Roman Trade Drained Imperial Wealth

Nearly 2,000 years ago, the Roman Empire faced a trade deficit with a major outflow of gold and silver through its booming trade with India, as Romans eagerly imported spices, silk, precious goods, and other luxuries from the East. Roman writer Pliny the Elder complained about this "drain" of wealth, estimating that India, China, and Arabia together took 100 million sesterces from the empire each year to satisfy Roman demand for luxury goods. Indo-Roman commerce expanded dramatically after Rome conquered Egypt in 30 BCE, with as many as 120 ships eventually sailing from the Egyptian port of Myos Hormos to India each year.

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