By the time when Wang Mang put an end to the Western Han Dynasty in the year 8 CE, the Roman Empire had been newly founded by Octavian, who was similar in many ways to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty – Liu Che. Both were talented young men. Liu ascended the throne at 15, and in his 20s he began turning Confucianism into the dynasty’s guiding thought, and started fighting the Xiongnu. He had accomplished these two tasks before turning 49. Octavian became a military leader at 19, consolidated the fragmented state at 32, and set up a complete system for the Roman Empire before his 47th birthday