1503(750)-1550(797) (Ætas ab Brian)
From Alternative History
History of Rome-After Ætas ab Brian
| !Past 1473(720)-1503(750) | The Tang (Aeab): 1503(750)-1550(797) | Future! 1550(797)-1584(831) |
Next was Servivs Atellvs at 59 from Achaea.
Rome now made an effort to explore the world without the immediate intent of conquerization, though that would inevitably follow in time. This led to the discovery of the Tang. Never before had Rome seen an empire as vast as this one. In the far-east, farther than the Indvs tribes these people had the world's second most advanced technology, though they were far behind Rome. Diplomats sent to the Tang Empire found that the emprie was indeed massive, populous, and wealthy with much territory and client states. Rome could never hope to destroy such a nation. The lands of silk.
It was not totally surprising that no contact had yet been made in the 1500 [Roman]miles (2220 km) stretch beyond either empire’s furthest garrisons. The Tang allowed Roman ambassadors to stay at their capital of Chang’an where the Romans found that the Tang were even more tolerant of foreign cultures than Rome was. The cosmopolitan capital had many districts devoted to other cultures, though the Romans had difficulty at times distinguishing all of them. Though undoubtedly the world’s second most advanced society, the Romans found much of their culture backwards, literally. Family names were rarely changed and deemed more important than a given name, laws were rarely written but strictly handed down verbally and high positioned people were actually punished worse for crimes than those of peasants, empirical rule was handed down from fathers to sons, it was considered a challenge to look someone in the eye rather than a sign of respect and honesty; and many other opposites. This region of the world also sustained a Pax, it came from the total domination of economic, political, military, and cultural aspects by the Tang. A religion called Buddhism ruled the majority of the Empire and the culture produced incredible arts and literature. Trade routes were plotted from the Mare Erythraeum provinces and Parthia to the Tang provinces of Chamga and their protectorate kingdoms of Pyu and Chenla. Later it was found that Tang was actually the name of the Empire’s dynasty and that the people were called Sinicans, Tea and toilet paper imported from the Tang was popular.
The Tang Sinicans were also developing a Senate of sorts. It consisted of scholarly officials who by connection with their communities, family line, and shared beliefs that they could form a bridge between the Emperor and the people, giving the government much more stability than earlier dynasties.
It was found that the Sinicans had a vast history dating back many hundreds more years than the Romans. By 1533(780) there was an established diplomatic relation with the Sinicans and trade made both countries very prosperous. In 1529(776) the first ships to have iron armour were made in Rome, ships were now more sturdy and lasting. The Sinicans, though friendly of Rome were disquieted by their utter technological superiority. Flying machines and steam powered carts had never been seriously heard of before. Many Sinican scholars were sent to the Roman provinces to study these advances and bring the Tang up to speed. Rome knew this and was also a bit disconcerted at the Sinicans’ quickness to learn their technology. In response, some projects were made more secret and overall funding was increased to the Antonivs Academies. A year later, the pendulum principles were discovered in an Aegyptvs ADA. It would lead to the design of pendulum cloca in 1544(791), which are more accurate than cloca with only springs, although they are utterly un-transportable.
Also, in the 653 year history of Rome’s national school, its expansion greatly owed to Emperor Vaspasianus, literacy had reached 53% in the citizen population. Slave literacy was likely less than 1 percent. This general increase in citizenry knowledge reduced the people’s dependence on religion and the popularity of the gods of all types reached record lows.
In 1546(793) the alcohol exvrolanx (heat scale(thermometre)) was invented in Italia. It’s scale was divided into 200 degrees of heat from the freezing to boiling of water. Its main developer in Venitia, Gaivs Galerivs was what the new temperature scale of Galerii was named after.
The emperor was Ivlivs Favstvs, now 77 in 1546(793) and from Corsica. He had given Lusitania and Moesia Superior senatorials in 1527(774) and 1533(780). He would rule until his death in 1550(797) at 81 after 29 years of Emperorship.
| !Past 1473(720)-1503(750) | The Tang (Aeab): 1503(750)-1550(797) | Future! 1550(797)-1584(831) |
