Around the first year of AD, two brilliant powers emerged at the two ends of the earth at the same time, country Z and Rome.
After our country experienced a long and loose enfeoffment system, it achieved great unification during the Qin Empire. At that time, because the effective management radius of the enfeoffment system was at most about 500 kilometers, it was very unsuitable for a large empire. The system of prefectures and counties was transformed, and the transformation process was completed by the Han Empire. "Han" has also become the name of our nation! After a long 200 years, the Han Empire is falling to the west, dying. After Wang Mang seized power, he created a new dynasty "Xin Dynasty". Trying to create a feudal shzy state.
A few years earlier than Wang Mang, Rome on the other side of the world managed its gradually expanding territory with a republic. The effective management area of the republic was only about 500 kilometers at most. Therefore, we crossed the Rubicon River from Gaius Julius Caesar , Rome began its transformation into an empire, and the important person who completed this transformation was Caesar's adopted son Gavis Octavius Augustus (Latin: Gaius Octavius Augustus).
These two historical changers almost simultaneously began to transform the empire according to their own wishes. Octavian crossed the Adriatic Sea and the Aegean Sea, the transnational Parthian Empire and the Parthian Empire, and walked through Chang’an (Xianyang), the former capital of the Qin and Han Dynasties. Meet Wang Mang in Luoyang.
World map of the Han Dynasty
to rise
Sima Guang didn't write much about Wang Mang's life in "Zi Zhi Tong Jian". Through historical materials, we marveled at Wang Mang's first half of his life when he played a bad hand with a dragon effect, but after he became emperor, he destroyed his good cards. Jing, he started the "shzy" movement in the early feudal society, and eventually lost his reputation.
Octavian was as miserable as Wang Mang. After Caesar's death, he only relied on the name of Caesar's adopted son to defeat many political opponents, and then gradually established the identity of "Augustus". He was cautious all his life, and every step he took was to achieve multiple purposes. , and the effect is amazing, properly turning the Roman Republic into an empire.
shzy warrior: Wang Mang
The Rise of Wang Mang: The Poor Relative of the Rich
Wang Mang was born in the most powerful family in the Han Empire: the Wang family. The Chinese Empire has been changing continuously, but the rights held by the Wang family rarely lose their power due to the change of dynasties.
After the death of Emperor Han Yuan, Emperor Han Cheng ascended the throne. Queen Mother Wang Zhengjun (mother of Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty, aunt of Wang Mang) is a ruthless person. Others' relatives are relatively low-key in politics. She directly monopolizes the c committee of the zj bureau. She arranges Wang Feng (aunt Wang Mang's brother) to be the chief minister and general Five uncles were named marquises. It looked cool but nothing happened to Wang Mang, because his father died early. Not only did he have no chance to be a dude, but he also had to depend on others, but Wang Mang handled this situation very well. He got along with his uncles and brothers normally, and he didn't look like a dick and relied on others. He didn't borrow money, and he didn't work . Live a simple life, be diligent and studious, and look like a moral model. His morality is so good that in the end not only the official circles respected him, but even the common people especially loved Wang Mang.
This is quite awesome. In any ancient country, there was a difference in dignity and inferiority. It was almost impossible to be loved by the people and the dignitaries at the same time. Generally, people who were loved by the people would die badly. To the west, there were the Gracchi brothers. To the east is Hai Rui. It is undoubtedly a miracle in ancient times that Wang Mang can be loved by both the government and the people.
To give a few examples:
Before Wang Mang seized power, he was already a senior Sima. Once his mother was ill, and when his colleagues came to visit, they were surprised to find that the old woman who was wearing coarse clothes and serving tea and water was Wang Mang's official wife. Everyone exclaimed that the Wang family compound is peaceful and peaceful, and has high morals.
After Emperor Ai of Han came to the throne, Wang Mang was demoted to go home. After returning home, Wang Mang thanked the guests behind closed doors and kept a low profile. Once his son killed a servant, according to the customs at the time, the most he could do was to pay some money. But Wang Mang demanded himself by the standards of a saint, and his son finally committed suicide to apologize.
With such high morality, there is basically no need for violent revolution. The common people and bureaucrats all support him, and the old Liu family can't stop him at all. After a few tricks, he was defeated and "abdicated" the throne. Emperor Ai of Han obediently became a mascot. It is much higher than the "Glorious Revolution" in Britain.
The Rise of Octavian: Nothing But the Fame of "Caesar's Adopted Son"
The Octavian family was much weaker than the royal family. Although the Julius family was relatively prominent in Roman history, it was a lonely generation in the Octavian era. For unknown reasons, Caesar did not designate the son born to him and Cleopatra as the heir, but instead designated his nephew Octavian as the first heir. In March 44 BC, when Caesar was assassinated, Octavian was 18 years old in the Apollonian army. His family persuaded him to stay calm because they were afraid of Caesar's enemies, but he resolutely accepted Caesar's adoption. Return to the murderous Rome, when Brutus had the support of the republicans to summon the Greek troops to prepare to counterattack Rome at any time, Antony had the support of the Latin army, and Sisro had the support of the Senate. None of them were good stubble, and Octavian had nothing but the title of "Caesar's adopted son" at that time.
Octavian's cleverness lies in his ability to show weakness and build momentum. When he was at his weakest, he actively wooed Caesar's old department while acting as a pony for Sisro, making Sisro think that this child was not a threat. Get a firm foothold, and immediately unite with Anthony to strangle the Senate and Heathrow. After looting the Senate, they formed their own army with the money from the house raids!
Anthony realized that the 18-year-old boy had a dark belly, but he didn't pay attention to him. He married his adopted daughter to Octavian in order to control Octavian. In 43 BC, Octavian and Antony completely defeated the republicans in the Battle of Philippi. After Brutus committed suicide, Antony went to rich Egypt to rule the eastern part of the Roman Republic, while Octavian returned to Rome to rule the poor and backward west However, he brought the political reputation of "defeating the republicans, Caesar's avenger" to the extreme, taking advantage of Anthony's free time in Egypt to buy people's hearts, and the Roman citizens and the Senate thought that the defeat of the republicans was caused by Octavian. man's credit.
The black-bellied Octavian has never been a "villain". He never belittled Caesar's right-hand man Antony in Rome, but accused Cleopatra, a goblin, of confusing Antony, and accused Antony's officers of being corrupted by the East. Only then will they lose to Parthia, accuse Cleopatra of actually giving birth to Anthony, and accuse someone of bewitching Antony not to send food to Rome, causing a famine in the city. In 30 BC, Octavian defeated Antony, killed all of Caesar's flesh and blood, and completed the road to power. Become consul of the Roman Republic.
In power: idealists and black-bellied men
Wang Mang's Failed Reforms: Shzy in the Feudal Era
It took Wang Mang eight years to go from Duke An Han to Da Sima, from a fake emperor to a real emperor.
Maybe Wang Mang's operations in the first half of his life were too clever, and he easily won power without bloodshed, so Wang Mang was slack in the second half of his life. His era was full of incomprehensible zhengz moves, which made us very curious about his reasons for seizing power. Maybe he He is a true idealist, so he wants to realize his ideals by seizing power. Maybe he is a neuropathy, first pretending to be a "saint", and immediately exposing his neurotic nature after seizing power. Historians said that after Wang Mang became emperor, he "attempted to achieve his idea of governing the country and stabilizing the world by restoring the etiquette system of the Western Zhou Dynasty." Let's take a look at what he did.
1. Rename: Do not place names that do not meet the requirements of Virgo!
Ma Boyong wrote an article "Crazy Wang Mang Who Loves Changing His Name", which talked about Wang Mang's enthusiasm for changing his name.
Some place names are purely for making up numbers, such as Nanyang (the place from Kongming), Wang Mang changed its name to "Front Team". Team", Henan is called "Qi team", and East is called "Zhao team". The former chief official can no longer be called the prefect, but changed to "doctor" in the Zhou Dynasty. Does it feel like the barefoot doctor was active in the production team in the 1960s? The Han Dynasty had Beihai County, Nanhai County, and Donghai County, but only the West Sea was lacking. In order to make up the "four seas", he sent troops to attack the Qiang people and established a Xihai County. In order to make this wasteland like a county, forced immigrants, some Place names follow the ancient times. For example, Liangzhou (Gansu, Ma Chao’s hometown) was renamed "Yongzhou". Some place names must not be unlucky or unpleasant. If the original place name contains "no", it will be changed to "yes". For example, Donghun is too unpleasant to change to "Dongming", and Gu Yuan (Changzhi, Shanxi) is unpleasant to change to "Gu Jin". Wuxi was changed to have tin, which is funny. Wuxi did have tin before, but it was dug up in the early Han Dynasty. Liu Bangcai changed his name to Wuxi, and Wang Mang changed it back again, as if the local people could still dig it out. Wuyan County (Dongping, Shandong) was also renamed "Youyan" after it was discovered by Wang Mang.
Xinchao's courier brother expressed a lot of pressure.
2. People outside the Republic of China are all slaves
The Xiongnu, North Korea, the Western Regions, and the Southwestern Barbarians who were originally subject to the Han Dynasty were downgraded from the original "king" to "hou". Only Zhonghua is the boss, and you are all followers.
The Xiongnu Shanyu was transliterated and changed to "surrender the slaves to Yu", and the country name of Goguryeo (the country established by the Shang Dynasty) was changed to "Xiaguli", and the angry Goguryeo sent troops to attack the country.
3. Financial reform: common sense of shzy economics
Wang Mang set up a price bureau to resolutely crack down on hoarding by illegal profiteers. However, judging from the productivity at the time, it was very difficult to operate this high-level gczy technology. As a result, grassroots officials had great power, because they set the price.
Change the currency system. Wang Mang used a very strange trick to restore the chaotic currency values of the Zhou Dynasty, such as knife coins, shell coins, and cloth coins. It was intended to level prices and reduce usury, but it ended up looting the wealth of ordinary people. The property of the common people was looted. In fact, the copper coins of the Wang Mang Dynasty unearthed now are of very high quality. It can be estimated that many people turned the Wang Mang copper coins and added lead and iron to make counterfeit coins.
The salt and iron trade is all state-owned, the Ministry of Natural Resources is established, and the Shanshui Mine is all state-owned, proper shzy! Individuals who want to develop state-owned resources need to apply for miners, which is exactly the same as zg in the 21st century.
Wang Mang was the first to engage in state loans, much earlier than Wang Anshi's Green Crop Law and Emperor Jiajing's state loans. The tax rate was 10%, and the interest was much lower than that of usury. But with the same fate as Wang Anshi and Jiajing, the state's low-interest loans have become compulsory loans, forcing ordinary people to pay back the loans, Alexander.
4. Land reform
In order to solve the serious land annexation problem. Wang Mang's method is very straightforward: G Youhua, Well Field System!
Let difg play freely, gczy's idea is good, but in the environment at that time, those who did not have land still had no land, and those who had land were robbed by difg, and the common people went crazy. This is equivalent to changing from zg's shzy to Soviet collective farms.
5. Abolish feudal superstition and engage in science
Wang Mang attaches great importance to new technology, although 2000 years ago people generally believed that what Wang Mang did was a new thing with strange skills and obscenity. But from the perspective of development, Wang Mang's approach is very worthy of recognition. He funded the dissection of the human body, invented the aircraft, and even developed advanced products such as cursor calipers.
6. Abolition of slavery
Wang Mang hated the slave system very much and forbade the trading of slaves and maids. When he was not emperor, his son beat slaves to death.
7. Other shzy systems
Low-rent housing, business tax, forced labor and other measures, although Wang Mang's measures failed, it is very interesting to try to implement shzy transformation before 2000.
Octavian's successful reform: the cunning and successful life of a black-bellied man
Octavian successfully turned the Roman Republic into an empire. Although he is not called an empire, he is actually the emperor of Rome. His titles include "Augustus", the first citizen, and the tribune (not to be called killing), high priest (lifetime), although he did not call himself emperor until his deathbed, but he was indeed emperor. After Octavian's death, all Roman emperors were addressed in the pattern of "Augustus Caesar + family name + name".
Step One: The Archon
After the Battle of Actium, Octavian had wiped out all political enemies in the country. After Octavian defeated Antony, he knew that the senate, which had become a frightened bird, would fear his military power. Therefore, after returning to Rome, he immediately disbanded the army, which moved the Roman citizens and the Senate very much.
But Rome has never had a history of royal government. Roman citizens once moved collectively and left the city of Rome to fight against the monarchy they did not like. Octavian certainly knew the character of his people. Therefore, Octavian was the first to be elected as the Roman Consul (the highest consul). Before 27 BC, the Senate, which was gradually infiltrated by Octavian, granted him Egypt (the most important food producing area), Spain (the most important mining industry), and Gaul. (Caesar's fiefdom) supremacy.
Step Two: Augustus
Soon afterward, the senate, dazzled by peace and unification, prepared to grant titles to Octavian according to custom. For example, Pompeii's title was "Magnitude", and Octavian carefully selected the title "Augustus". This title seems to have nothing to do with power and will make the public feel that Octavian is not exclusive, but this word was related to religion in ancient Rome. The nature of its status cannot be defined by any statute".
Step Three: Tribune for Life
As the adopted son of Caesar, Octavian had to consider his personal safety when his adoptive father was assassinated. In addition to personal bodyguards following him at all times (even when the Senate was in session), Octavian required further personal security: the Tribunicia Potestas. This position is the result of the game between the nobles and the common people in the early days of the Roman Republic. Its role is to install representatives of the common people in the senate, have a veto power over civil affairs, and even arbitrarily interfere with the senate and make decisions before the senate. After the assassination of the Gulag brothers, the Roman citizens were outraged and demanded to increase the power of the tribunes. Therefore, "no personal injury" became the iron law of the tribunes. Although in the later stage of development, nobles such as Caesar and Sithrow also served as tribunes, but no one has ever been a tribune for life.
In 23 BC, Octavian declared that he would not be Sulla. He decided to return power to the Senate and resigned as consul. The grateful Senate did not see through that this was a trap, and Octavian also declared that he needed to keep his personal safety after he did not serve as the consul. The senate, which was cleaned up by Antony and Octavian, finally decided to grant Octavian a "lifetime tribune" and called himself "Princeps".
It is worth noting that the consul at this time is already a vacant post, because before Octavian, Rome had never had a tribune for life.
Octavian, who was the governor of Gaul, Spain, and Egypt at the same time, asked the Senate to grant him the power of "Supreme Governor" (imperium proconsulare maius means "power higher than the governors"), which means that in these three fiefs , Octavian had absolute power. Although it is generally believed that Octavian became the de facto emperor in 23 BC . However, he still uses the title "First Citizen".
Step Four: High Priest
In 13 BC, Lepidus of the last three giants passed away, and Octavian took over Lepidus' position as "Pontifex Maximus". that power.
prudent rule
Unlike Wang Mang's bold reforms, Octavian ruled Rome with extreme caution.
1. Army
After becoming the de facto emperor, Octavian established the Roman standing army, which was only responsible to himself. At the same time, he placed the legion on the border to prevent the army from interfering in internal affairs and to prevent the Senate from becoming hostile. But the shrewd Octavian also created the Praetorian Guard to guard Gyeonggi and protect the emperor himself.
2. People's livelihood
Different from Wang Mang's indirect policy of benefiting the people whose effect would take a long time to manifest, Octavian's livelihood projects are simple and straightforward:
spend money on entertainment activities to entertain the Roman citizens. Spend money to build the Curia to satisfy the elders, spend money to build the temple of Apollo and Julius, and build a theater for everyone to play. Official" is still the emperor.
In addition to false moves, Octavian's actual work is also very good. He established the Ministry of Communications, built a huge transportation network, and promoted the empire's communications, trade and postal services. Octavian also established the world's first fire brigade and regular civilian police (mainly to replace the lack of military strength in the capital).
In addition, Octavian also rectified the social atmosphere, encouraged monogamy, attacked luxury, promiscuity, adultery, homosexuality, etc., and cracked down on social customs such as mixed bathing.
3. Economy
Octavian spent heavy taxes on agriculture on armies, temples, and entertainment. With the Roman Empire no longer expanding and without spoils, the economy stagnated and eventually declined. Octavian tried to revive agriculture by relocating veterans to work in agriculture, but with little success. The capital still relies on food imported from Egypt. It is worth noting that before Octavian, Rome’s main food procurement channel was Sicily. Now it does not purchase food from Sicily and instead purchases food from Egypt farther away. On the one hand, it is because Egypt Food is cheaper. On the other hand, perhaps a more important aspect, Egypt still has theocratic traditions even as a Roman province. This place is Octavian's personal fiefdom, and he is also the "Pharaoh" of Egypt. Therefore, the purchase money basically entered Octavian's pocket.
4. Senate relations
After the situation stabilized, Octavian divided the Roman province into "Emperor Province" and "Senate Province", and the division mode was very unique. Octavian handed over the provinces with earlier conquests, relatively stable society, and deeper Romanization to the Senate for management. . Those provinces that were conquered later, had social unrest, and were poor were designated as emperors. This model can reasonably allow the emperor to hold the army and directly command the army; secondly, the rich provinces prevent the members of the Senate from thinking about making progress and have no chance to make progress; The provincial experience directly led to the corruption of the Senate, and then lost control of the army.
Prosperity and wealth are always fascinating. As the highest administrative officer of the province, the governor of the province enjoys taxation and judicial power. May I ask which congressman is willing to go to the poor and dangerous emperor's province? Which congressman is willing to let his son go to the border area to fight against the barbarians?
But just as all powers have conditions attached, Octavian set up financial inspectors in the Senate province to protect the empire's tax revenue and control corruption. Worship tasks, while monitoring the governors from the Senate.
Finish
Wang Mang and Octavian, the two rulers who spanned the first year of AD, respectively led the two largest empires in the world to different paths. Wang Mang tried to turn the empire into a shzy country with the perfect belief of a Confucian scholar, but he failed. In the end, Liu Xiu rebelled and overthrew the new dynasty and established the Eastern Han Dynasty. Octavian emptied the Senate little by little through the method of gradual encroachment, turning the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire, and finally handed over the keys of the empire to the next emperor smoothly. At this time, Rome has already entered the fast lane of the empire , Never go back to the era of the Republic.
I don't know how to evaluate these two characters. In the history of our country, Wang Mang has always been blackened. After the liberation in 1949, he highly praised Wang Mang's determination to forge ahead. As the zg society becomes mature and rational, everyone has been constantly using their own opinions. Locate Wang Mang. The positioning of Octavian in the West has also changed many times. The worship of Octavian around the Middle Ages, the slander of Octavian after the Renaissance, and even as early as the middle of the Roman Empire, historians were still denouncing Octavian. It ruined the Republic and even made Octavian the destroyer of Rome.
What do readers think of these two interesting people? Everyone can only find their own Wang Mang and Octavian from the historical books.