论4-6世纪拜占庭的丝绸贸易与查士丁尼开辟丝路的努力

A Study on the Silk Trade of the Byzantine Empire between the 4th and the 6th Century and Justinian I’s Efforts on Opening the Silk Road

丝绸贸易是拜占庭帝国维护皇权、基督神权、等级身份差别以及处理国际政治关系的有利工具。这使丝绸在拜占庭帝国中成为具有极强政治属性的特殊商品,丝绸贸易处于拜占庭帝国国家力量强力控制之下。查士丁尼时期,丝绸贸易彻底与拜占庭帝国政体结合在一起,拜占庭帝国出于统治需要彻底控制了丝绸贸易,丝绸贸易成为反映拜占庭帝国政治变化的线索。查士丁尼开辟黑海和红海新丝路的失败说明,波斯在欧亚丝路中的中枢地位和控制力很难撼动。欧亚丝路贸易路线一旦形成,各国各民族在丝路中的地位、作用及获利方式就将相对固定化,仅凭一国或少数民族的军事政治活动很难改变。

As a special commodity with distinct political attribute in the Byzantine Empire,silk was instrumental to safeguarding imperial power and Christian theocracy,identifying social status,and dealing with international relations.Thus silk trade was under the strict control of the Byzantine Empire.During the reign of Justinian I,silk trade was completely controlled by the empire for the purpose of better governance,and it reflected changes in Byzantine politics.However,Justinian I’s failure to open up a new Silk Road along the routes of Black Sea and Red Sea shows that it was not easy to undermine Persia’s pivotal position and its control of the Eurasian Silk Road.Once the Eurasian trade routes were formed,the status,role and methods of attaining profit of states and nationalities along the Silk Road became relatively stable,which could hardly be changed by the military and political interference of one single state or minority group.