The Muziris Papyrus and Roman India Trade

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a single ancient document that reveals the staggering scale of Roman-Indian trade: the Muziris papyrus. Discovered in Egypt in the 1980s, this 2nd-century CE contract details a loan for a shipload of goods from Muziris, on India's Malabar Coast, to the Roman port of Berenike. The cargo included 130 tons of black pepper, along with ivory, tortoiseshell, and pearls — worth the equivalent of millions of dollars. The episode unpacks the voyage of the Hermapollon, the monsoon route discovered by Hippalos, and the financial instruments that made such trade possible. It also discusses the political economy: how Roman demand for Indian luxuries drained silver eastward, and how the Muziris papyrus gives us a rare glimpse into the lives of merchants, ship captains, and lenders who connected the Roman and Tamil worlds. No prior episodes have covered this document in detail. #MuzirisPapyrus #RomanIndiaTrade #BlackPepper #Berenike #MalabarCoast #Hippalos #MonsoonTrade #RomanEconomy #TamilTrade #Hermapollon #IndianOcean #MaritimeSilkRoad #PlinyTheElder #PaxRomana #AncientTrade #CheraDynasty #SpiceTrade #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo