A Tiger for Theodosius II: Exotic Gift Giving and Diplomatic Contacts Between Eastern Rome and India in Late Antiquity

In 448 CE, the eastern Roman emperor Theodosius II received an Indian tiger. This event is recorded tantalisingly in only one source. Yet this event was not unique. Similar exchanges had already taken place between India and the Roman Empire under the first emperor Augustus. The geopolitical landscape of western Eurasia, however, had changed dramatically in the period between Augustus and Theodosius II. This article aims to respond to an increasing awareness that the cultures of ancient and Late Antique Eurasia were enmeshed in much broader political, cultural and economic systems. Its goal is to focus on the exchange of exotic animals as a means to foster international diplomatic ties between highly complex polities.