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Rome knew of China. Alexander was headed to China originally but got only as far as India.

5 posted on 07/18/2004 8:56:25 PM PDT by RightWhale (Withdraw from the 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty and establish property rights)

"Alexander was headed to China originally but got only as far as India."

I saw an article a while back speculating that Alexander died of West Nile Virus.

China sent an ambassador who only got as far as Mesopotamia, arriving when Rome wasn't in charge there (Roman dominion stretched to the Persian Gulf for only three years; Hadrian abandoned it). There's plenty of evidence of trade, and some evidence that workers from India were brought to the Red Sea coastal colonies. India had plenty of trade, there's even an ivory figurine from India found buried in Pompeii. The Chinese Han court recorded a visit from a Roman trader from the time of Marcus Aurelius (I believe that was the emperor).

11 posted on 07/18/2004 9:12:22 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Unlike some people, I have a profile. Okay, maybe it's a little large...)