Imagining India:
Greeks, Romans and the End of the Earth
26 June - 29 September 2017
This summer the Museum of Classical Archaeology looks east to the end of the Classical earth, as part of the India Unboxed season. Imagining India will explore the surprising connections between the Greco-Roman world and the Indian subcontinent.
For the ancient Greeks and Romans, “India” was the last inhabited land before the encircling ocean. They told tales of wise men, marvellous creatures, and a landscape full of natural wonders. To reach India was to become more than mortal: to be an Alexander, Hercules, Dionysus…
Even so, a flourishing trade network connected the two ends of the ancient world with journeys no less epic. Indian pearls and ivory adorned the ladies of imperial Rome, Indian pepper flavoured their meals, and Roman wine, pottery and gold was prized by the inhabitants of India’s south-eastern coast.
Discover the curiosities and contradictions in the relationship between the Greeks, Romans and the end of their earth, as well as how their ideas about India continued to shape Western ideas about South Asia for centuries to come.
Curated by Dr Hannah Price.
This video has captions.
