Daqin meets Seres

It has come to my attention that China apparently is big in the news lately. With their industrial capacity, their industrious mulititudes of people and their rising technical prowess, its becoming more clear that China is ready to shed its 20th century political wardrobe of communism for something more silky: western culture.

What you may not have known, however, was how long ago western civilization actually came into contact with Cathay. Here are some excerpts from Wikipedia regarding Romes embassies to China in the 2nd Century AD:

Sino-Roman relations started first on an indirect basis with the opening of the Silk Road during the 2nd Century BC. China and Rome progressively inched closer with the embassies of Zhang Quin in 130 BC and the military expeditions of China to Central Asia, until general Ban Chao attempted to send an envoy to Rome around 100. Several Roman embassies to China were recorded by a number of ancient Chinese historians. The first one on record came from the Roman Emporer Antoninus Pius and arrived in AD 166.

Now doesn't that just get your juices flowing? We can only speculate how history might have changed if say Christianity took root in China instead of in the West as it did in the church's early history. There is more:

Intense trade with Roman Empire followed soon, confirmed by the Roman craze for Chinese silk (supplied through the Parthians) from the 1st century BC, even though the Romans thought silk was obtained from trees:

"The Seres (Chinese), are famous for the woolen substance obtained from their forests; after a soaking in water they comb off the white down of the leaves... So manifold is the labour employed, and so distant is the region of the globe drawn upon, to enable the Roman maiden to flaunt transparent clothing in public" (Pliny the Elder (23-79, The Natural History).

The Senate issued, in vain, several edicts to prohibit the wearing of silk, on economic and moral grounds: the importation of Chinese silk caused a huge outflow of gold, and silk clothes were considered to be decadent and immoral:

"I can see clothes of silk, if materials that do not hide the body, nor even one's decency, can be called clothes... Wretched flocks of maids labour so that the adulteress may be visible through her thin dress, so that her husband has no more acquaintance than any outsider or foreigner with his wife's body" (Seneca the Younger (c. 3 BC - AD 65, Declamations Vol. I).

And you thought only Americans were puritan in spirit and body. Once again from the Roman point of view:

The Roman historian Florus also describes the visit of numerous envoys, including Seres (Chinese), to the first Roman Emperor Augustus, who reigned between 27 - 14 BC:

"Even the rest of the nations of the world which were not subject to the imperial sway were sensible of its grandeur, and looked with reverence to the Roman people, the great conqueror of nations. Thus even Scythians and Sarmations sent envoys to seek the friendship of Rome. Nay, the Seres came likewise, and the Indians who dwelt beneath the vertical sun, bringing presents of precious stones and pearls and elephants, but thinking all of less moment than the vastness of the journey which they had undertaken, and which they said had occupied four years. In truth it needed but to look at their complexion to see that they were people of another world than ours." ("Cathey and the way thither", Henry Yule).

From the Chinese point of view:

In 97, the Chinese general Ban Chao crossed the Tian Shan and Pamir mountains with an army of 70,000 men in a campaign against the Xiongnu (Huns). He went as far west as the Caspian Sea and the region of Ukraine, reaching the territory of Parthia, upon which event he reportedly also sent an envoy named Gan Ying to Daqin (Rome).

Gan Ying left an account on Rome, which may have relied on second-hand sources. He locates it to the west of the sea:

"Its territory covers several thousand Li (a li is around half a kilometre), it has over 400 walled cities. Several tens of small states are subject to it. The outer walls of the cities are made of stones. They have established posting stations... There are pines and cypresses." (Hou Hanshu, cited in Leslie and Gardiner).

He also describes the Roman practice of democracy, their physical appearance and riches:

"As for the king, he is not a permanent figure but is chosen as the man most worthy... The people in this country are tall and regularly featured. They resemble the Chinese, and that is why the country is called Da Qin (The "Great" Qin)... The soil produced lots of gold, silver and rare jewels, including the jewel which shines at night.. they sew embroidered tissues with gold threads to form tapestries and damask of many colours, and make a gold-painted cloth, and a "cloth washed-in-the-fire" (asbestos)." (Hou Hanshu, cited in Leslie and Gardiner).

Thus the Orient meets the Occident nearly 2000 years ago. Perhaps as the 21st century progresses we too will see the Chinese embrace democracy and look towards the West which ultimately and ironically could bring both civilizations together, possibly even as allies against a far greater enemy that has yet to be revealed.