The Roman Empire and the Indian Ocean: The Ancient World Economy & the Kingdoms of Africa, Arabia & IndiaThis study of ancient Roman shipping and trade across continents reveals the Roman Empire’s far-reaching impact in the ancient world. In ancient times, large fleets of Roman merchant ships set sail from Egypt on voyages across the Indian Ocean. They sailed from Roman ports on the Red Sea to distant kingdoms on the east coast of Africa and southern Arabia. Many continued their voyages across the ocean to trade with the rich kingdoms of ancient India. Along these routes, the Roman Empire traded bullion for valuable goods, including exotic African products, Arabian incense, and eastern spices. This book examines Roman commerce with Indian kingdoms from the Indus region to the Tamil lands. It investigates contacts between the Roman Empire and powerful African kingdoms, including the Nilotic regime that ruled Meroe and the rising Axumite Realm. Further chapters explore Roman dealings with the Arab kingdoms of southern Arabia, including the Saba-Himyarites and the Hadramaut Regime, which sent caravans along the incense trail to the ancient rock-carved city of Petra. The first book to bring these subjects together in a single comprehensive study, The Roman Empire and the Indian Ocean reveals Rome’s impact on the ancient world and explains how international trade funded the legions that maintained imperial rule. |
What people are saying - Write a review
Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified
LibraryThing Review
User Review - deusvitae - LibraryThingA thorough analysis of Roman trade with Africa, Arabia, and India, illuminating a very important dimension of the economic vitality of the early Roman Empire. The book begins roughly: it starts with ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - d.r.halliwell - LibraryThingI had been reading a number of conventional popular histories of Rome, and I had been struck by the repeated references to Roman traders on the fringes of empire whose main function seems to be to get ... Read full review
Contents
The Scale and Significance of Indian Ocean Trade | |
International Business | |
East Africa and the Aksumite Kingdom | |
Southern Arabia and the SabaHimyarites | |
Arabia Felix and the Hadramawt Kingdom | |
The IndoParthians | |
The Saka and Satavahana Kingdoms | |
The Tamil Kingdoms of Southern India | |
A Unique | |
Petra and the Nabataeans | |
The Nile Route and the African Kingdom of Meroe | |
The Red Sea Route | |
The Anuradhapura Kingdom of Sri Lanka and the Far East | |
The Antun Embassy to China and the Antonine Pandemic | |
Other editions - View all
The Roman Empire and the Indian Ocean: The Ancient World Economy and the ... Raoul McLaughlin No preview available - 2018 |
The Roman Empire and the Indian Ocean: The Ancient World Economy and the ... Raoul McLaughlin No preview available - 2014 |
Common terms and phrases
Africa Alexandria amount ancient Arabia army Augustus authority balsam became brought bullion called cargo carried century coast coins collected commerce confirms cost customs denarii describes early east eastern Egypt Egyptian Emperor expensive explains exports foreign frankincense frontier further gold grain Greek imperial important incense income India inscription involved island Italy ivory King Kingdom known land managed Martial Mediterranean mentions miles military million sesterces myrrh Nabataeans named Ocean offered operations pearls pepper perfumes period Periplus Persian Pliny political population port probably produced profits provinces Ptolemy quantities reached received records Red Sea regime region remains reports revenues River Roman Empire Roman merchants Roman ships Rome route royal sailing sent silver southern stones Strabo suggests supplies Tamil temple territory tons took trade vessels visiting voyages wealth wine writes