Great Qin

The name refers to the Roman Empire, a great western power with which China had exchanges during the Later Han Dynasty. In the Book of the Later Han and the Book of Wei, it is recorded that "The state of Daqin was also called Liqian. It was also called Haixi because it was located west of the sea. The people were handsome and large, and their clothes and carriages were similar to those of China (to Qin), so they were called Daqin." There is also a theory that it refers to Syria and Alexandria in the eastern part of the Roman Empire, but it is generally more appropriate to think of it as the mainland of the Roman Empire. It is also said that in the 9th year of the Yanxi era (166) of Emperor Huan of the Later Han Dynasty, King Antun (Marcus Aurelius Antonius) of Daqin sent an envoy to Luoyang.

[Kazuyuki Tsuruma]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、後漢(ごかん)の時代に交流があった西方の大国ローマ帝国をさす名称。『後漢書(ごかんじょ)』『魏(ぎ)書』などには「大秦国は一名犂鞬(れいけん)。海の西にあるので海西国ともいう。人民は端正、長大で、衣服、車旗が中国に似ていることから（秦に対応させて）、大秦とよんだ」と記録されている。ローマ帝国領東部のシリアやアレクサンドリアなどをさすという説もあるが、一般にはローマ帝国本土と考えるほうが妥当であろう。後漢の桓(かん)帝延熹(えんき)9年（166）に大秦王安敦(あんとん)（マルクス・アウレリウス・アントニウス）が洛陽(らくよう)に使者を派遣したことも伝えられている。

［鶴間和幸］

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