Dragon and Eagle: A Comparison of the Roman and Chinese Empires

1961 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 11-22
Author(s):  
S. A. M. Adshead
Keyword(s):  
Roman Empire ◽  
The Other ◽  
Class Conflict ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
Trade Routes ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
River Valleys ◽  
Chinese Empire ◽  
Stability Of Structure

In this paper I want to compare the history and structure of the Roman and Chinese empires and in particular to point out some striking contrasts between them.. We may talk about “the Chinese and the Roman empires” and use the same word “empire” to describe them both. Are we, however, justified in so doing? The thesis of this paper is that although the Chinese and Roman empires had a number of superficial characteristics in common, they were really quite different kinds of institutions or sets of institutions, and were based on quite different sorts of society. There are two fundamental contrasts between the Roman and the Chinese empires. Firstly, the Roman empire was maritime, mercantile, urban and militaristic. It was based on the Mediterranean and the unity of the trade routes, crisscrossing the Mediterranean and spilling out into the black Sea. The Chinese empire, on the other hand, was territorial, agricultural, rural and civilian. It was based on the river valleys of the Hwang Ho and Yangtse and on the unity of agricultural techniques over this area. Secondly, the Roman empire was socially unharmonious, was torn by class conflict, and was highly unstable. The Chinese empire, on the other hand, was socially harmonious, had no irreconcilable class conflicts and was highly stable. Unless these two contrasts, of structure and stability of structure, are recognised, the use of the same word “empire” to describe both China and Rome is misleading in the extreme.

A Nabatean port on the Red Sea: note on the pottery finds from al-Qusayr (al-Wajh, Saudi Arabia)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Durand
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
19Th Century ◽  
Red Sea ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
The Other ◽  
Trade Routes ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Roman Egypt ◽  
Pottery Sherds ◽  
First Time

Al-Qusayr is located 40 km south of modern al-Wajh, roughly 7 km from the eastern Red Sea shore. This site is known since the mid-19th century, when the explorer R. Burton described it for the first time, in particular the remains of a monumental building so-called al-Qasr. In March 2016, a new survey of the site was undertaken by the al-‘Ula–al-Wajh Survey Project. This survey focused not only on al-Qasr but also on the surrounding site corresponding to the ancient settlement. A surface collection of pottery sherds revealed a striking combination of Mediterranean and Egyptian imports on one hand, and of Nabataean productions on the other hand. This material is particularly homogeneous on the chronological point of view, suggesting a rather limited occupation period for the site. Attesting contacts between Mediterranean merchants, Roman Egypt and the Nabataean kingdom, these new data allow a complete reassessment of the importance of this locality in the Red Sea trade routes during antiquity.

scholarly journals A Key for Determining the African Species of Anopheles (Sensu Lato)

1912 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. W. Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
New Records ◽  
British Museum ◽  
The Other ◽  
Reasonable Doubt ◽  
Close Connection ◽  
African Species ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Specific Rank ◽  
The Mediterranean

The compilation of the following key has been a matter of no little difficulty, mainly owing to the close connection of the species in some of the groups, which sometimes makes it almost impossible to assign specific limits. The difficulty has in some cases been increased through the paucity of material, which prevents any adequate conception of the range of variability being obtained. This is particularly the case with some of the species coming from the Mediterranean region, which are very closely allied, and of which, as a rule, the British Museum possesses very few specimens. Names have only been sunk here as synonyms in those cases where there appeared to be no reasonable doubt, either after a comparison of the types, or of the descriptions, when these were sufficiently detailed. Eventually, therefore, it may be found that some forms which are here given specific rank will have to be regarded at most as varieties. Since so many figures of Anopheline wings, etc., have already appeared, it is not deemed necessary to add to their number. Some new records have been included, but on the other hand some old ones, which appeared to be questionable, have been omitted. As with the writer's previous papers, this key is merely intended to supplement the detailed descriptions which will be found in other works.

scholarly journals Los bronces orientalizantes del Museo de Huelva : El "Thymaterion" de la Joya

1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena María Orta García
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
East Mediterranean ◽  
The South ◽  
Municipal District ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
La Joya ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Archaeological Excavations

Se trata en esta serie de «Los Bronces orientalizantes del Museo de Huelva» de realizar un estudio estilístico y de los programas iconográficos, de una serie de objetos de bronce, recuperados en las excavaciones arqueológicas de La Joya, en el término municipal de la ciudad de Huelva, que se exhiben o conservan en el Museo de Huelva. Si bien estos bronces fueron publicados dentro de su contexto en las correspondientes Memorias de la Serie E.A.E. no han sido objeto de un estudio pormenorizado. Por otra parte cuando tratamos de comprender la difusión del Arte clásico en la periferia del Mediterráneo siguiendo a Boardman' nos damos cuenta de las lagunas que existen a la hora de comprender cómo llega al sur peninsular esta corriente artística, que proviene del Mediterráneo oriental y que comienza a conformar lo que los especialistas han dado en llamar el arte tartésico y en el que hunde sus raíces sin duda el llamado arte ibérico. Nuestro estudio de hoy se ciñe al de una pieza única y singular, el Thymaterion o candelabro de La Joya, objeto suntuario de arte orientalizante de los siglos VIII-VII a. de C, probable obra de un metalurgo tartéssico. We try in this series «Orientaiizing bronzes of Huelva Museum» to accomplish a stylistic study and also of the inocographic programmes, of a series of bronze objects, recuperated in the archaeological excavations of «La Joya», in the municipal district of Huelva city, that are shown or kept in Huelva Museum. Though these bronzes were published in their context in the memoirs of the Series E.A.E. they have not been studied in deep one by one. On the other hand when we try to understand the diffusion of Classical Art in the outskirts of the Mediterranean, following Boardman we realise of the missing that exist when we try to understand how this artistic influence reaches the south of the península, that comes fron the East Mediterranean and that begins to shape what the specialists have begun to name as «Tartessic Art» in which the «Iberian Art» has its origins.

Benthic community structure of the Bosphorus and surrounding area

2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 37-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Uysal ◽  
A. Yüksek ◽  
E. Okuş ◽  
N. Yilmaz
Keyword(s):  
Black Sea ◽  
Dominant Species ◽  
Lower Layer ◽  
Current System ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Wide Distribution ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
Sea Of Marmara ◽  
Other Hand

Spatial and temporal distribution of benthic communities around the Strait of Istanbul (Bosphorus) and the effect of lower layer discharge on these communities have been evaluated during studies between FebruaryÐDecember 1999. Mytilus galloprovincialis was the dominant species with fasies at the Black Sea station that is not affected by the strait lower layer current system. On the other hand, another Black Sea station, influenced by the strait lower layer currents, has a similar biota to the strait stations. Species richness and diversity is highest in the strait than other areas. The dominant species is Maera grossimana. However, the station located at the Black Sea exit of the strait has a different biota, and various groups/species appeared to be dominant. Melinna palmata is the dominant species at the Sea of Marmara during the study period. Low dissolved oxygen values of lower layer and soft substratum of sediment resulted in wide distribution of Melinna palmata, adapted to these conditions. The closer stations to the strait in the Sea of Marmara have higher diversity as a result of hydrodynamic processes. On the other hand, coastal stations with low currents and inputs have lower index values, showing the negative effect of discharges and pollution.

No Patriotic Fervor for Pella: Aelius Aristides and the Presentation of the Macedonians in the Second Sophistic

Mnemosyne ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sulochana Ruth Asirvatham
Keyword(s):  
Roman Empire ◽  
The Other ◽  
Second Sophistic ◽  
Philip Ii ◽  
Greco Roman ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
The World

AbstractThis paper examines four speeches by Aelius Aristides that contrast the image of Macedonian history negatively with Greek past and Roman present. Aristides' literary milieu of the 'Second Sophistic' is characterized by Greek self-consciousness and nostalgia in the Roman Empire. While writers like Plutarch and Arrian mythologize the figure of Alexander as a second Achilles and a philosopher-of-war as a means of offering subtle proof of 'Hellenic' primacy over the Romans, Aristides chooses to focus on the more negative aspects of the Macedonian legacy. To the Thebans I and II elaborately update the 'barbaric' image of Philip II found in Demosthenes, making him parallel not only, perhaps, to the Persian enemy of old but also to Rome's contemporary Parthian enemy. The Panathenaic Oration and To Rome, on the other hand, idealize the world of the present, where Athens reigns supreme in culture, Rome in conquest. Aristides' stance suggests that, despite the attractions of the 'Hellenic' Alexander, pride in Greece does not necessarily have to include Macedonian history. What is more important is that writers have some means of Hellenizing Rome, whether by idealizing a 'Greco-Roman' Alexander, or by seeing Rome as the ultimate polis.

scholarly journals Morphology and phenology of sexuals and new distribution data on the blind Mediterranean ant Hypoponera abeillei (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Sociobiology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. e7261
Author(s):  
Enrico Schifani ◽  
Antonio Scupola ◽  
Mattia Menchetti ◽  
Erika Bazzato ◽  
Xavier Espadaler
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
The Other ◽  
Distribution Data ◽  
The West ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
New Distribution

Hypoponera abeillei is the sole member of the otherwise exclusively Afrotropical abeillei group to occur in the West-Palearctic and since its first description on the basis of two Corsican workers in 1881, it remained little-known. Workers of this species are thought to entirely lack eyes, a rare trait among ants of the region, yet their lifestyle remains undocumented. On the other hand, the male caste has been described from 4 Tunisian specimens in 1921, and queens remained so far undescribed. We present an updated description of the male caste based on 45 specimens and a first description of the queen caste based on 14 specimens. The H. abeillei material we examined comes from Italy, Spain and Malta (mostly originating from coastal localities), and comprises 11 inedit distribution records, including the first findings in the islands of Mallorca, Malta and Sardinia. Moreover, we provide a first phenological overview of the species’ nuptial flights. Our data show that H. abeillei sexuals flight during the summer, mostly in August, and demonstrate that they can easily be distinguished from all the other Hypoponera species inhabiting the Mediterranean region based on their morphology. The remarkable diversity of Mediterranean Hypoponera males and queens suggest that sexuals may have a role in future attempts to understand relationships within this genus, yet the number of species in which sexual castes are documented is still extremely reduced.

scholarly journals Fondation de Qarthadasht en Afrique du Nord – comme problème dans les recherches sur la chronologie de la plus ancienne histoire de Carthage

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-99
Author(s):  
Miron Wolny ◽  
Keyword(s):  
North Africa ◽  
The Other ◽  
Afrique Du Nord ◽  
Trade Relations ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
German Science ◽  
Literary Relations ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Political Economic

The author of the article tries to connect the observation of economic and trade relations developed by the Phoenicians in the western part of the Mediterranean with a reflection on the situation in which the Levant countries found themselves. It is known that in the period in which the founding of Carthage can be hypothetically located, the Phoenician centers were under political, economic and military pressure – mainly from Assyria – although other powers, such as Damascus, cannot be ruled out. On the other hand, however, it is known that, for example, in German science the lack of a founding act of Carthage in North Africa was emphasized, and the archaeological traces left in this territory seem insufficient to reconcile conventional literary relations with the founding of Carthage at the end of the 9th century BC. The intention of this article is an attempt to show the issues on the basis of which one should consider the reinterpretation of the events reported as the context of the founding of Carthage. This procedure would serve to revise the existing findings of science on the chronology of the founding of Qarthadasht and could, consequently, contribute to showing that the founding of Carthage fell on a later period - i.e. the end of the 8th or the beginning of the 7th century BCE.

scholarly journals Negotiating a Postmemory Dichotomy: Nostalgia and Aversion in Malta

Politeja ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2(65)) ◽  
pp. 239-256
Author(s):  
George Cassar ◽  
Marie Avellino
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Social Reality ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
The Other ◽  
Great Effort ◽  
Service Personnel ◽  
Second Home ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
New Type ◽  
The Mediterranean

The island of Malta has served as a strategic colony since the dawn of history. Since Phoenician and Roman times, the island has been an important base in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Its last colonisers, the British, spent about 180 years using the islands for their imperial needs. The official closing of the British base on 31 March 1979 heralded a new economic and social reality supposedly unhampered by the exigencies of foreigners. Two major post-memory reactions kicked in – nostalgia and aversion to ex-colonial life. The postcolonial Maltese generations exhibit a range of reactions oscillating between love and hate for the British. On the other hand, British ex-service personnel and their families have continued to feel an affinity with the island base which they had come to acknowledge as a second home. This allows for a new type of relationship between the Maltese people and their British visitors where issues of colonial post-memory are negotiated. These are seen at their best in the local tourism industry. Malta woos British tourists and goes to great effort to attract them. It uses to its advantage the colonial affinity to create an attractive destination for the British which benefits the locals and the Maltese economy. In Malta post-memory has evolved in line with necessity and expediency, where animosity, though manifestly tangible, has gradually morphed into a rather benign residue in the collective reaction to the colonial past.

scholarly journals Cycling along a River: New Access, New Values?

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 9311
Author(s):  
Matthieu Adam ◽  
Marylise Cottet ◽  
Sylvie Morardet ◽  
Lise Vaudor ◽  
Laure Coussout ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Local Population ◽  
The Other ◽  
Local People ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Lake Geneva ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Preservation And Restoration ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Relationship

The ViaRhôna is an 815 km cycle route running along the Rhône River from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean Sea. We examine the influence of this type of cycle route on the relationship between route users (including the local population, itinerant cyclists and foreign tourists) and the river landscapes. This relationship is approached from the angle of the use of the riverbanks as well as the perceived image, the value, and the knowledge associated with the river and its landscapes. Our survey based on interviews (n = 16) and questionnaires (n = 546) produced the following results. The features of the cycle route and the related activities that it makes possible drain a special segment of the population that, in spite of its diverse sociological composition, shares similar tastes. The creation of the cycle route has led to an increase in use of the riverbanks both by tourists and local people. The experience that it offers contributes to enhancing the value that users place on the river. This is due to a change in the image of the river following the (re)discovery of its natural environments. On the other hand, knowledge of one’s natural environments is not modified. These results raise the question of possible changes in the degree to which users support policies targeting the preservation and restoration of the river.

Psalms of Solomon as Resistance Poetry

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 366-385
Author(s):  
Matthew E. Gordley
Keyword(s):  
Roman Empire ◽  
Biblical Studies ◽  
First Century ◽  
The Other ◽  
Dominant Discourse ◽  
Recent Scholarship ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Poetry Of Witness ◽  
Psalms Of Solomon ◽  
The One

Two trends in recent scholarship provide a new set of lenses that enable contemporary readers to appreciate more fully the contents and genre of Psalms of Solomon. On the one hand, scholars such as Richard Horsley, Anathea Portier-Young, and Adela Yarbro Collins have now explored the ways in which early Jewish writers engaged in a kind of compositional resistance as they grappled with their traditions in light of the realities of oppressive empires. These approaches enable us to consider the extent to which Psalms of Solomon also may embody a kind of resistant counterdiscourse for the community in which it was edited and preserved. On the other hand, scholars within biblical studies (e. g., Hugh Page) and beyond have examined the dynamics of the poetry of resistance. Such poetry has existed in many times, places, and cultures, giving a voice to the oppressed, protecting the memory of victims, and creating a compelling vision of a possible future in which the oppression is overcome. In this article the poetry of Guatemalan poet Julia Esquivel is interwoven with Psalms of Solomon to illustrate these dynamics and to illuminate the kinds of concerns that scholars like Barbara Harlow and Caolyn Forché have highlighted within the poetry of witness. Since Psalms of Solomon has yet to be explored through these dual lenses of resistance and resistance poetry, this article examines these early Jewish psalms in light of these scholarly trends. I argue that Psalms of Solomon can be understood as a kind of resistance poetry that enabled a community of Jews in the first century B. C. E. to resist the dominant discourse of both the Roman Empire and its client king, Herod the Great. The themes of history, identity, and possibility that pervade resistance poetry in other times and places are central features of Psalms of Solomon.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document