Stefano Magnani: The Palmyrenes from Hadrian's Wall to India (part 1)

Men and women from the Palmyra oasis lived and operated not only in the different provinces of the Roman Empire, but also in other regionsoutside of it, in Mesopotamia, in the Persian Gulf and in the coastal lands of the Indian Ocean. Long-distance Palmyrene trade through these regions was part of a semi-global system, from China to the British Isles, in which the Palmyrenes seem to have been particularly mobile and enterprising. They were not just merchants, they were also soldiers and diplomats. In this context of great mobility, there are characteristic aspects, including the ability of the Palmyrenes to maintain strong social and cultural cohesion even in foreign lands, preserving the Palmyrene language, writing and cults.

Stefano Magnani