Why yes, I did forget to put the actual assignment in the last 'History Questions' post. I know, I know, I should be ashamed to let quality drop in such a tremendous way. Anyway, without further ado:
o List what you believe are the four or five main reasons for the collapse of the Han empire.
1) A poor government system.
2) Internal power struggles.
3) The Xiongnu
4) The locus swarm.
o What major military problems did the Han face?
The Han faced threats from the Xiongu tribes, and from the Hun.
o Why did peasants rebel against the Han government?
The Han peasants rebelled because the government taxed them
extensively, while the rich aristocrats were exempt.
o What natural disasters contributed to the fall of the Han?/Rome?
Han: The pestilience of locus, yellow river flooding, foreign diseases.
Rome: Danube flooding, fire that burned down much of the city, the plague, if it can be called a natural disaster.
o How does Procopius describe the spread of bubonic plague throughout the Roman empire?
Procopius described the plague as being a scourge of God. He said that the plague spread wild, uncontrolled, and without reason or prejudice.
o How do the Roman and Han empires favor each other in their demise?
Their demises are very similar in that they all had a bad government system that collapsed out from under them. To reference current events, both the empires were very much like Tiger Wood's affairs, each tier was precariously balanced upon the last, and the only thing holding them in place was supposed loyalty and honesty. As soon as one piece fell, the other parts came crashing down.
o Make a list of dramatic films you have seen or heard about that depict life on earth following the "collapse of civilization." What are some of the points these films try to make? Why do people often find these movies intriguing and entertaining?
2012, Planet of the Apes. I've never seen a movie about the collapse of society, I
don't watch a lot of movies. The films most likely try to make points about how society as we know it is so fragile, and even though many take it for granted, it could collapse at any moment. I would imagine people find these movies interesting because of a very survivalist attitude. I personally enjoy reading about post-apocalypse scenario's because I like to think about what it would be like to have to fight to survive.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Curious about the survivalist literature. Like what? I have only seen a few movies which I think fit the bill of a post-apocalyptic world. The most memorable, although somewhat dated, is "On The Beach." Truly scary. On a funnier note, "Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Love the Bomb," with Peter Sellars.
ReplyDelete