The Greeks in Bactria and India c10.s7.93

c10.s7.93

With trade between India and the West⁴ in the period of Greek rule we reach firmer ground. Earlier times need not detain us here. The export from India of ebony and other woods,⁵ of peacocks, and doubtless of some spices, was very old, and in the third century under the Mauryas there must have been a regular export trade to the Greek West, though it cannot be said how large it was: Indian ivory continued to reach the Aegean till Ptolemy II threw enough African ivory on the market to break the price and secure the trade for himself;⁶ Indian spices came to Egypt; Ptolemy II exhibited Indian dogs and cattle in his triumph.⁷ So long as Egypt held the Phoenician ports the overland commerce from the East through Seleuceia partly enured for her benefit; to this period may belong the epitaph, once seen at Harūnabad near Kermanshah in Media, of a Greek merchant from Samaria in the Fayûm who was working the land-route.⁸ But what needs considering here is the increase of trade after Northern India passed under Greek rule, and especially certain things which happened round about 100 B.C.; the caravan which came through from China in 106 B.C. was not the only phenomenon of importance at the turn of the century. One must first get clear about the sea-route.