Did the Roman Empire and the Chinese Empire communicate with each other?

The two largest empires in the ancient worldor that Roman and that Chineseknew about mutual existence, but the direct contact among them was precluded from the presence of thePersian Empirewho had all the interest in putting himself as a mediator between Rome and China, above all to maintain control over the Silk way in central Asia. The two empires exchanged with each other luxury goodsand the mediation of Persia also allowed the latter to enrich itself.

Although historical and archaeological sources point out how Starting from the first century A.D Commercial contacts between Rome and the Kingdoms of ancient India were quite narrow, with the presence of Roman merchants in the subcontinent and perhaps of Indian merchants in the emporiums of Red Seathe same cannot be said regarding China. The direct contact between the Roman and Chinese empire, which at the time was right by Han Dynastyit was impossible, since the main commercial streets of Central Asia were in the hands of the Persian Empire, governed by Parthistorical enemies of Rome.

However, it cannot be excluded that Commercial contacts between Roman and Chinese merchantsperhaps mediated by Indian intermediariescould take place in India or in Indochine. The presence of products of Mediterranean origin is archaeologically attested in the territories of the current Vietnamat the time part of the Chinese empire, and even in theJapanese archipelagoalthough more likely they were brought there by Chinese merchants. In geographical terms, most likely, The Romans did not know precisely where China was, and vice versa.

The good imported from China most appreciated in Rome was of course the silk. It is a material that is not preserved in the archaeological level, so what we know we have to written sources. Possessing clothes made in this precious light fabric was an important status symbol within the Roman society of the imperial era. The use of silk caused scandal in the most conservative fringes of Roman society, due to the fact that this fabric was coveted by Women of the aristocracy. Here’s how the philosopher Seneca (4 BC immoral:

Here are the clothes of silk, if you can call the clothes of the fabrics in which there is nothing that can protect the body or at least the modesty, that a woman, wear them, would sucking to swear that she is not naked.

The mental association between the silk and the empire of the East was such, that in Latin, it was referred to that land by calling it it Sericaliterally the “Silk land“The Chinese instead particularly appreciated the products in glass and in silver coming from the Mediterranean. The presence of these assets is archaeologically attested on Chinese territory.

As well as commercial, most likely Rome and China also understood diplomatic ties. The Chinese Empire recognized the Roman one like his peerand it can also be seen from the deadline with which the Chinese called Rome, or Daqinliterally “the big Qin“. The term with which in China was referred to one’s empire was just Qintherefore connote Rome with the same term denotes one equal position. A flaking of the Seresas the Romans called the inhabitants of the Sericais attested to the time of August (31 BC – 14 DC), while At the end of the first century A.Dat the time of the emperors Nerva (96-98 d. C.) e Trajan (98-117 d. C.), a Chinese explorer named Gan Ying He went to the Roman territories in Mesopotamia and Syria.

The first true diplomatic contact documented by the Chinese sources took place in 166 d. C.when a group of emissaries, or more probably Roman merchants, went to the presence of the emperor Huan (146-168 AD). Here’s how the source describes the meeting:

The king of this state has always wanted to relate to Han. But the parties wanted to trade with them in the silk of the HAN and placed obstacles on their way, so as not to have direct contacts. It was so until the ninth year of Yanxi, under the reign of Emperor Huan, when Andun, king of Daqin, sent an ambassador beyond the frontier of the Rinan, and offered an elephant zanna, a rhinos horn, and a turtle shell. It was only then that communications were established.

Considering the year in which this meeting took place, 166 AD, “King Andun“It can be identified as the emperor Antonino Pio (138-161 AD), or his successor Marcus Aurelio (161-180 AD), also known as “Antonino”. It is mentioned how the group passed the border of Rinanwhich was the Chinese name with which the southernmost province of the Empire was called, corresponding to the current Vietnam, an area in which the presence of Mediterranean goods is archaeologically attested. In addition, these merchants brought them with them gifts clearly coming from Africasignaling how probably travelers who came through the Indian Oceanin the well -known commercial network that connected the coasts of the Red Sea with India.

Subsequently, other Roman ambassadors in China are attested by the Han sources during the third century. d. C. Subsequently, in a sporadic way, contacts are remembered between the Chinese Empire andRoman Eastern Empire (Byzantine), to whom the Chinese referred to the term “Fulin“, probably Chinese transliteration of the word with which the Persians referred to the Roman Empire of the East, or”frwm“, literally” Rome “.