What was more powerful…the Roman Empire (at time of augustus) or the chinese empires? ?
Well, the Han Dynasty was still firmly in control during this period. The “Silk Road” at this time had expanded throughout the Middle East and Chinese trade across Mongolia, India, and Korea set them up as the preeminent economic, military, and cultural power in Asia at the time (I’m talking about the time of Augustus, as the Han Dynasty lasted approximately 400 years). As this was the height of the Han, there was relatively little civil and civic unrest. Rome under Augustus saw the expansion of the empire towards North Africa and Asia Minor as well as the solidification of control in Southern and Western Europe. Economically, Rome thrived more than any European state at the time. However, Roman culture was not easily imitated and assimilation to Roman customs was often met with hostility and rejection (often resulting in the execution of said objectors). In this area (and perhaps this are alone) Rome was inferior to Han China.
