汉和匈奴并不是公平的比较。汉在各个领域都大大超过后者。汉和罗马才是同等级的较量。
发现WIKI上也有汉和罗马的文章。以下是专门比较军事方面的。
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_between_Roman_and_Han_EmpiresBoth Rome and Han China were known for their military prowess[7].Rome gained much of its military strength through a new system of conscription and a culture that encouraged men to go into the military. After 340 BCE [7] the Romans started their expansion. As they conquered city after city on the Italian peninsula, they strengthened their armies by forcing the defeated city-states to provide manpower for the Roman military. Discipline and training were strict; the Romans punished minor infractions by death [7] The strength of this system was shown in the Punic wars [7] against Carthage, in which Rome defeated its opponent and gained control of the western Mediterranean. This demonstrated Rome had a superior military system to that of city states like Carthage. Many people were conscripted into the army- at one point ten percent of Roman adult males.[7] Around the 1st century BCE, the Roman general Marius abolished many requirements to join the army, and effectively turned the military into a volunteer professional army. At the reign of Hadrian, the Roman army numbered about 500,000 troops.[8]
Rome was known for its infantry tactics and its well-trained legionaries (see Roman infantry tactics for more details). Roman infantry were subject to a training regime that involved gymnastics, and drill and combat exercises involving a wooden gladius or spear - whereas Han soldiers played sports to stay physically fit and drilled constantly. The Roman army was organized into a number of legions, which were feared throughout the Mediterranean world. The Roman army was also adept at manoeuvring. These tactics involved the heavy use of archers and slingers to harass the enemy and masked the legion's movement. In order to deal with the armoured cataphracti the Romans would form a huge square; with pike-men on the rim forming a hedge of steel and within this square archers and cavalry would be ready to launch a counter attack. This square would also use various blocking or pincer movements to obstruct certain avenues of attack and to furnish anchor points for the counter offensive. Later during the principate a direct charge of cataphracti against a legionary square was almost certain to be repelled.[9]
The doctrine of the Roman infantry tended to stress that it was a wise idea to advance to meet enemy infantry due to the fact that a charge would encourage aggression. A sudden infantry charge was capable of routing a disordered or stationary cavalry, but as a rule infantry met cavalry at a halt. Arrian. who was governor of Cappadocia under Hadrian, described how when dealing with cavalry the legionaries were formed eight ranks deep, the first four were armed with the pilum, the remainder with the lancea. The front rank would hold their pila at forty-five degrees with the butts being braced against the ground as to present a dense row of points to the enemy. The next three ranks after throwing their pila would brace themselves against the men ahead of them. The rest of the legionaries would throw their lanceae whilst the ninth rank consisting of archers and the tenth rank of horse-archers along with artillery would add to the barrage of missiles. The enemy cavalry which managed to survive this assault would have been unable to come into contact with the infantry for the horses would instinctively refuse to rush into a seemingly solid object, they would be left to stand impotently a few metres away from the Roman line while being hit by a deluge of javelins and arrows until they were forced to withdraw.[10]
The Han army was born in completely different circumstances. The relatively flat area of China allowed large strategic maneuvers, and an early exposure to the Huns also influenced Han military thought. In addition, the Chinese invention of the powerful crossbow dramatically changed Chinese warfare; the crossbow's ability to massacre armored knights and infantry made any reliance on dense, heavy infantry formations in China implausible. The Han army was composed of infantry, missile troops (archers, crossbowmen), and cavalry in nearly equal proportions. Cavalry was present in large quantities in order to fight the Xiongnu and Qiang; the Han cavalry was very high quality, even overcoming the cavalry of the nomadic tribes that were born on horseback. Han forces also benefitted from Chinese inventions such as the horse chest harness(which allowed superior cavalry), the wheelbarrow, and advanced agricultural techniques(which allowed an effective supply column).[11]. [12]
The Han army was organized on different principles; early exposure to the Huns had taught the Chinese the need for effective missile troops and cavalry supporting infantry. Therefore, the Han army had an effective force of heavy cavalry rivaling, perhaps even surpassing that of the Huns. The Han army also had perhaps one of the most deadly weapon of the ancient age: the crossbow. This weapon, which did not spread to other areas of the world until later, gave the Han army a great strategic advantage. Crossbows and bolts were produced [13] through the advanced metallurgical industry of the Han. Different types of bolts were produced, with some bolts being made entirely of metal. The Han also used a crossbow firing line system, which would be able to maintain a continuous stream of arrows fired at their enemies. Thus, the Han army was able to dominate its opponents.
The Han created a powerful professional army that expanded the borders of the empire and secured the silk road for trade. Emperor Wudi made military service compulsory for all adult men. Professional conscripts were sent to serve in local areas. The standing army allegedly totalled up to or more than one million men [7]. The most serious military threat to the Han came from the nomadic peoples to the north, namely the Xiongnu Confederation, who raided Han territory extensively. Emperor Wu launched a series of costly campaigns against the Xiongnu; eventually, the war waged by him and his successors split up the Xiongnu, forcing the southern tribes to surrender and accept patronage, while the northern tribes were driven westward. By the end of Wudi's reign, the Han army controlled territory that stretched from the Aral sea to the Pacific, from Lake Baikal to Vietnam. The Han army also campaigned in Vietnam and Western Sichuan, but struggled with malaria, mountainous terrain and general unsuitability to the terrain. Campaigns in Western Sichuan against the Qiang, another nomadic people that threatened the empire, were also routinely conducted. Command was given to both professional generals and generals of noble birth; the tradition of professional generals had been established [14] since the fifth century BCE, two centuries before the Han. Discipline in the Han army was strict; Commanders who retreated without their troops and deserters were executed.[15][16]. During the time of the Eastern Han, professional and emergency conscription would be abolished in favor of a purely volunteer professional army.
Both armies could deploy large numbers of troops into battle. For the battle of Chalons, the Romans fielded some 50,000 men[17]. During the Battle of Arausio, the Roman Republic fielded up to 70,000 soldiers[18].
In the battle of Mobei (119 BCE), China fielded 300,000 troops, along with about 500,000 porters, auxiliaries, servants, and other support elements. In the battle of Mayi, China also fielded about 300,000 troops. China's army benefitted from the fact that the Chinese were the first to invent the horse harness, which allowed grain to be transported overland in massive quantities, unlike the Romans who relied on sea transport.[11].
The compositions of the two armies were different. The Roman army was predominantly heavy infantry, composed of legionaries supported by equal number of auxiliaries, and a proportionally smaller number of skirmishers and cavalry. The Roman army was fighting mainly infantry-on-infantry encounters; influenced by the tradition of the Greeks, the Roman army was mainly composed of heavy infantry, skilled in hand-to-hand combat.[19]
Both armies engaged in many campaigns. The Roman army was first challenged by the Gauls. Later, its eastern and southern expansion put it into contact with the Carthaginians and Greeks. These encounters lead to the development of heavy infantry tactics. In the later part of the Empire, the Roman army had to deal with cavalry foes such as the Persians and Huns, with mixed results. This prompted the introduction of heavy cavalry in the Roman army. [20]
The Han army was born from a peasant rebellion, and at its beginning was composed mainly of light infantry and crossbowmen. After the wars of the Chu-Han contention, however, its primary enemy was the Xiongnu. In fighting these nomadic barbarians, the Han army introduced heavy cavalry and large support elements; infantry was relegated to defence of the cities. [21].
Chinese professor Bo Lin, in his comparison of the Han and Roman Empires, states[22]
In comparing the two armies on a comprehensive scale, if the two armies were to clash, the Han army would most likely be initially successful. History seems to confirm this. Han Wu Ti drove out the Xiongnu, who then conquered the Germans, who eventually conquered the Roman Empire. However, this direct combat advantage by the Han army may not translate into a strategic advantage. In the "Cambridge history of war", the Roman army was shown to be weak in only two areas, valleys and flat plains. In other conditions it was very adaptive and resourceful. The Han army is based mainly on warfare with the Northern nomads, so it is fit for fighting in plains but will perhaps not be effective in other areas. In addition, in the era of cold weapons, the advantage of technology rarely lasts. As the war goes on, the technological advantage of the Han army may be negated. A long conflict will involve much more factors than simply military technology, such as the amount of reserves, as well as political and financial stability.
