Romans in China

[Riain]

I once read that Chinese mariners had a knowledge of the east African coast all the way down to Sofala in the 3rd century BC (I think, it may have been AD, but even that impresses me).

Did the Romans use the Red Sea at all?

 

[Archdevil]

For the trade to India.

There were apparantly Roman trade posts in India.

There was also a failed attempt to capture Arabia Felix (modern Yemen) in the first century BC IIRC.

 

[Riain]

The Monsoon trade-wind sea-route was known before the brith of Christ, so it wasn't too hard to sail from the horn of Africa to the west coast of India. So all the ingredients are there for Romans to travel to China and Chinese to travel to Rome.

I don't know if I can believe that intact units of Romans were fighting the Chinese in the Persian army though, that might be pushing it.