The ancient world was a far more interconnected place than is often assumed. 

Maritime routes across the Indian Ocean, by no means peripheral, made these connections possible. 

Jeremy Simmons puts forth an entirely new perspective on Indian Ocean commerce, starting with commodities of trade and the patterns of consumption that resulted from their importation.

Looking beyond the mechanics of long-distance travel or the economics of “Indo-Roman” exchange, Simmons considers how Indian Ocean imports shaped the lives of humans throughout the ancient world.