What if the Roman Empire had Spread Further?

Sissco

Banned
I've a senario in my head of the Romans spreading Further! Imagine if they had managed to defeat Persia, make their armies march eastwards and take the whole of India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia and march their armies all the way to the Chinese border...Would Rome have been able to handle the Might of ancient China? Could China handle the power of Imperial Rome?

What If Rome had made a peace deal with the Vikings and learned from them how to make better sailing vessels? Could the Empire have been preserved and saved and unified and possibly expaneded the other way by the use of the Long boats and the Roman Vessels of war? Could the Romans have spread their people and empire accross the seas all the way to Iceland, Greenland and possibly have even had a few trading posts in America?

I'm just throwing a few Ideas out!

sissco
 

Sissco

Banned
Thank you for you're reply.....I just wondered how posssible would it be for rome to expand that far....I now know that the Empire would've struggled to get even beyond Persia!!! However, I have always wondered which Empire would've come out on top in a full scale war.....Ancient China or Ancient Rome?

Just asking!!!!

Thanks

sissco
 

Sissco

Banned
Thanks......It's one of those "What if's", I've always had! as far as I know the Romans traded with china but they used middle men along the silk road and they never actually met a Chinese person!!! Still, History woud've been more interesting if Roman and Chinese Armies had actually met!!!!

sissco
 
If we're talking OTL Rome, then I agree. This is basically a Romewank, having said that, however, if Alexander lived long enough to consolidate his hold over the Persian Empire, I could see a situation arising where the Romans view the Greco-Persians a potential enemy and invade. If the Romans are successful, then I could see them at least ATTEMPTING an invasion of India or China.Whether or not they are successful is another question, however, but this scenario is at least plausible, I think.
 
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Sissco

Banned
Very very interesting senario that I didn't think of!!! I wonder just how well known the Roman Empire was outside Europe? I mean surely the tribes of North America would've known nothing of the Roman Empire?

BTW what does "OTL" mean? LOL It's a new term for me! sorry!!!!
Sissco
 
Very very interesting senario that I didn't think of!!! I wonder just how well known the Roman Empire was outside Europe? I mean surely the tribes of North America would've known nothing of the Roman Empire?

Sissco

So far as anyone knows, the Romans never even tried to reach North America, but what I find interesting is that on more than one occaision, the Romans recieved embassies from China and sent embassies of their own to China, in return, so the Chinese and the Romans where at least periferally aware of each other, although to what extent, is uncertain.
 

Sissco

Banned
This Mike....you'v made me feel welcome around here by not treating me as stupid!! Thank you for that!!! BTW one more Question, If I may....Any Idea what group of people, or who nation existed in what is todays Russia at the Time of the Roman Empire? I wonder would they even remotely have know of the Roman Empire's existance?

Thanks

Sissco
 
This Mike....you'v made me feel welcome around here by not treating me as stupid!! Thank you for that!!! BTW one more Question, If I may....Any Idea what group of people, or who nation existed in what is todays Russia at the Time of the Roman Empire? I wonder would they even remotely have know of the Roman Empire's existance?

The Romans would mostly have been aware of the horse nomadic peoples of the southern steppes - the Alans, Sarmatians and possibly other tribes further east. One of them, known to the Romans as the Aorsi and allied to them in their wars against the Sarmatians in the mid-first century AD, may be known to Chinese sources as Yen Ts'ai (I think it's Wade-Giles, but damn old books!). Beyond the horse tribes in the forest belt, hunter-gatherers and transhumant reindeer herders lived, but there was little or no contact. The Romans were aware of the existence of Finno-Ugric peoples in the Baltic and would not have been surprised to meet similar peoples farther east. THe Baltic Finno-Ugrians would certainly have been aware of Rome: Roman luxury goods fill entire cases at the Finnish National Museum in Helsinki. They traded amber for all kinds of stuff, likely mostly through Germanic middlemen.

Generally, if you can get it, there is a very nice (though by now a bit dated) book by N-H.H. Sitwell: Outside the Empire: The World the Romans Knew. Fascinating stuff.
 
The main problem of all huge empires in ancient times is logistics, communications, and influence over its far flung regions. You can have the largest army in the world beaten by a force ten times smaller if the larger army can't feed itself and is forced to retreat. Without a good communication system throughout the Empire, one province may be attacked and it takes months/years for the news to reach the capital or large enough military base. By the time they respond it would be too late. If they Empire is too large, it can't encompass all the regions under its control with its influence, and no doubt if there is another advanced country the could try to incite the region into anarchy or rebel.
 
Carlton Bach is correct. The Greeks established cities on the shores of the Black Sea, and no doubt would have come into contact with nomadic tribes of hunter gatherers. Doubtless, some of these accounts would have been written down and eventually would have been passed down to the Romans when the Roman Empire conqured Greece, but Russia as we know it didn't start to emerge until 8th Century AD.
 
How long would it take, given optimal conditions, to send a message from Rome to Beijing and receive a reply?
 

Sissco

Banned
Something,

YOu made sense in your post. sometimes I forget how long it took for news to reach Rome, itself, from areas such as Britain, North Africa, Spain,Germania, and possibly what Is todays Iraq! (I think Iraq was part of the Roman Empire but I've no proof)

Carlton,

Your post was etremely interesting and showed me how connected the planet was, even in the days of Rome!!! it was very very fasinating!

Generally, if you can get it, there is a very nice (though by now a bit dated) book by N-H.H. Sitwell: Outside the Empire: The World the Romans Knew. Fascinating stuff.

I may search for this book and mabye get it from Amazon.....thanks for the tip

Sissco
 
Rome did have a couple of trading ports that they used in India but logistically trying to conquer Asia would be impossible for Rome. Not to mention the bulk of the army would be away when the Germans arrive.
 
YOu made sense in your post. sometimes I forget how long it took for news to reach Rome, itself, from areas such as Britain, North Africa, Spain,Germania, and possibly what Is todays Iraq! (I think Iraq was part of the Roman Empire but I've no proof)

Mesopotamia (where modern Iraq is located) was under Roman control during Trajan's rule for a brief time.
 
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