For context, the show takes place during the last years of the Roman Republic, during the rise of Julius Caesar. One of the protagonists, Lucius, begins work as an enforcer for a local criminal, and the scene involves him going into a house where a group of Indians presumably live. It’s implied that they are Indians by their accents, the fact that they are wearing turbans (and some other kind of clothing that is distinct from the Romans), and in the following conversation it is mentioned that they are Hindus.
The Indians had bought “truffle-sniffing” pigs from the Romans and are refusing to pay because the pigs are diseased. So it appears they are living in Rome for some time, and not just some travelers.
The scene made me wonder though, were there Indians in Ancient Rome? Given the time era, it seems like an awfully long way for Indians to travel. My understanding is that trade between the orient and occident at this time was done by numerous middlemen along the Silk Road, so no one person would travel all the way across Asia to Europe or vice-versa.
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Yes, there is evidence that some Indians did travel to and live in the Roman Empire.
Ancient texts like the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (1st century CE) and accounts by Roman authors (e.g., Pliny the Elder) confirm direct maritime trade between Roman Egypt and the western coast of India.
Archaeological finds, like Roman coins in India and Indian goods in Rome, suggest not just trade, but occasional travel.
Some Indian merchants, diplomats, or even religious figures likely made the full journey, though this was rare and not the norm.