List of Plates............................................ vi
Acknowledgements......................................... vii
Abbreviations............................................viii
Ancient Figures and Modern Estimates........................... ix
Ancient Greek and Roman Authors.............................. xi
Maps................................................. xiii
Introduction: The Ancient Economy..............................xvii
1. Revenue and the Roman Economy......................... 1
2. Roman Prosperity..................................... 18
3. Incense: A Unique Product.............................. 28
4. The Intermediaries: Petra and the Nabataeans................. 50
5. Beyond Egypt: The Nile Route and the African Kingdom of Meroe. . 59
6. The Red Sea Route.................................... 73
7. The Scale and Significance of Indian Ocean Trade.............. 88
8. International Business.................................. 95
9. East Africa and the Aksumite Kingdom...................... 113
10. Southern Arabia and the Saba-Himyarites.................... 128
11. Arabia Felix and the Hadramawt Kingdom...................140
12. The Indo-Parthians.................................... 150
13. The Saka and Satavahana Kingdoms........................ 157
14. The Tamil Kingdoms of Southern India..................... 172
15. The Anuradhapura Kingdom of Sri Lanka and the Far East....... 196
16. The Antun Embassy to China and the Antonine Pandemic........ 207
Conclusion: Assessing the Roman Economy...................... 218
Appendix A: The Roman Economy..............................226
Appendix B: Reconstructing Roman Revenues.......................228
Appendix C: The Expense of the Roman Legions.....................230
Notes.................................................232
Bibliography.............................................266
Index.................................................270
World History
