Ancient Globalization

I am currently in Honors Civilization Music 201, which is a review of past cultures, their music and art, and the impact that they caused in both their future and in our modern day. Earlier, we talked about the Roman Empire and the time when it was at its height. But, when they moved the capital from Rome to Constantinople, the entire Western side of Europe was overrun by barbarians, and the area became lawless. This allowed germanic tribes to come down much later, and establish themselves there. The remaining empire around Constantinople is now known as the Byzantine Empire, and their culture was entirely different from that of Western Europe. This made me realize the large impact that different cultures have over one another. If the capital had not been moved, today we would be a different people. Entire nations would have developed differently, and in different areas. In a more personal perspective, I could be speaking a different language, listening to different music, looking at different art, all because of something that happened across the oceans. The same applies to changes that are happening in China, because they are the strongest economic force right now in the world, and technological advances in even little countries can lead to an all-out nuclear war. We not only have to think about ourselves, but also our children and their children, because everything that happens in the world now, will impact them in ways that we will not be able to foresee, just as changing the location of a capital changed history.