As we know,
after Alexander’s death, Egypt
was ruled by Ptolemy and his
descendents. Among them, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, his son, still carried on in the footsteps of this father. He
was pharaoh of Egypt
from 283 to 246 BC.
It was during
that time that the port of Berenice or Baranis – in honor of his
mother Berenice I - was founded on
the west coast of the Red Sea. Over time, this
city grew to become an important trading center that was active along the east
coast of Africa as well as Arabia and faraway India.
I thought this
was quite remarkable since we usually look at Egypt from the Mediterranean point
of view rather than from its eastern boarders. As a result of the long Wars of the Diadochi, elephants had become a major weapon, the tank of antiquity
and this is exactly why the harbor
of Berenice
was so important.
The trading
activities of Berenice have been described in detail by a Greek merchant from
Alexandria
in the 1st century AD. His voyages carry the resonating title Periplus
of the Erythraean Sea in which he covers the coastline south of Berenice
but also all the way to the Horn of Africa, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea
and the India Ocean. It is hard to imagine how in those early days of the Roman
Empire, a trading route existed with the Sindh region of Pakistan (roughly around today’s Karachi conquered by Alexander)
and southwestern India!
Archaeologist
recently carried out excavations around a temple dedicated to Isis and Serapis
in Berenice.
They unearthed several marble and stone artifacts including images of Serapis.
Most surprisingly are the heads that imitate work from Asian Gandhara,
i.e., roughly parts of modern Pakistan
and Afghanistan.
They also uncovered the statue of Sebiymeker, the supreme god of procreation
and fertility from Meroe in modern Sudan. This
Nubian god was generally found near doorways and for that reason has been
interpreted as being a guardian god.
Indo-Roman trade via Egypt was extensive. Rome imported spices, rice, precious stones, ivory, silk and cotton, live animals like monkeys and birds, whereas India mostly imported gold coins ( still found buried in Western coastal areas of South India)but also peridots, figured linens, copper, tin, lead, coral, raw glass, wine, olive oil and pretty girls. The balance of payment was so much in favour of India that Roman politicians and historians are on record complaining of the loss of silver and gold to cater to the Roman wives' love for Indian luxuries. Pliny the Elder, in 77 CE, even called India “the sink of the world's gold!”.
ReplyDeleteHere is the link to a blog that gives an extensive overview on this trade:
https://sreenivasaraos.com/tag/ancient-trade-between-india-and-rome/
(Please delete my comment on your 16th December post, it was a mistake)
Great to read you again, Kalpana!
DeleteAs always you are bringing a precious contribution to the Asian side of the world and how it is linked to our Western historians.
Very much appreciated!