Rome and the Indian Ocean Trade from Augustus to the Early Third Century CE

Erscheinungsjahr 2018
ISBN: 978-90-04-37309-9
Verlag: Brill

Buch, Englisch, Band 418, 356 Seiten, Format (B × H): 162 mm x 238 mm, Gewicht: 647 g

Reihe: Mnemosyne, Supplements / Mnemosyne, Supplements, History and Archaeology of Classical Antiquity

In Rome and the Indian Ocean Trade from Augustus to the Early Third Century CE Matthew Adam Cobb examines the development of commercial exchange between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean worlds from the Roman annexation of Egypt (30 BCE) up to the early third century CE.
Among the issues considered are the identities of those involved, how they organised and financed themselves, the challenges they faced (scheduling, logistics, security, sailing conditions), and the types of goods they traded.
Drawing upon an expanding corpus of new evidence, Cobb aims to reassess a number of long-standing scholarly assumptions about the nature of Roman participation in this trade. These range from its chronological development to its economic and social impact.

Autoren/Hrsg.

A Cobb, Matthew

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Wirtschaftsgeschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Alte Geschichte & Archäologie Geschichte der klassischen Antike Römische Geschichte
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Wirtschaftswissenschaften Wirtschaftsgeschichte

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Acknowledgements
List of Tables, Maps and Figures

1 Introduction
Scope of the Book
Key Themes
Scholarly Developments
Approaching the Evidence
Summary

2 The Ptolemies and the Erythra Thalassa
Early Ptolemaic Activity in the Red Sea
Voyages over the Open Ocean: The Monsoon Trade Winds
Increasing Trade
Ptolemaic Monopolies
Ptolemaic Egypt and the Port of Arikamedu
Ptolemaic Routes and Facilities
Summary

3 Organisation and Finance
Merchants and Financiers
The Scale of Investment
Ship Design and Construction
Summary

4 The Roman State and the Indian Ocean Trade
Facilitating the Trade
Administration and Security
Roman Military and Diplomatic Policy
The Imperial Family’s Commercial Interests?
Summary

5 Trade Routes and Merchant Diasporas
Trading Routes and Schedules
Merchant Diasporas
Romans in the Far East
Summary

6 Imports
Imports from the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean Goods and Roman Society
Summary

7 Exports
Exports from the Mediterranean World
Roman Coins in India

8 Rome’s Trade Balance with India
A Roman Trade Deficit?
The Significance of Gold and Silver as Exports
Ballast and Stowage
Crew Provisions
Summary

9 The Peak of Roman Trade in the Indian Ocean
Roman Participation in the Indian Ocean Trade: The Second and Third Centuries
Archaeological Evidence: The Dating of Roman Exports
Archaeological Evidence: The Red Sea Ports and the Eastern Desert Fortlets
Interpreting the Chronological Patterns

10 Conclusion
The Development of Roman Trade in the Indian Ocean
Schedules, Practicalities and Roman Diasporas
Indian Ocean Goods and Roman Society
Barter and Bullion
The Peak Period of Roman Trade
Afterword

Bibliography
Index

Über Autor(innen)

Matthew Adam Cobb, Ph.D. (2012), Swansea University, is a lecturer of Ancient History at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. He has published several articles relating to the nature of Roman participation in the Indian Ocean trade.