The Grain Ships of Rome: Feeding an Empire

Episode 45 of Trade Routes That Changed Human History Forever turns from the Silk Road to the Mediterranean, where the Roman Empire faced its greatest logistical challenge: feeding a city of over a million people. Lucas and Luna trace the annona, the imperial grain dole, from the conquest of Egypt in 30 BCE to the massive ships that crossed the Mediterranean from Alexandria to Portus. They explore the role of the Classis Alexandrina, the Egyptian grain fleet, and the Nabataean involvement in the Red Sea spice trade that paralleled the grain routes. The episode also delves into the crisis of the third century when barbarian raids and civil war nearly starved Rome, forcing Emperor Aurelian to reform the distribution system. Specific details include the size of the grain ships, the journey from the Nile to the Tiber, and the political importance of free bread in maintaining stability. #Rome #GrainTrade #Annona #Egypt #Alexandria #Portus #ClassisAlexandrina #Nile #Tiber #Aurelian #CrisisOfTheThirdCentury #Ostia #Claudius #Nabataea #SpiceTrade #History #RomanEmpire #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo