10-05-2006, 12:05 PM
The Han crossbow mechanism looked more like modern triggers, not like Medieval nut locks with their pulling rod.
Whether the Chinese would not have been impressed with Greco-Roman culture I am not sure. Actually, until the voyage of Zheng to the Kushan (late 2nd century BC), the Chinese knew very little of the outside world, that is India, Persia, Central Asia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and the whole Mediterranean. To be not impressed of all these cultures would have rather meant cultural ignorance.
Actually, the Romans mostly bought only raw silk and then worked it for their markets with their own looms at Antiochia (Syria). So, perhaps they were not overtly impressed with Chinese artisanship either, who knows? There was almost no direct interaction between these two cultures.
Certainly though the Romans left a disproportionaly greater architectural heritage, both in quantity and quality:
http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic. ... highlight= [/pre]
Whether the Chinese would not have been impressed with Greco-Roman culture I am not sure. Actually, until the voyage of Zheng to the Kushan (late 2nd century BC), the Chinese knew very little of the outside world, that is India, Persia, Central Asia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and the whole Mediterranean. To be not impressed of all these cultures would have rather meant cultural ignorance.
Actually, the Romans mostly bought only raw silk and then worked it for their markets with their own looms at Antiochia (Syria). So, perhaps they were not overtly impressed with Chinese artisanship either, who knows? There was almost no direct interaction between these two cultures.
Certainly though the Romans left a disproportionaly greater architectural heritage, both in quantity and quality:
http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic. ... highlight= [/pre]
Stefan (Literary references to the discussed topics are always appreciated.)
