Classical Antiquity
The world in 27 BC
6 powers on the map
Four great Eurasian powers connected by the Silk Road and Indian Ocean monsoons. Alexander (334 BC) merges Greek and Persian cultures. Rome, Han, Parthians, and Mauryans cover half of humanity. Buddhism, Christianity, state Confucianism, and Greek philosophy flourish.
What happened
Empires and states
Active trade routes
- Amber Road — Baltic amber to the Mediterranean
- Incense Route — Frankincense and myrrh from Arabia Felix
- Alexandria–Rome Grain Route — Egyptian grain that fed imperial Rome
- Silk Road — Silk, spices and ideas between China and Europe