{"id":9873,"date":"2023-10-25T10:00:16","date_gmt":"2023-10-25T09:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.learnancientrome.com\/?p=9873"},"modified":"2023-10-25T10:00:16","modified_gmt":"2023-10-25T09:00:16","slug":"what-was-china-called-in-ancient-rome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.learnancientrome.com\/what-was-china-called-in-ancient-rome\/","title":{"rendered":"What Was China Called In Ancient Rome"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Historica Context<\/h2>\n

The history of China is a rich and complex one, filled with numerous theories and debates about its origin and early contacts with other nations. In ancient times, China was known by different names, depending on the era and region. In ancient Rome, it was known as ‘Serica’ or ‘the Land of Silk’, due to being the primary source of the luxurious fabric. It also had other names such as ‘Tsin’, ‘TsinTsin’, or ‘TsinTan’.<\/p>\n

In the West, China was first mentioned in 205 BC by Greek wordsmith and geographer Strabo. He referred to it as both ‘Serica’ and ‘Capture of the Seres’ in his writings. This name appears also appears in other ancient texts, such as the 1st century AD Roman poet Ovid’s “Metamorphoses”, where he describes the journey of Phrixus, the son of Athamus, who rode a flying ram provided to him by his father. Phrixus travels the world, visits many countries, and when he reaches the furthest east, he comes to ‘Seres, a powerful people’. Other Roman records also make references to the country of the Seres, which is now considered a reference to China.<\/p>\n

Relationship With Europe<\/h2>\n

Historically, China was not well known to the West until the 18th and 19th centuries. Chinese goods and merchandise, however, had been traded in Europe since the 7th century, with contact between China and Europe via the overland Silk Road. From the 11th to 14th centuries, the Mongols ruled much of China, and played a crucial role in the trade between East and West.<\/p>\n

In addition, Chinese culture had a notable presence in Europe for centuries. This is evident in the architectural presence of pagodas, in the various art and ceramic pieces from China present in Europe, and in the transmission of Buddhism from China to Europe. However, despite the cultural spread and commercial ties, China was largely isolated from Europe until the 18th and 19th centuries.<\/p>\n

Contact with the West<\/h2>\n