Which network of roads connected Asia and the Mediterranean?

The Silk Road is the network of trade routes that connected Asia with the Mediterranean, facilitating not just the exchange of goods, but also the transmission of culture, ideas, and technologies. This extensive network emerged around the 2nd century BCE and comprised various land and maritime routes, ultimately linking the East and West. The Silk Road was particularly known for the trade of silk, spices, precious metals, and other commodities, thus playing a crucial role in the economic, cultural, and political interactions between different civilizations over many centuries.

While the other options refer to various trade routes, none of them adequately encapsulate the comprehensive connection between Asia and the Mediterranean like the Silk Road. The Trade Route can refer generally to any road used for trading purposes, the Spice Route specifically focuses on the trade in spices primarily from Asia to Europe, and the Amber Road was a trade route that connected the Baltic region with the Mediterranean, mainly used for trading amber. Thus, the Silk Road stands out as the most historically significant and encompassing network linking these vast regions.