Chen Siwe,
Suzhou University of Science and Technology
Abstract
It can be inferred from the Muziris Papyrus that the goods in Eastern maritime trade were not always luxuries. The practitioners, such as the debtors and the creditors, were quite rich. With the advent of Pax Romana, the increase of consumption, the boost of political electoral campaigns, and the prevalence of extravagant lifestyles, the Eastern maritime trade became more important in the Roman economy. Every year as much as 2 billion cargoes were shipped to Roman Empire and the imperial fiscal revenue benefited greatly. In short, the Eastern maritime trade in the early period of the Roman Empire was more complex and greater in scale than it used to be imagined.
Key Words: Eastern maritime trade; early empire economy; Muziris Papyrus