The Roman Empire showed great demand for which goods that were transported across the Arabian Sea?

Spices, especially pepper, and textiles

During the sixth century BCE, the subcontinent witnessed the emergence of a vast network of land and river routes, extending in diverse directions. These routes interconnected through overland paths leading to Central Asia and beyond, as well as maritime paths from ports along the coastline. The maritime routes extended across the Arabian Sea to reach regions like East and North Africa, West Asia, and through the Bay of Bengal to Southeast Asia and China. Rulers of different regions sought to control these crucial trade routes and often offered protection in exchange for a fee.

A multitude of travelers journeyed along these routes. Peddlers, likely traveling on foot, and merchants, who traveled in caravans accompanied by bullock carts and pack-animals, were among them. Additionally, brave seafarers took on risky yet highly lucrative ventures. Successful merchants, known as "masattuvan" in Tamil and "setthis" and "satthavahas" in Prakrit, had the potential to accumulate immense wealth. A vast array of goods was transported across these routes, including commodities like salt, grain, cloth, metal ores, finished products, stone, timber, and medicinal plants. Among the highly sought-after goods were spices, especially pepper, textiles, and medicinal plants, which found great demand in the Roman Empire. These goods were transported across the Arabian Sea to reach the Mediterranean.