Tag: ancient-rome
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The Roman Empire’s Maritime Trade in its Golden Period (30 BC–166 AD)
The popular image of the Roman Empire, often shaped by its historians, centres on its emperors: Augustus, its founder; the notorious Caligula and Nero; the stabilising Hadrian, known for his walls, including the one along Scotland’s border; and the philosophical Marcus Aurelius. Military campaigns, Jewish rebellions, and the drama of Antony and Cleopatra dominate historical…
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The Engine of History: Maritime Trade – Two Mediterranean examples
History often celebrates kings, queens, and wars. Such narratives obscure a quieter force: maritime trade. In the 6th–2nd century BC and 11th–15th century AD, Mediterranean ports, not battlefields, fueled economic and cultural prosperity, laying the foundations for the Roman Empire and Renaissance Europe. Two examples—Carthage’s trade empire and Venice’s commerce with Alexandria—reveal how merchants, not…
Nick Collins 