Rome vs Han essay- want get some opinions

[Felix]

The emphasis on missile weapons vs. melee weapons quite likely had a lot to do with potential enemies. While both empires confronted enemies with lots of horse archers, in the case of China those archers have always been a very serious threat, able to readily attack into the core of the empire. In the case of Rome, the Parthians lacked the means to hold Syria, let alone truly threaten the empire. Rome also had a number of serious enemies to the north, who fought in a very different fashion. Barbarians from the north, had, of course, sacked Rome in the past, and were seen as a major threat.

The naval differences are in part related, I suspect, to the fact that the Roman navy worked in the Mediterranean sea, whereas most Chinese naval warfare has been riverine.