The Roman Empire and Han Dynasty were both powerful influential forces in their heyday.  This research compares the economic, social, technological and military situations of the Romans and the Hans. The Han Dynasty (Traditional Chinese emerged as a principal power in East Asia in 221 BCE after the fall of the Qin Dynasty in 206 BCE. They pioneered a political system and social structure in China that lasted for almost 2,000 years. They rapidly advanced Chinese technology, and created the cultural and political foundations for much of East Asia. Their influence is so profound that the majority of China's people still refer to themselves as "people of Han" (Traditional Chinese: , and Chinese history refers to the period of the Hans Dynasty as a golden age. The Roman Empire (Latin: Imperium Romanum) controlled the Western Mediterranean. The Roman people made unprecedented advances in science and technology, and organized an economy that was hitherto unprecedented in the Mediterranean. The Romans had different engineering accomplishments, than that of the Han. They laid down a legal code that forms the basis of most western legal codes. They left institutions, technology and infrastructure that would influence successors for centuries to come.