ABSTRACT
The Tigris may have been Rome's eastern frontier for much of its history, but the presence of so great a power as Rome was felt far beyond. 1 Direct and indirect traces of Rome are encountered throughout Asia, from chance remarks in ancient Chinese annals to chance finds on remote Indian beaches. The very images of Roman soldiers form a dramatic backdrop to passing tribal migrations in the valleys of southern Persia (Plate 26), while the portrait busts that look at us from Buddhist monuments in India are of Romans rather than Indians (Plate 29). These traces generally fall into four main categories: direct military campaigns, Roman prisoners of war, Roman trade and Roman artistic influence.
