The economy is made up of many different components, yet down to it’s roots, it’s just a large network of suppliers and consumers. The one thing that drives both of these parties is simply supply and demand. Supply and demand is one of the most vital parts of trade and barter, because it purely represents the most basic target of both of these parties, whether they be consumers, middlemen, producers, they are all affected by this. “They (the people of Ta-ts’in which is also called Li-kan) traffic by sea with An-hsi and T’ien-chu, the profit is ten-fold. They are honest in their transactions and there are no double prices. The budget is based on a well-filled treasury.”* How does this take part in spice trade? At the start, spices were highly sought after by Europeans for two main reasons, the taste it offers in cuisine (which conveniently covers up the taste of spoiled meat), and the scarcity of the various spices. This allowed a widespread export of spices to Europe, not to mention an extremely high price range. Later on, spices became more than just a peculiar taste, it was a sign of nobility, or a gift of friendship. Even further down the timeline, the population caught on to the faze and started doing the same, causing another rise in demand and price of spices. Speaking of the rise of price, there is another factor that greatly affects the cost of spices: geography.
One of the major reasons spices were so expensive to begin with was the effort and price and risk taken to ship the products to Europe. Trade happens between two different parties, and trade obviously could not ensue without traders. Other than knowing and understanding the physical location, the real issue is getting there. “… with favorable winds it is possible to cross within three months; but if you meet slow winds, it may also take you two years. It is for this reason that those who go to sea take on board a supply of three years’ provisions. There is something in the sea which is apt to make a man homesick, and several have thus lost their lives. ”** This quote clearly shows the risks and cost required to trade overseas, and of course, there is always the labor costs of experienced sailors, bodyguards, etc. All of these risks and expenses give the suppliers a reasonable excuse to raise the price of their products greatly.
Citations:
*Chinese official, The Annals of the Eastern Han, Later Han (25 – 220 AD)
Miller, J. Innes. The Spice Trade of the Roman Empire
**Kan Ying, Chinese ambassador (97 A.D.)
Miller, J. Innes. The Spice Trade of the Roman Empire. p. 134
Logan. 16th Century Elizabethan Travel on Emaze. Digital image. Emaze.com. Emaze, 13 May 2015. Web. 6 Sept. 2015.