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Using the Documents, Analyze the Han and Roman Attitudes Toward Technology Essay Example

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Using the Documents, Analyze the Han and Roman Attitudes Toward Technology Essay Example
The Neolithic Revolution introduced the need of agricultural techniques and tools. The Chinese during the Han Dynasty in 2nd century B.C.E. and the Romans in the 1st century B.C.E. had various views on the agricultural technology which came about during the time period of these empires. While both the Han and Roman empires used technology to show self glorification, the Han’s attitudes were more beneficial, opposing to the Roman’s outlook in technology which was less valued.
The Han and Roman Empires technology were both self glorifying. In Document 6, Plutarch who is a Roman high official describes Gaius Gracchus in the 1st century who was a political leader. He wanted to build roads, utility, aqueducts, and bridges. Gracchus might have gotten his ideas from Greek architecture and the ideas inspired him to make a city similar to Greek/Hellenistic plans. In Document 8, written by Frontius who was a Roman General, governor of Britain, and water commissioner in Rome during the first century C.E. wrote that he was fascinated by the famous works of architecture and technology replicated from the Greeks. Document 4 is from a textbook which was government sponsored planned irrigation system for the peasants in China. Without the pus of political authority, the society would never advance technologically because of the opposition of the nobles and the peasant's weaknesses. An additional document that can help us with the situation is a political speech where the emperor back-fires the nobles who were against technology.
The Han dynasty showed an attitude that was beneficial towards technology. In the Han Dynasty in China, the Yellow River faced annual flooding. In Document 1, a Han government official was writing a letter to other local officials related to the floods in the 2nd century B.C.E. He explains the need of irrigation and flood prevention because of the loss of lives and food. He wanted "the walls of the cities and their suburbs, the dikes and rivers, canals

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