Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread: What if contact between Rome and China had been more than what it had been?

  1. #1

    Default What if contact between Rome and China had been more than what it had been?

    Relationship between Rome and China did not entail much mutual understanding it seems.

    What if there had been more profound mutual knowledge between the two greatest empires of the Late Antiquity? What if both nations actually tried harder to contact each other and succeeded? Would peace ensue? Or would it be war? Would this have had any macrohistorical impact?

    Discuss this hypothesis here.

  2. #2
    hellheaven1987's Avatar Comes Domesticorum
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    The Hell called Conscription
    Posts
    35,615

    Default Re: What if contact between Rome and China had been more than what it had been?

    What peace?? Joint military campaign against Sassanid??
    Quote Originally Posted by Markas View Post
    Hellheaven, sometimes you remind me of King Canute trying to hold back the tide, except without the winning parable.
    Quote Originally Posted by Diocle View Post
    Cameron is midway between Black Rage and .. European Union ..

  3. #3

    Default Re: What if contact between Rome and China had been more than what it had been?

    If I'm not mistaken that IS the reason why the Persians tricked the Chinese ambassador into thinking that ROme was far, far away when he was right at her doorstep, fearing that being ganged up by the two biggest empires since sliced bread would equal fate worse than Carthage for them.

    The cunning bastards...

  4. #4
    hellheaven1987's Avatar Comes Domesticorum
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    The Hell called Conscription
    Posts
    35,615

    Default Re: What if contact between Rome and China had been more than what it had been?

    Blah, I never see such claim before (so bring out sources). Besides, I really fail to see how things would be better if the contact was more frequency, consider the great distance between two states.
    Quote Originally Posted by Markas View Post
    Hellheaven, sometimes you remind me of King Canute trying to hold back the tide, except without the winning parable.
    Quote Originally Posted by Diocle View Post
    Cameron is midway between Black Rage and .. European Union ..

  5. #5

    Default Re: What if contact between Rome and China had been more than what it had been?

    In 97 CE, a Chinese envoy named Gan Ying, sent by the general Ban Chao, made his way from the Tarim Basin to Parthia and reached the Persian Gulf. Gan Ying left a detailed account of western countries, although he apparently only reached as far as Mesopotamia, then under the control of the Parthian Empire. While he intended to sail to the Roman Empire, he was discouraged when told that the dangerous trip could take up to two years. Deterred, he returned home to China bringing much new information on the countries to the west of Chinese-controlled territories.
    Two years might as well have been an exaggeration IMO. And it certainly wouldn't have been as dangerous as the journey from China Mainland to the Mesopotamia.

    However, the last lines are just my assumptions. Could be wrong.

  6. #6
    hellheaven1987's Avatar Comes Domesticorum
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    The Hell called Conscription
    Posts
    35,615

    Default Re: What if contact between Rome and China had been more than what it had been?

    Quote Originally Posted by Argeus the Paladin View Post
    Two years might as well have been an exaggeration IMO. And it certainly wouldn't have been as dangerous as the journey from China Mainland to the Mesopotamia.

    However, the last lines are just my assumptions. Could be wrong.
    Link, I need link.
    Quote Originally Posted by Markas View Post
    Hellheaven, sometimes you remind me of King Canute trying to hold back the tide, except without the winning parable.
    Quote Originally Posted by Diocle View Post
    Cameron is midway between Black Rage and .. European Union ..

  7. #7

    Default Re: What if contact between Rome and China had been more than what it had been?

    Quote Originally Posted by hellheaven1987 View Post
    Link, I need link.
    Not really a link but there's a map



    The Mesopotamia i.e. Iraq today is at the near-end of the Silk Road. From then on it would be a short walk to Roman land:



    I'm VERY sure Roman law was pretty strict compared to the fairly lawless land that Gan Ying had crossed up to that point. There would have been no band of organized robber at the very least.

    In short, if he had persevere for at most six more month he'd be in Roman land. And then, perhaps a cruise across the Mediterannean to see the Emperor in person? I'm sure at that time the Roman emperor were pretty nice guys.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •