Rome, Ancient Greece, and China belong to the earliest civilizations in the world’s history. However, they are well-known for being rather developed due to the richness of their culture, vastness of territory, and numerous victories they gained as a result of their foreign policy. Although these civilizations were located in different parts of the world, it seems they had a lot in common in terms of politics, economics, social structure, and culture.
Religious beliefs had a great impact on the worldview of people in ancient times. For instance, religion was an essential part of life in Ancient Greece, which was reflected in people’s customs. The Greeks performed festivals and the Sacred Games in honor of their gods, created myths, and believed in omens (Seignobos, 2008). The religion of the Greeks was characterized by polytheism and anthropomorphism. The Romans also believed everything in the world was created by a deity, so they brought offerings to gods and consulted them before undertaking any act. However, they differed from Greeks in a way that they had more gods and did not give them a clear form (Seignobos, 2008). As for China, the main religion there was Buddhism, which “at a very early date had taken a firm hold on the imagination of Chinese poets and painters” (Giles, 2017, p. 16). Confucianism, which promoted politeness, honesty, and wisdom, was also widespread among the Chinese, although it is not considered a religion. Thus, it was important for the people of Ancient Greece, Rome, and China to have faith and praise the gods they chose.
It is necessary to examine what place a woman took in the society for understanding the social structure of ancient civilizations. In Greece, girls’ upbringing varied – at Athens, they were secluded at home and taught to superintending the house-keeping, but at Sparta, they were trained in the same manner as boys to become robust women. (Seignobos, 2008). The same is true for Rome, where a woman was deprived of education and performed the role of the housewife. However, she was not excluded from the association with the men and was equal in dignity with her husband, which gave her a bit more freedom (Seignobos, 2008). In China, obedience was considered the main virtue of women. Her function in life was to serve her husband and his parents, to give birth, and to keep house. It may be concluded that women were discriminated in all the studied civilizations.
The political system of the ancient civilizations also deserves attention. Greek land was divided into cantons which constituted separate states called cities. The government in Athens, the leading Greek city, was called a democracy, which implied that the true aristocracy governed the whole nation. This body was assembled three times a month, and during this time, anyone except for women, foreigners, and slaves could express their opinion (Seignobos, 2008). Everything was decided by a majority of votes, all of which were equal. When it comes to Rome, for two centuries and a half, it was ruled by kings but later became a republic. Similar to Greece, there was an aristocracy that could participate in assembling, making the laws, and voting on peace and war. As for China, it was always ruled by emperors from various dynasties. Despite being autocratic in form, the institutions were democratic in operation because people’s welfare was always prioritized (Gilles, 2017). Thus, ancient governments were striving to give more value to citizens. As for the economics, in all three civilizations, it was based on land cultivation and crafts and characterized by metal money gradually replacing direct barter.
The most dynamic foreign policy in Greece was connected to Alexander the Great, who was determined to create a global empire. His father provided a solid base for it, developing a strong army and forcing all Greeks to unite (Seignobos, 2008). Alexander’s army went through the Far East, Egypt, Asia and reached India. Conquering new lands, Alexander established Greek colonies, which supported the status of Greece as a powerful empire. The history of Rome was also marked by conquering many nations. It succeeded in subjecting its neighbors, including the Latins and the Greeks, then the Orient and the Barbarian lands (Seignobos, 2008). These nations were obliged to obey Romans of every order and pay considerable tributes, which was profitable for the Roman empire. Speaking of China, despite the fact that the country was powerful, its northern borders were constantly suffering from the raids of nomadic tribes. That is why instead of getting involved in exhausting wars with nomads, the Chinese built their Great Wall. Thus, the country’s foreign policy was less invasive and more defensive than the one of the Greeks and the Romans.
Ancient Greece, Rome, and China belong to the most prosperous ancient civilizations. The life of their inhabitants was influenced greatly by their religious beliefs, which fostered the development of culture. Their political system was an attempt to take into account people’s opinions. Their foreign policy consisted of successful military campaigns or wise and efficient defense strategies. Still, some imperfections existed in these countries, such as gender inequality.
References
Giles, H. A. (2017). The civilization of China (1911) by: Herbert Allen Giles. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Seignobos, C. (2008). History of ancient civilization. BiblioBazaar.