Day of Empire

INTRODUCTORY

Chua's thesis discussed throughout "Day of Empire" is that every hyper power of the world in history was tolerant by at least standards of its own time period. Every society that could be argued as reaching global hegemony was pluralistic during its rise to preeminence. Though the decline of an empire has coincided with intolerance, hatred of foreigners, and call of purity of race, religion, or ethnicity. However, it was tolerance that scattered the seeds of decline. Eventually tolerance reached its tipping point of conflict and violence. Chua considers a nation or empire a world-dominant power only if it meets three conditions. Power must definitely surpass the power of all known rival nations or empires. It also must not clearly inferior in economic or military strength to any other power in the world. Lastly, it must spread its power over such an immense area and population that it destroys the bounds of regional superiority.

Chapter 1

The Achaemenid Empire starts with Cyrus the Great. In 550 BCE, he took over the Median kingdom and in 539, conquered the Lydian kingdom. Now the ruler of the largest empire that ever existed, Cyrus inferred little with the daily lives of his people, allowing them to keep their own gods and cultures, an example of his tolerance. Surprisingly, Cyrus tolerated religion by honoring temples, cults, and local gods of those he conquered. Darius the Great expanded Persian dominion into India, strengthened foothold in Greece, and made forays in eastern Europe. Near the outset of his reign, he contended with rebellions brought by his questionable nature of ascent to the throne. Darius took pride in the diversity of his empire, his cultural tolerance. He has respect for his empire's multilingualism and didn't impose Persian gods on his subjects. Darius even left local social structures intact but enforced local laws. Achaemenid Persia was a hierarchy and the kings ruled over an empire of unprecedented territorial scale, and policies of tolerance, making it possible for them to do so. The Achaemenids minimized the likelihood of opposition and revolt among conquered peoples by embracing local laws and traditions, allowing local languages, religions, and rituals to flourish. Xerxes, son of Darius, was very cruel and intolerant. However, he managed to preserve the Persian Empire. He raised the largest army on earth with his ability to incorporate men from every part of his empire. By 324 BCE, world dominance passed to the Greeks from the Persians. Alexander was the ruler of the largest empire in the history of Greece or Macedonia history. With Alexander's death, the empire immediately broke apart into warring kingdoms torn by internal rebellions.

Socially, Persians adopted customs like laws, cosmetics, manners, and architectural works. Specialized labor came with people with different skills working together to build buildings. Darius oversaw construction of new regional capitals and Persepoliz became an architectural wonder. Politically, there was tolerance of local leaders to capture kingdoms. For example, Cyrus respected local traditions and practices decreasing the likelihood of resistance and rebellion among those who were conquered. Economically, Darius introduced a standard currency and extended the empire's network of roads and communications system, including royal mail service, express messengers, and fire signals. He also formalized a system of imperial taxation and tribute.

Chapter 2

Romulus and Romus founded Rome in 753 BCE near the Tiber River. Rome allowed conquered cities to continue their rule by own leaders under their own laws if they could trade freely with Rome and provide Rome with troops, showing tolerance. These alliance aided Rome to grow dramatically in military and economic strength. By 275 BCE, Rome was the largest state in Europe. Punic wars showing Rome's success of strategic tolerance. Hannibal was surprised that Rome's alliances held firm and Rome prevailed. From 150 BCE to AD 70, Rome expanded rapidly, engulfing continental Europe, Turkey, Palestine, Syria, and Egypt. Rome's High Empire/ Golden Age was stretched over the reign of 4 emperors, starting with Trajan. Under him, the borders of empire expanded over to the Persian Gulf and implemented one of the few examples of social legislation. The successor to Trajan, Hadrian was a cosmopolitan who halted Rome's offensive wars to focus on consolidation defense and embellishment of the empire. Despite his reputation for tolerant, he was seen as quintessentially intolerant by many. Marcus Aurelius followed once Hadrian died. He didn't try to cultivate people by gifts but was temperate. Romans did not see light skin superior to dark or vice versa. However, they were snobs and didn't consider others as equals. Rome also didn't try to extinguish local languages or traditions. Religious tolerance produced mutual indulgence and religious concord. While tolerance was essential to Rome's world power, it sowed the seeds of Rome's eventual disintegration. With the growth of diversity of people, sheer heterogeneity became harder to control. Official embrace of Christianity introduced imperial policy and strain of intolerance that undermined strategies of assimilation and incorporation that held the population together. In the end, Rome sparked wars and rebellions it would lose, spiraling into oblivion.

Socially, women were excluded from public life, and weren't allowed to vote, hold office or even wear a toga. Men and women were beat, skewered, and gutted in the gladiator's games. Hadrian banned circumcision and after Jewish rebellion, he expelled the Jews from Jerusalem. Romans were willing to absorb traditions, knowledge and practices of other people if they were found useful. Economically, there were many avenues of slavery, men seized for debt by tax collectors. As long as people paid taxes, communities were free to their local customs. The alimenta program lent money to farmers who wanted to support poor children. The High Empire was a pre-modern model of economic globalization, free trade, and open marked. Import taxes and limits on trade between city-states fell when Rome consolidated to power. Bronze coins added a common currency. Politically, Hadrian oversaw construction of new cities, temples,