I was reading some articles on Crassus doomed expedition, and came to find an article dated 02/2007. In reference to roman decedents in China? I have attached a segment of the article. I was wondering if anyone can add to this story. My interest has been peaked in this matter.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/15414...-found-in-China.html

“In 53BC Crassus was defeated disastrously and beheaded by the Parthians, a tribe occupying what is now Iran, putting an end to Rome's eastward expansion.
But stories persisted that 145 Romans were taken captive and wandered the region for years. Prof Dubs theorized that they made their way as a mercenary troop eastwards, which was how a troop "with a fish-scale formation" came to be captured by the Chinese 17 years later.”

Hi Stephen
That topic has been discussed on RomanArmyTalk several times:
www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/viewtopic.php?...t=26920&p=243127
www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/viewtopic.php?...t=21599&p=189528

I'm afraid the general concensus was: unlikely

See here.

I'm sure they would have met up with some wandering Greek descendants from Alexander's armies too!

Steven,
There are 2 topics: Roman contacts with China, and what became of the prisoners from Crassus' expedition.

Crassus' expedition had 40,000 men. 10,000 were taken prisoner; 20,000 killed and 10,000 survived and were rescued. It was Parthian policy to take prisoners from one end of the Empire and employ them as borderguards on the other side of the empire. So yes, the Roman soldiers were sent to what today is Iran's eastern border. Some of these troops deserted and either headed south to the Indian Ocean (and hopefully back to Rome). Others headed north and seem to have served as mercenaries for various chiefs of the oasis towns along the silk road.

This Parthian habit seems to have persisted throughout the Principate because an explorer found the words "Leg XV Apoll" written on the walls of a cave in East Turkmenistan (which is actually in China). Since the XV Legion served on the Eastern border of the Empire, it is plausible that some legionaries were captured, sent East and then escaped.

There is evidence in the written records of China of contacts (including diplomatic exchanges) with Rome. They began in 120 AD when a juggling troupe entertained the Chinese Emperor and continued through Justinian's reign. However, these were too small to leave a "genetic imprint" on China.

However, Jewish refugees from Vespasian seem to have reached China in 96 AD. Apparently China eventually aquired a sizable Jewish population in classical times.

I cannot thank you enough for the information. Would you be able to recommend and additional reading material. This topic has caught my interest. The very essence of Rome’s expansion was commerce in one form or another, and I would think the east was very intriguing...