Ancient China and Rome: 1000 Years of Contact // DOCUMENTARY

Voices of the Past・2 minutes read

Nestorian monks brought silk secrets to Emperor Justinian from China, aiming to free Byzantium from Persian silk intermediaries and change the ancient world's economy. The encounter between the Eastern Roman Empire and China led to the establishment of the Silk Roads, connecting isolated communities and facilitating trade, showcasing the interconnectedness of civilizations through ancient silk routes.

Insights

Nestorian monks brought the secret of silk production to Emperor Justinian in 550, offering to free Byzantium from Persian silk intermediaries and revolutionize the ancient world's economy.
The encounter between the Han Dynasty in China and the Uag, with captives like Jung Chen embracing foreign customs, led to expeditions into the Tarim territories and the beginning of the Silk Roads, connecting isolated communities through trade.
Despite Gan Ying's failed mission to reach Rome, the interaction between Roman representatives in China in 161 AD hinted at potential alliances against Parthia, showcasing the interconnectedness of civilizations through peaceful commerce and trade routes.

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What secret did Nestorian monks bring to Emperor Justinian?
Silk production knowledge.

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Summary

00:00

Monks bring silk secret to Emperor.

Nestorian monks claimed to have traveled to Central Asia, encountering the Silk People and the city of Surrender in China, bringing back a secret to Emperor Justinian in 550.
The monks were escorted through the imperial court, searched for weapons, and reached the reception hall to meet Justinian, who was reviving Roman fortunes in the Eastern Roman Empire.
The monks revealed they knew the secret of silk production, offering to bring back silk worms to Byzantium, potentially freeing the empire from Persian silk intermediaries.
Silk was a prized fabric in the ancient world, lighter, stronger, and smoother than other materials, with vibrant colors and delicate weaves.
The monks' journey aimed to change the ancient world's economy by providing Byzantium with the means to produce silk independently.
The encounter between the Eastern Roman Empire and China was not the first, with centuries of influence and potential conflict between the two empires.
Herodotus' descriptions of one-eyed men and griffins in Central Asia could have been influenced by ancient remains and myths from the region.
The Gobi Desert and Mongolian steppe were desolate regions beyond ancient China, crucial for the empire's need for horses.
The Han Dynasty in China faced a lack of horses, leading to dependence on steppe nations like the Uag for cavalry support.
The clash between the Shangnu and Uag, with the latter fleeing westward, prompted Emperor Wu of Han to seek foreign allies and control the steppe.

18:44

Silk Roads: Han Empire's Expansion and Trade

By 128 BC, the Shangnu had Chinese captives, including Jung Chen, who seemed resigned to their fate in the mobile settlements resembling small towns with yurts.
Jung Chen, captured 10 years earlier, had failed his mission and accepted his detainee status, embracing foreign customs and raising his son accordingly.
Assigned by Emperor Wu to locate the Uag in the west, Jung Chen fled with his family and followers, enduring hardships in the Palmer Mountains and the Fergana Valley.
Alexander the Great reached Sogdiana in 330 BC, establishing Alexandria Escote as a Greek-style capital and military post on the edge of settled civilization.
Alexander's pursuit of nomad horsemen led to his illness from dysentery, halting his advance into the unknown steppe and solidifying Alexandria Escote as a frontier city.
Zheng Chen's journey to the Fergana Valley led to encounters with the Da Yuan, who recognized the Chinese and directed him to the Uag in the Upper Oxis steppe.
In Bactria, Zheng Chen found disintegrating Greek kingdoms with classical origins, including Ai Kanum, showcasing Greek architecture and temples.
Zheng Chen's return to China in 124 BC brought astonishing reports of new landscapes, people, and products, leading to the introduction of foreign vegetation and commodities.
The Han army's march to Alexandria Escote in 102 BC aimed to acquire Greco-Bactrian horses, crucial for enhancing Chinese military strength and power.
The Han Empire's conquest of the Hershey Corridor, expeditions into the Tarim territories, and acquisition of Fergana horses marked the beginning of the Silk Roads, connecting isolated communities and facilitating trade.

38:03

Silk, Soldiers, and Roman Ambitions in East

Wool fiber grew in foreign trees, and Virgil described eastern groves where Ceres combed fine fabrics from strange leaves.
Merchants, sailing from Egypt to India, provided information about silk, but beyond the Ganges was uncertain.
The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, a Greek merchant guidebook, noted the difficulty in reaching the land of silk, with few visitors.
Roman soldiers viewed Chinese silk as a symbol of triumph, while some considered it a wasteful display.
Marcus Crassus, a Roman general, faced the Parthians at the Battle of Karai, where the fearsome silk-clad cavalry defeated the Roman army.
Parthians believed Crassus sought plunder, leading to his defeat and the capture of Roman prisoners.
Survivors of Karai looked to Julius Caesar for rescue, but political intrigue and betrayal surrounded the fallen legionaries.
The theory of Roman soldiers in Li-jian, China, suggested by Homer Dubs, remains unproven despite ancient records hinting at their presence.
Caesar's plans for a Persian conquest to avenge Crassus were cut short by his assassination, ending the Roman ambitions in the East.
Roman consumerism, driven by elite spending on silk and other luxuries, led to economic strain and the draining of Roman resources towards the East.

56:05

Roman and Chinese Empires: Trade and Diplomacy

The private council of Emperor Vespasian, including Pliny and colleagues, debated the impact of diminishing Roman wealth due to commerce, which generated essential tax revenues for the military regime.
A worn Latin military inscription in the Pharasan Islands near Saudi Arabia marked the furthest Roman outpost, guarded by the Legio VI Ferrata, hinting at possible Roman conquest routes.
Emperor Trajan conquered Dacia in AD 106, adding gold mining districts to the Roman economy, while also extending Roman interests into the Indian Ocean and seizing trade routes through inner Asia.
Trajan's legions in Syria conquered Nabataea, gaining control over Petra and the incense trails, possibly planning further conquests into Babylonia and Arabia.
A Greco-Roman geographer, Claudius Ptolemy, created a map of the East based on reports from a merchant named Maius, detailing trade expeditions to China and the Cerica region.
Trajan's conquests in the East led to speculation about the Cerica region, with Roman wives concerned about silk supplies and Trajan considering the region in his imperial plans.
Han envoy Gan Ying embarked on a secret mission to establish contact with the Roman Empire, reaching the Persian Gulf but failing to locate Roman ships or establish a route to Rome.
Protector General Ban Chao's efforts to restore Chinese control over the Tarim territories and establish diplomatic connections with the Kushan Empire paved the way for further exploration westward.
Chinese silk trade with India revealed Roman objects trafficked through Bactria, showcasing Roman glass-making superiority and prompting the selection of envoy Gan Ying to establish contact with Rome.
Despite Gan Ying's failed attempt to reach Rome, the encounter with Roman representatives in China in 161 AD marked a unique interaction between the two empires, hinting at potential alliances against Parthia.

01:14:56

Kushan-Roman Alliance: Contact, Trade, and Conflict

Kushan Empire's potential alliance with Romans against a mutual enemy was considered.
The question of how to contact the distant empire of the Ceres arose.
Roman ships were now navigating around Sri Lanka to reach Eastern India and cross the Bay of Bengal.
Ptolemy used merchant information to map Southeast Asia, including the Malay Peninsula.
A shortcut across the Malay Peninsula was discovered, leading to trade vessels reaching Vietnam and Southern China.
Ptolemy produced a basic outline map of Southeast Asia, including the likely site of a great inland capital known as Sinui.
In AD 166, a Roman ship circumnavigated the Malay Peninsula and entered the South China Sea.
The exhausted Romans encountered a militarized empire in Han China, marveling at their advanced infrastructure and steel weaponry.
The Han Emperor received envoys from Rome, but the gifts presented raised suspicions about Rome's wealth.
The Antonine disease, an ancestral form of smallpox, devastated the Roman Empire, leading to a mortal crisis and weakening its control over the northern frontiers.

01:32:59

Silk routes linked civilizations through trade.

Silk routes connected Fergana frontiers to China and Rome, fostering a vast world economy through commercial networks.
Contact between Rome and China occurred through peaceful commerce due to interconnected trade routes.
The ancient silk routes facilitated the spread of devastating plague and chaos alongside wonders, highlighting the interconnectedness of civilizations.

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