Americans and Europeans, just like Romans, have always been intrigued by magical practices from exotic foreign lands.
Historian Elizabeth Ann Pollard explains that Rome didn’t have regular contact with India or Kush due to the challenging travel conditions. The valuable goods traded between these regions included spices, gems, silk, gold, and unique animals.
Trade between Rome and India/Kush was at its peak in the first and second centuries CE. Some Roman writers were concerned about trading gold for luxury items like spices, which they believed weakened Rome’s international standing. For instance, Pliny the Elder criticized Empress Lollia Paulina for her excessive use of emeralds and pearls obtained through trade with India. Interestingly, Lollia was accused of practicing magic in 49 CE.
As political instability, Persian influence, and diseases disrupted long-distance trade, Romans started viewing Indian spices as expensive but ordinary ingredients. This perception shifted in later centuries as trade became more difficult, leading to an increase in fantastical ideas about distant lands.
More Affairs
According to Pollard, scholar David Frankfurter noted how traditions from Egypt that were once part of a complex social and economic system became seen as mysterious and exotic in Rome. The wisdom of eastern cultures was now viewed as incomprehensible and intriguing.In the 3rd century, Roman writer Philostratus talked about Apollonius of Tyana’s supposed trips to India and Kush long ago. According to Philostratus, Apollonius met wise people, found magical spices like cinnamon that made goats friendly, and discovered mythical creatures like griffins and phoenixes in India.
Another story by writer Apuleius from the 2nd century tells about Meroe, an innkeeper who could turn men into animals and stop rivals from getting pregnant. Apuleius accused her of using love spells to attract locals, Indians, Ethiopians, and even people from the other side of the world. Apuleius named the witch after the capital of Kush.
Pollard suggests that Meroe’s name and her unusual choice of partners reflect tensions over a place that provided sought-after goods and a lack of information about where these goods came from for Roman consumers.
