Buddhism and the Roman world
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Several instances of interaction between Buddhism and the Roman world are documented by Classical and early Christian writers. Textual sources in the Tamil language, moreover, suggest the presence of
Extent of Buddhism and trade routes in the 1st century AD.
The Pompeii Lakshmi ivory statuette, found in 1938 in the ruins of Pompeii (destroyed in 79 CE), is thought to have originated in Bhokardan, Satavahana Empire. It testifies to the intensity of Indo-Roman trade relations at the time.
From the time of Jesus or soon after: a statue of Siddartha Gautama preaching, in the Greco-Buddhist style of Gandhara, present-day Pakistan
The birth of Siddhartha Gautama, Gandhara, 2nd–3rd century AD.
Berenike Buddha
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The Berenike Buddha is a statue of the Buddha, parts of which were discovered in January 2018 and January 2022 in an archaeological excavation in the ancient harbour of Berenike, Egypt, by an American
Buddhism and the Roman world
…excavating the main early Roman period temple dedicated to the Goddess Isis uncovered in the forecourt of the temple a marble statue of a Buddha, the Berenike Buddha, suggesting the presence of Buddhist merchants from India in Egypt at that time. The latest impact upon Christian and Greek literature is the Christianized…
Photograph of the Berenike Buddha, front and side views