Camel Saddles and Other Less Important Events.

I thought it was interesting how there were specific times where the Silk Road would "thrive". This seemed to be based on whether or not there was of conflict in areas involved with the Silk Road. For example, between 340 and 628 the Byzantine and Roman empires launches various attacks against one another. However, during times of peace goods could easily be transported from the Silk Road and enter into Mediterranean trade. Ideas would move naturally as trade spread to new regions, resulting in cultural exchange. More over, the Silk Road did facilitate the exchange of religious ideas as missionaries travelled it in order to spread Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and Buddhism. As religions spread and became more dominant they began to play a major role in defining community identity and political alignments. The Silk Roads correlation with the rise and fall of empires can be seen in the Sasanid Empire in Iran. Because Arabs had CAMEL SADDLES they played an important role in transportation along the Silk Road as well as in facilitating commerce in their region. (Basically, if you've got a camel saddle you can rule the world.) Additionally, if an empire is thriving then trade will prosper in the region. Whereas the fall of empires would stifle the flow of trade along the Silk Road because the priority would no longer be focused on the exchange of goods.