Romans and Indian Ocean Trade

GdwnsnHo

Banned
Hey,

I've been lurking around for a bit, and I've found the idea of Romans conquering Arabia Felix curious, my understanding of the OTL Romans in the Indian Ocean Trade networks sums up as... We Like To Buy Shiny Indian Goods.

I'm curious as to

a) What the trade relationship was? (if anyone has a better idea than I've gleaned)

b) What effect having Arabia Felix would have had in terms of Romes relationship with Indian Ocean Trade?
 
IIRC there's quite a lot about the Indian Ocean Trade involving the Romans in The Shape of Ancient Thought by Thomas McEvily.

He argues for a cross pollination of ideas between Rome and India. He argues I remember that he argues that the Greek Philosopher Plotinus who studied in Alexandria in his youth was influenced by Indian ideas including the Upanishad.

I seem to remember he also suggests that there were Roman merchants in India.
 
Hey,

I've been lurking around for a bit, and I've found the idea of Romans conquering Arabia Felix curious, my understanding of the OTL Romans in the Indian Ocean Trade networks sums up as... We Like To Buy Shiny Indian Goods.

I'm curious as to

a) What the trade relationship was? (if anyone has a better idea than I've gleaned)

Same as Europe's trade relation with Asia always was up to the late 18th C.

Precious metals for Asian trade goods.

A massive cache of European gold (including Roman gold) was recently unearthed at a temple in Kerala which just underscores this relationship.

Pliny actually complained that "India, China and the Arabian peninsula take one hundred million sesterces from our empire per annum at a conservative estimate: that is what our luxuries and women cost us. For what fraction of these imports is intended for sacrifices to the gods or the spirits of the dead?"
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
I seem to remember he also suggests that there were Roman merchants in India.

Yep, there were. That's been definitively established by solid historical evidence. For one thing, Roman coins have been found in many places in India and Sri Lanka.
 
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