Smuggling of silkworm eggs

Byzantine Empire Justinian dynasty

Smuggling of silkworm eggs into the Byzantine Empire ©Image Attribution forthcoming. Image belongs to the respective owner(s).

552 Jan 1

Central Asia

In the mid-6th century CE, two Persian monks (or those disguised as monks), with the support of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I, acquired and smuggled silkworm eggs into the Byzantine Empire, which led to the establishment of an indigenous Byzantine silk industry. This acquisition of silk worms from China allowed the Byzantines to have a silk monopoly in Europe.

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Last Updated: Sun Jan 07 2024

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