Roman Palmyra as a hub of trade and commerce. Material, epigraphic and numismatic evidence

Kropp, Andreas

Abstract

Under Roman hegemony over the Near East, the oasis city of Palmyra in the Syrian desert rose quickly from obscurity to opulence and established itself a ‘caravan’ city, a vital hub for long-distance trade between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea. As epigraphic and archaeological evidence from Palmyra shows, the city’s fortunes were tied up with long-distance trade, and its elite found ingenious ways to establish Palmyra as an indispensable node on a vital trade route. This is reflected also in the extraordinary presence of high-quality Chinese silk.

Citation

Kropp, A. (2025). Roman Palmyra as a hub of trade and commerce. Material, epigraphic and numismatic evidence. In Reimagining the Silk Roads: Interactions and Perceptions Across Eurasia (65-78). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003348702

• Online Publication Date: Dec 10, 2024
• Publication Date: Jan 13, 2025
• Deposit Date: Dec 14, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 17, 2024
• Publisher: Routledge
• Pages: 65-78
• Book Title: Reimagining the Silk Roads: Interactions and Perceptions Across Eurasia
• Chapter Number: 5
• ISBN: 9781032391311
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003348702
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/43006573
• Publisher URL: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.4324/9781003348702-7/roman-palmyra-hub-trade-commerce-andreas-kropp?context=ubx&refId=3c0dd8a2-be56-4f99-8cdf-f547d29f6f1c
• Additional Information: J. Henderson, S. Morgan and M. Salonia (eds.)