The Han Chinese and the Romans had two different views on who could control the empires that they created. The Han Chinese believed that heaven appoints the leader, while the Romans believed in a more democratic system of choosing a leader.
The Han Chinese's ruler, also called an Emperor, was appointed by a "Mandate of Heaven." As stated by Han Wendi, "I have heard that heaven instills rulers to govern the people it creates and that it will warn a ruler with natural disasters if he lost virtue or if his rule has become unjust." (94) The Han Chinese also believed that the heavens tell the ruler what he should and should not do. "Now Qin, for the first time, had unified all under heaven and instructions were given to the Chief Minister and the Imperial Secretary." (87) .
In contrast, the Romans had a more practical opinion of government. They began with a Republic with divided powers, so that no one person could gain too much control. "The emperors have taken to themselves all of the officers (including the titles) which under the Republic possessed great power with the consent of the people." (98) The Romans developed their ideas from some of the great Greek philosophers who had the ideas of democracy.
Each empire in history has had some form f government. In particular, the Romans and the Han Chinese were two of the most prominent. The Han Chinese believed in a "mandate of heaven" and the Romans believed in a form of government that no one person has too much control.