The World at That Time: Global Context
To truly appreciate Rome’s significance, we must first look at the world it inhabited. The period of Rome’s ascendancy was not an empty stage but a vibrant era of powerful, sophisticated civilizations across the globe. Understanding this landscape is essential to seeing Rome as part of a larger story of ancient history, rather than its sole protagonist.
In the East, the Han Dynasty in China (206 BCE – 220 CE) was a contemporary powerhouse. Like Rome, it governed a massive, diverse population, built extensive infrastructure, and faced challenges from nomadic peoples along its frontiers. The Han and Roman empires were the two dominant “bookends” of Eurasia, indirectly aware of each other through the long and perilous trade routes collectively known as the Silk Road. Between them lay a tapestry of influential kingdoms.
The Parthian Empire (247 BCE – 224 CE), and later its successor, the Sassanian Empire (224–651 CE), controlled the critical territory of modern-day Iran and Iraq. These Persian empires were Rome’s most formidable and consistent rivals. They were not mere obstacles but sophisticated equals who controlled the overland trade routes to the East. Their constant military and diplomatic struggles with Rome shaped the political map of the Near East for centuries.
Further south and east, the Indian subcontinent was a hub of cultural and economic activity. The Kushan Empire (c. 30–375 CE) flourished in what is now Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India, strategically positioned at the crossroads of Chinese, Indian, and Persian worlds. They facilitated trade and the spread of ideas, most notably Buddhism, along the Silk Road. In Africa, south of Roman-controlled Egypt, powerful kingdoms like the Kingdom of Kush (in modern Sudan) and the rising Kingdom of Aksum (in modern Ethiopia and Eritrea) controlled trade routes along the Nile and the Red Sea, connecting the Mediterranean world with the riches of sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean.
Meanwhile, in the Americas, civilizations were developing on entirely separate trajectories. The Classic Period of the Maya civilization in Mesoamerica was underway, marked by the growth of city-states with stunning pyramids and advanced knowledge of astronomy and mathematics. In the Andes, cultures like the Moche were creating sophisticated art and irrigation systems. Their stories remind us that human history has always been a polycentric, multi-threaded narrative.
