Table of Contents

Contributors Chronology Introduction 1- From the "Great Convergence" to the "First Great Divergence" 2- War, State Formation, and the Evolution of Military Institutions in Ancient China and Rome 3- Law and Punishment in the Formation of Empire 4- Eunuchs, Women, and Imperial Courts 5- Commanding and Consuming the World 6- Gift Circulation and Charity in the Han and Roman Empires 7- The Monetary Systems of the Han and Roman Empires Bibliography Index

About the Author

Walter Scheidel is Professor of Classics and, by courtesy, History at Stanford University.

Reviews

"The book is an admmirable demonstration of the great potential that lies in comparative analysis of the Greco-Roman world and Ancient China. It is hoped that this book will form the basis for more, exciting, comparative research, which will surely broaden the horizons of Ancient history beyond its current compartmentalization and excessive departmentalization." --Bryn Mawr Classical Review