cultural diversity to flourish. However, much of this wealth required a physical effort. Needless to say, a Roman army was much needed to protect and secure the prosperous wealth and welfare of the empire.
In comparison the formation of the Mongolian Empire was so entangled within the life and culture of various lands, peoples, and belief structures, sighting and discussing the empire’s beginnings and influences is no easy task. Spanning the continents of Asia and Europe, indulging in world religions such as Christianity and Islam, as well as intense military structured governments and nomadic life styles allowed for the Mongolians to obtain the largest empire the world has ever seen. Other scholars have summarized its formations and importance relative to other cultural growth in many ways.
“The study of the Mongol empires compels the student to delve into the history of China, India, the Islamic World and Christian Europe, in its Latin and Greek spheres. Without looking at these "regional" histories, one cannot understand the subject populations and the further development of the Mongol populations, as well as relations with those areas yet (or forever) unconquered. Although its impact on “Eurasia” during the 13th and 14th centuries was excessive, the Mongol empire’s effect on the rest of the world particularly its legacy should not be unnoticed (Morgan, D. O. 1999).”
Expand From the time Rome broke from the Etruscans, the city began to expand. It continued to expand until the Empire con-trolled all of Western Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Roman traders traveled as far as China. The expansion continued until 305 CE when Diocletian divided the empire, decreeing there would be no more expansion. The empire was at its height, so why expand any further? That decision, according to historian Alexander Butler, proved fatal to Rome. Somewhere in the empire's psyche was the need to expand. After the Empire ceased to expand, it began to collapse (Grayson, F. N, 2007)
The Roman Empire resembled the shark.

Just as the shark must constantly move forward, the empire could not function without growth. Problems intensified as the empire continued to contract. The contraction caused anther problem: the role of the legions. Roman soldiers were ill-equipped for civilian life. In addition, the Roman soldier had to accustom himself to a different pay schedule. Rome paid the army in salt, a salary. The soldier could trade the salt for goods. Money, inflated money, presented a scary challenge. When taken with all the other factors, the contraction buckled what was left of the economy, resulting in

collapse.
Recent studies have shown that the need for gold and precious stones, used in the manufacture of the Mongols’ ceremonial dress, was one of the driving forces behind the expansion of the Mongol empire into the settled lines. Sources for the raw materials and artisans to fashion theses metals, stones and fabrics into clothing were a major preoccupation with all the Mongol rulers. The importance of dress in Mongol society has not been fully appreciated until recently.

Maintain Maintaining the Roman Empire can be adequately accessed by examining its economic activity that which once flourished, slowly reached declines as the empire expanded faster than its ability to harness fiscal policy, competition, and much like the Mongolians, cultural diversity. The traditional view that the Imperial Cities entered a long period of decline after about 1550 is no longer accepted. Of course, the relative decline of the Mediterranean economy in relation to the increasingly dynamic Atlantic—North Sea system, dented the prosperity of all, except the largest of the Upper German Imperial Cities. The economic fate of the majority of Upper German Imperial Cities, especially the smaller ones, was finally sealed, however, when Amsterdam eclipsed Antwerp following the Revolt of the Netherlands. For the rest, the picture is mixed. The Lower Rhine centers of Cologne and Aachen managed to maintain relatively high levels of activity until the end of the seventeenth century. When they ultimately declined, new centers such as Hamburg gradually emerged.
Therefore, town and cities as well as their provincial towns look different from modern buildings and temples. As early as reign of Augustus, the city of autumn in the central Gaul was given walls and magnificent gates in a distinctive north Italian style which would not be disgraced by any building in Rome itself. The recently recognized basilica of roman London was one of the largest in the empire. Architecture aside, Roman empirical assimilation among the various peoples of the vast empire faced an immediate factor to meet the demands of roman taxation, and the empire’s ability to produce an excess to feed the non-productive people of the cities.
Mongolian maintenance begins and ends with its ability to trade as well as its military setup. Generous funds were allotted for maintenance, and strict regulations were laid down detailing exactly who was permitted use of the trade lines and facilities. Lane discusses this complex system within the dynastic rule of Ghazan Khan and Chignnis Khan as follows:
“Documents requiring stamps and seals were issued to control unauthorized use of the horses, runners, and pro-visions of the yam stations.

The yarn under Ghazan Khan was a far more sophisticated institution than the improvised relay system that Chinggis Khan began adapting to his needs as his steppe empire began to emerge from its pastoralist past. It was certainly one of the more effective of the Mongols' imperial institutions, and it lived on in the band of the Egyptian Mamluks, the courier system found in the Delhi Sultanate, and even in the ulak system of the Ottoman Turks. Great khan usually discuss the policy and it was done by non-democratic style. Only Mongolians chief define the law and he is liable to impose too. Mongolians trade networks was prized with neighboring economics who perform better. Mongolians protect their rights of merchants who come with proper documentation (Lane, G.

2006).”
Defend The sheer size of the Roman Empire required an extensive defensive system. Soldiers training and lifestyle was inclusively controlled by the empire, so much so the men serving the emperor were expected and are recognized by history as well mannered. “They were also known as well organizer and well mannered. As time went on, the Romans found it harder to defend the Empire from attack. In AD 285 Empire was divided into two parts. This made it easier to run and depend,” (Reynoldson, F. 1997).
Much like the Roman Empire the Mongolians vast empire required constant supervision and eventual division to be sufficiently ran, much like a federal state. This size and maintenance required for a national defense system to be more than consistent, which in itself proved difficult given the dynastic rule. Some of the most intense war tactics, physical and psychological, gave way to the Mongols ability to run and sustain, at its height, the largest empire in all of history.
Conclusion
Similarities between these historical empires find their way within examining the utter size of these economically and militarily thriving lands. To say cultural diversity was present within these lands is an understatement, so much so, that one could attribute the early beginnings of a world economy to these empires. They both reached economic success due to their size, and similarly endured struggles in maintaining and defending their expanded boarders. The greatest and perhaps most pronounced difference come in the fashion of governmental structure. Although Rome itself drove its people into economic classes it is known for its endless struggle to attempt to reach a form of democracy in which the people would be represented and heard in its Senates, which by the way, is used in many government structures today. The Mongolians on the other hand ruled with an iron fist and military strength, a government structure that has yet to show success through the world’s history.