Probably from the 1st century AD, a small Greek work has come down to us, known by its Latinised title "Periplus Maris Erythraei". It deals with the ancient sea route from Egypt to India through the Erythraean Sea, which borders East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran and the West Indies. The anonymous author describes the coasts and trading places of that sea and their hinterland, names the peculiarities of the local peoples and indicates which luxury goods were traded, from wine from Italy to spices from India and silk from China.
Prof. Dr. Kai Brodersen has now presented the work in a bilingual edition. This makes accessible an important historical source for long-distance trade in the Roman Empire and thus for ancient "globalisation".