ABSTRACT
Roman interests in the Erythra Thalassa (Red Sea, Persian Gulfand Indian Ocean) were different from and of a greater magnitude than those of the immediate Ptolemaic predecessors to Rome in Egypt. Rome was more concerned with diplomatic and commercial affairs while the Ptolemies were more involved with military considerations: what raw materials the region could provide to the Ptolemaic government to allow it to pursue its goals in the Mediterranean.
