Question

Write about the relations between India and Rome. 

(a) Literature (Source of Information)

(b) Trade relations

Answer 1

(a) Literature (Source of Information): 

• A Sailor’s handbook of his sea travels is known as ‘Periplus of Erythrean Sea’ (Latin name: Periplus Maris Erythraei). 
• The ancient cities like Bharuch, Sopara, Kalyan, etc., are mentioned in this periplus. 
• There are other texts ‘Geographia’ written by the Greek mathematician-geographer Claudius Ptolemy, Tndica’

(b) Trade relations:

• The Indo-Roman trade had begun to grow. The silk route and the ports on the south and west coasts of India played a vital role in this trade. 
• The records of the Greek historians mention a group of merchants, who paid a visit to the court of the Roman Emperor Augustus. 
• The coin hoards found in Tamil Nadu had Roman gold coins in them, but they were valued for their gold. 
• Nero, the Roman emperor had paid one million gold coins for a single chalice of emerald of Indian made.
• Pliny the elder had expressed concern about that the drain of gold from Rome into India. 
• Strabo tells us that animals such as snakes, hunting dogs, tigers, elephants, birds like parrots and peacocks, things like hides and horns of rhinoceros, expensive textiles, pearls, ivory, and  spices, etc. from India were in great demand. 
• Apart from the Roman gold coins, many other things like lead, zinc, corals, wines, olive oil were the Roman imports coming to India.
• Cities like Paithan, Ter, Kolhapur, Bhokardan in the Jalana district were important trading centers.