04-05-2008, 02:38 PM
There's a probable account of a westerner reaching China earlier than 635. According to the annals of the Han dynasty, people claiming to be from the court of Marcus Aurelius arrived in the in 166. We don't know their names, but they were more likely merchants claiming a royal connection to boost their credibility with the Han emperor rather than emissaries from Rome.
On the note on how much Roman consumption of silk boosted the Chinese economy, it's difficult to say. Pliny said that it drained the Romans of 100 million sesterces every year, which is perhaps an overstatement, but who can be sure? In any case, much of that money went into the middlemen. I'd be surprised if the Chinese saw half of that. The Parthians charged a 20-25% tariff on all silk, and they were just one of many middlemen in the journey.
On the note on how much Roman consumption of silk boosted the Chinese economy, it's difficult to say. Pliny said that it drained the Romans of 100 million sesterces every year, which is perhaps an overstatement, but who can be sure? In any case, much of that money went into the middlemen. I'd be surprised if the Chinese saw half of that. The Parthians charged a 20-25% tariff on all silk, and they were just one of many middlemen in the journey.
Ethan Gruber
