Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c24.10

v1.c24.10

The coins of the Roman emperors Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero found in the South Indian collection (Madras Museum) are numerous. During the regimes of Vespasian and Titus, the trade was feeble. The trade again picked up its momentum — Domitian to Hadrian (AD 76-138). Marcus Aurelius (AD 161-180) caused the second break in trade on account of adverse trade balance, plague, war expenses etc. Actually he sold the gem collections of Hadrian, and the Christian Church also influenced the citizens against the wearing of costly gems. This break lasted till the reign of Commodus (AD 192), after which the last phase of the Indo-Roman trade started which was eventually terminated by the Arabs and Persians. (Schoff, 1912: 219-20; Warmington, 1928: 81-90, 103)