Battle of Zhizhi: How a Rome vs. Han Empire Clash Became Possible? (36BC）

How could Rome's legions, the pinnacle of heavy infantry, ever clash with the army of the Han Empire?
Yet, the Battle of Zhizhi in 36 BC provided the one, incredible moment in history where this collision could have happened.
This is not just a historical mystery; it is a rigorous geopolitical investigation. This film deconstructs the two fateful timelines that put these empires on a collision course:

53 BC: Rome's catastrophic defeat at Carrhae exiles Crassus's "Lost Legion" to the East; that same year, the Xiongnu Empire fractures, forcing Zhizhi Chanyu west.
36 BC: Mark Antony launches his own disastrous campaign of revenge against Parthia; that same year, a Han general, Chen Tang, forges an imperial edict to launch a decapitation strike on Zhizhi's fortress.

Two unauthorized, desperate campaigns, half a world apart, that finally made the collision possible. And how does this entire epic story connect to a young courtier named Wang Mang?


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🧭 EXPLORE THE CHINA PUZZLE NARRATIVE UNIVERSE

This video is part of our "Narrative Universe." To understand the Golden Age they served and the chaos they survived, watch our other flagship epics:

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CHAPTERS
00:00 - Intro: The 5,000km Collision
[00:52] - Part 1: The Romans in Central Asia? (53 BC)
[05:21] - Part 2: The Han Empire in Kazakhstan?
[08:55] - Part 3: Where Was Zhizhi?
[13:50] - Part 4: How Did the Han Army Get There? (Chen Tang's Gambit)
[17:26] - Part 5: Did They Meet? (The "Fish-Scale Formation" Mystery)
[22:56] - Part 6: The Possible Ending? (The "Lost Legion" Theory)
[26:30] - Part 7: The REAL Ending? (The Geopolitical Truth & Wang Mang)

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