Here’s what third-century China thought about the Roman Empire

Third - one C China got around the ancient world . They even made it to the Roman Empire , and write down their thoughts on these strange alien in theWeilüe , a third - century C.E. write up of the interactions between the two nations . Here ’s what China had to say about their imperial neighbors !

From a translation bythe University of Washington ’s John E. Hill :

This rural area ( the Roman Empire ) has more than four hundred smaller metropolis and townspeople . It reach out several thousand li in all focussing . The power has his chapiter ( that is , the city of Rome ) close to the mouthpiece of a river ( the Tiber ) . The prohibited walls of the city are made of stone .

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This region has pine tree , cypress , sophora , catalpa , bamboo , Reed , poplars , willow , parasol trees , and all sorts of flora . The people cultivate the five grains [ traditionally : rice , viscous and non - gummy Jean Francois Millet , wheat and noodle ] , and they rear sawbuck , scuff , donkey , camels and silkworms . ( They have ) a tradition of amazing conjuring . They can get firing from their mouths , bind and then free themselves , and hoodwink twelve balls with extraordinary acquisition .

The ruler of this country is not permanent . When disasters leave from unusual phenomena , they unceremoniously replace him , installing a virgin human beings as king , and loose the one-time king , who does not dare show resentment .

The common people are marvellous and virgin like the Chinese , but wear hu ( ‘ Western ’ ) clothes . They say they originally came from China , but leave behind it .

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They have always need to put across with China but , Anxi ( Parthia ) , jealous of their lucre , would not allow them to fall out ( through to China ) .

As a Romance and Classics swot , I ’m weirdly gratified for the ancient Chinese to give them such a estimable limited review . Here ’s a verbal description of some of Rome ’s trade goods :

This country develop o.k. linen . They make gold and silver coins . One golden coin is adequate to ten silvery coin .

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They have okay brocaded cloth that is said to be made from the down of ‘ body of water - sheep ’ . It is called Haixi ( ‘ Egyptian ’ ) fabric . This nation produces the six domesticated animal , which are all say to come from the water .

It is said that they not only expend sheep ’s wool , but also bark from tree , or the silk from violent cocoon , to make brocade , mats , muckle rugs , woven cloth and curtains , all of them of good quality , and with brighter colours than those made in the countries of Haidong ( “ East of the Sea ” ) .

moreover , they on a regular basis make a profit by obtaining Chinese silk , unravelling it , and make fine hu ( ‘ Western ’ ) silk damasks . That is why this land trades with Anxi ( Parthia ) across the eye of the ocean . The brine is acerbic and ineffective to be drunk , which is why it is rare for those who seek to make contact to reach China .

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And here ’s even the directions how to get there :

The kingdom of Da Qin ( Rome ) is also telephone Lijian . It is west of Anxi ( Parthia ) and Tiaozhi ( Characene and Susiana ) , and west of the Great Sea .

From the metropolis of Angu ( Gerrha ) , on the frontier of Anxi ( Parthia ) , you take a boat and cut straight across to Haixi ( ‘ West of the Sea ’ = Egypt ) . With golden winds it make two month ; if the breaking wind are slow , perhaps a twelvemonth ; if there is no wind , perhaps three years .

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The country ( that you reach ) is Dame Rebecca West of the ocean ( haixi ) , which is why it is called Haixi ( literally : ‘ West of the Sea ’ = Egypt ) . There is a river ( the Nile ) flux out of the Rebecca West of this nation , and then there is another enceinte sea ( the Mediterranean ) . The metropolis of ( Wu ) Chisan ( Alexandria ) is in Haixi ( Egypt ) .

From below this country you go north to reach the city of Wudan ( Tanis ? ) . You ( then ) lead southwest and foil a river ( the Sebannitus branch of the Nile ? ) by gravy holder , which takes a day . You head sou’west again , and again queer a river ( the Canopis outgrowth of the Nile ? ) by gravy holder , which take another daylight . There are , in all , three major cities [ that you come to ] .

Now , if you pass on the city of Angu ( Gerrha ) by the overland route , you go north to Haibei ( ‘ North of the Sea ’ – the lands between Babylonia and Jordan ) , then west to Haixi ( Egypt ) , then wrench in the south to go through the metropolis of Wuchisan ( Alexandria ) . After crossing a river , which takes a day by boat , you encircle around the coast ( to the region of Apollonia , the port wine of Cyrene ) . ( From there , i.e. the region of Apollonia ) six day is generally enough to cross the ( second ) great sea ( the Mediterranean ) to accomplish that land ( Da Qin = Rome ) .

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