"Alas, the northern barbarians have just been pacified, and many officials in the country are already quite weary of war. His Majesty has no way to wage war against the Parthians."
Hearing what the young people said, the old man couldn't help but sigh softly.
Clearly, this old man also deeply resented the Parthians who stood between Rome and the Han Dynasty.
Their purpose in coming here was to contact the Han Dynasty and conduct trade, at the behest of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
At this time, Rome was in the final years of the Five Good Emperors.
Marcus Aurelius and his brother Aesir succeeded to the throne in 161, marking the first time Rome had a dual emperor system.
Of course, in most cases, it was Marcus Aurelius who had the final say.
This Roman emperor was a learned and versatile man, open-minded and enterprising, who had always longed for that distant and mysterious Eastern empire.
Therefore, eight years ago, he sent someone to the Han Dynasty.
Although the Roman envoy did not meet Emperor Huan of Han, he brought back a large amount of silk and official documents from the Han Dynasty.
Although the letter contained only official pleasantries and little substance, the silk alone made Marcus Aurelius realize the value of contacting the Han Empire.
It's important to know that silk from the Eastern empire was a top-tier luxury item in Rome; a single bolt of silk could be exchanged for its equivalent weight in gold.
Marcus Aurelius was naturally unwilling to accept that the Parthians had blocked the way for such a lucrative silk trade.
However, at this time, most of the power in Rome was held by the Senate.
Even the Roman emperor could not wage war without the permission of the Senate.
Therefore, Marcus Aurelius once again sent envoys to the Han Dynasty, hoping to persuade the Senate to support his war against the Parthians.
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