Daqin and Seres.

What if Chinese envoy Gan Ying, instead of allowing himself to be discouraged by his Parthian associates, ventured further west and visited Roman territory 97 C.E.? Or perhaps after capturing Parthian territory beyond Ctesiphon, scouts from Trajan's forces rode the distance to eastern Persia and made contact with the Chinese garrisons established their by the Han Protector-General Ban Chao? How much would increased relations between Imperial Rome and Han China have shaped the future?
 
They can't "forbid knowledge" of the Chinese to the Romans when they were both already aware of each others existance in the first place. The Parthian officials just lied to Gan Ying so the Parthian Empire could maintain their position as the middlemen of the Silk Road Trade. I was wondering what "if" he ignored their false warnings and how it might influence the cultural development of both empires if they maintained regular and direct contact.
 
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They can't "forbid knowledge" of the Chinese to the Romans when they were both already aware of each others existance in the first place. The Parthian officials just lied to Gan Ying so the Parthian Empire could maintain their position as the middlemen of the Silk Road Trade. I was wondering what "if" he ignored their false warnings and how it might influence the cultural development of both empires if they maintained regular and direct contact.

How could they maintain contact, with the Parthians in the way?
 
Like Carlton said, there was always the sea route, where the Roman and Egyptian and Hellene sailors would set off from the harbours along the Red Sea coastline when they traded with the Hindu kingdoms. And if Hadrian had the manpower to retain Trajans conquests in Mesopatamia with it's connection to the Persian Gulf, then perhaps there may have been more frequent contact with merchants from further east than India. Also, a war-torn and demograghically depleted Parthian Kingdom with an obedient Roman puppet King on the throne would make that a likely outcome.
 
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