How Far East Did the Romans Go? (India, Vietnam, China?) DOCUMENTARY [29:11]

YouTube ^ | February 1, 2026 | Invicta

[SunkenCiv]

An exploration of Rome's travels in the far east. Get "The Book: The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding Civilization" https://mdsh.io/invictahistory and use code "Invicta" for 10% off.

In this history documentary we seek to answer how far to the east did the Romans go? In previous episodes we covered the preceding links between the east and west which had been formed. Now we follow Roman traders into India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, China, and beyond! 

How Far East Did the Romans Go? (India, Vietnam, China?) DOCUMENTARY | 29:11 
Invicta | 1.66M subscribers | 131,135 views | February 1, 2026

---

TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: china; flatearthjoke; flatearthmorons; godsgravesglyphs; india; japan; muziris; raoulmclaughlin; romanempire; romantrade; vietnam

[SunkenCiv]

YouTube transcript reformatted at textformatter.ai *may* follow. I've got it all ready, but it runs a little long.

[SunkenCiv]

The weekly digest list of topics is up top.

[SunkenCiv]

The other GGG topics added since the previous digest ping, alpha:

• Deer Skull Headdress Highlights Neolithic Community Exchange [02/19/2026]
• Fed Judge Rules George Washington Home Must Call Him a Racist Because of "Harm and Anxiety" [02/17/2026]
• $525K flag that covered Abraham Lincoln's casket finds home -- in NYC steakhouse [02/15/2026]
• Fossils of huge 'hell heron' dinosaur unearthed in Niger [02/20/2026]
• George Washington [02/22/2026]
• Iron Age hoard to go on public display this summer [02/16/2026]
• Judge tells US National Park Service to reinstall Philadelphia slavery exhibit [02/16/2026]
• Paleolithic Teenager Likely Died in Bear Attack [02/18/2026]
• Prehistoric killer superbug discovered in 5,000 -- year -- old ice is resistant to 10 modern antibiotics, study warns [02/17/2026]
• Why George Washington Should Still Inspire Every American [02/16/2026]

[Leaning Right]

I once saw a documentary that claimed at least one Roman soldier made it to the New World. But to be honest, it didn’t look very believable.

[Bobbyvotes]

Vasco Da Gamma, the Portuguese sailor did the longest voyage around the world.

[SunkenCiv]

https://freerepublic.com/focus/chat/4359148/posts

[SunkenCiv]

He didn’t circumnavigate the Earth. The distance he traveled around Africa to India and back exceeded the length of the Equator.

Vasco da Gama
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasco_da_Gama

[ComputerGuy]

You can buy Roman noodles in the Asian food section at the grocery.

[SunkenCiv]

One of the New Kingdom pharaohs of Egypt commissioned a Phoenician circumnavigation of Africa, which was re-enacted in recent years. The Carthaginians voyaged out into the Atlantic and planted some colonies along the west coast of Africa while exploring at least as far south as Cameroon. And of course, this topic about the Roman trade in the Indian Ocean has related topics listed in the Raoul McLaughlin keyword.

https://freerepublic.com/tag/herodotus/index

https://freerepublic.com/tag/periplusofhanno/index

https://freerepublic.com/tag/raoulmclaughlin/index

[PGR88]

From GROK

The 166 CE “Roman” mission to China — The most direct evidence of “Romans” visiting Han China comes from the Book of the Later Han (Hou Hanshu). It records that in 166 CE, during the reign of Emperor Huan, envoys from “Andun” (almost certainly Antoninus Pius or his successor Marcus Aurelius) of Daqin arrived by sea via Rinan/Jiaozhi (in what is now northern Vietnam/southern China). They presented tribute gifts of ivory, rhinoceros horn, and tortoiseshell.

Historians debate whether these were official imperial envoys or simply Roman/Egyptian/Levantine merchants claiming higher status to gain better trading privileges. Either way, this marks the only well-documented case of people from the Roman world physically reaching the Han court.

Archaeological evidence — Roman coins (from the 1st century CE onward), glassware, silverware, and medallions (including from Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius) have been found at Han-era sites in China and in Jiaozhi (Vietnam). This confirms that Roman-manufactured luxury goods traveled all the way east, almost certainly via sea routes through India/Southeast Asia or overland Silk Road trade.
Other claims — Theories like captured Roman legionaries from the 53 BCE Battle of Carrhae ending up as mercenaries in Central Asia and then settling in China (e.g., the “Liqian village” hypothesis with supposed Roman descendants) have been largely debunked by modern DNA studies and lack supporting archaeology.

In short: individual Roman subjects (likely merchants or traders) almost certainly visited or reached Han-controlled areas, and at least one group made it to the imperial court in 166 CE. But no large-scale, official Roman diplomatic or military visit to the heart of Han China (like Chang’an/Luoyang) ever occurred, and direct overland journeys from Rome were effectively impossible due to distance, politics, and intermediaries. The empires traded goods and ideas at arm’s length across thousands of miles.

[SunkenCiv]

I was roamin’ through that aisle just the other day.

[arthurus]

By conquest they got to Persia. By trade they got just about anywhere there waa something profitsble.

[SunkenCiv]

One of the Han emperors attempted diplomatic contact by sea and an alliance against the Parthians. That one arrived in the Persian Gulf just after Hadrian abandoned the short-lived province of Mesopotamia.

[frank ballenger]

The Romans went far enough to prove the Earth is flat. Turned back before falling off the edge. That saved the cannoli for us today.

[telescope115]

“Leave the gladius-take the cannoli”…

[telescope115]

Roman spear points have been found on Oak Island, Nova Scotia.

[frank ballenger]

Ah, such timeless advice.
👍

[frank ballenger]

But for Roman candles you need to go to a fireworks sales tent. Is that fair? 🎆🎇🧨

[frank ballenger]

Hah. Watch it or people will read gags like that and think they’re from Frank Ballenger.

[ComputerGuy]

I actually have two Roman candles left over from a trip to Alabama. They’re almost twenty years old. Tomorrow I’ll find out if they still work. I had forgotten them until now.