Washington sentinel., 1899-07-22
IT,, - SENTINEL
The Ancient Romans and the
Chinese.
.Asiatie QgayksyY Rsvisw.

ASfaftc Q@aTtSyfT ReYzs~.
The Greeks and Romaps h d
but a vague knowledge OF China.
1t was to them the silk producing
country, somewhere in the FAR
East; but with the exception Of one
author, Pausanias, their writers |
were actually unaware that silk
was the product of caterpillar.
1t app ars that the Parthlans were
the Intermediates in the silk trade;
and in their desire to keep this
traffic in their hands, they discour.
aged communication between the
East and West. The ordinary
name given by the Romans to the
Chinese, namely, the Seres, is sup
posed to come from the Chinese
word for silk. The other ancient
term Tor th EN-, the Sine, seems to
have reached Europe bv way of
the Malay Islands and India; and
the Sln9 were wrongly believed to
be different patton from the
Seres, living more in the South.
A third title by which China has
been known in Europe, namely,
Cathay, is much more recent, and
belongs to medieval times. 1t
came to us through Persia, and is
derived from the ki-tai or ki-tans,
a Tartar race who subjugated
North China and ruled there from
GOT to 1903 A. d.
Let US now look at the Chinese
side. About 70 A. D. was one OF
the prosperous periods, when China
attained its greatest expansion,
Its armies then traversed Central
Asia and reached the shores ofthe
Caspian. In these distant eXpedi-
tions they heard Of the Romans,
OF whom they speak in the highest
terms. The Romans are described
in Chinese books Of those days as
simple and upright, and as never
having two prices for their goods.
Everything precious and admir-
able in other countries comes from
their land. Ambassadors to their
Government are PROVIDED by them
with carriages, and furnished with
money for expenses. The Chinese
called the Roman Empire by the
name Of Ia tsIn, of which term no
satisfactory explanation has ye,
been suggested. Their knowledge
of the Roman world at that time
was not very accurate, as may be
seen from the fact that they thought
Antioch was the capital OF the km.
pire. But as this city was the seat
of the Proconsul who governed
the Oriental Provinces, the mis-
take was not unnatural.
A few centuries later a Chinese
work notes that Ta-tsin (i. e.
Romel IS now called fAlI1. 1t is
generally believed that this fRkp
was the Greek bokIH. and referred
to COnstantinople. There is no
mention OF any embassy sent from
China to Rome, except that the
Roman poet Florus enumerates
the Seres among those whose am
bassadors came with presents to
Augustus. But It generally held
that the poet was incorrect in say
ing this. On the other hand, the
Chinese recOrd-and the statement
seems to meet with full acceptance
that IN 100 A.D. an embassy ar
rived bv sea from the Emperor
M rCus AurelIus, whom they style
An.tun--I. c. AntOnInus. 1t is a
most curious TACT that this EN-.
bassy was dispatched at all, and
still NOR so that It came ~ the
way OF the Indian Ocean, and en-
tered China from the south. De.
tails are gwen concerning the EN-
oassy. The gifts which Il brought
apparently articles from the
tropical East-are mott led as being
oi little value.
Among the travellers from the
west VINO made the long overlan d
journey one must not forget the
missionaries OF the Nestorian
Church. The FIRST OF these are be-
lirVed to have arrived IN China as
early as sos A. D. In 55I A D.
sIlkwOrms' eggs were brought 10
Constanunople by a monk who
had resided many years IN China.
The famous HISTORIAN Tablet dis
covered n the old capital is a not
able record Of their missions. This
great stone gives a description in
Chinese Of tue Christian religion,
and IN SyTIac writing on It are the
names OF number Of priests. The
tablet affords proof that when It
was engraved, IN 78I A. D., the
HISTORIANS were in nigh favor al
court. Bur II was not all sunshine
with them; Tor in the year 84s a
decree was issued commanding
the HISTORIAN priests, 900 in num-
Der, to retire INTO private lIie. Still
the religion was not crushed out.
1t appears from Marco Polo that in
the thirteenth century they were
both numerous and held in high
esteem. They were a.so to be
fouRd at the courts Of the Mongol
princes IN Tartary, as the Roman
Catholic missionaries who visited
those princes discovered very
mucI TO their cost. After tho days
OF the MongOls the HISTORIANS dis
appe lred from China. Oh the fruits
of their laOOrs here is at the pres
ent day not one solitary trace re-
naming.
London and PekIn.
ID