The Roman Gold Standard: How Money Built an Empire

Trade Routes That Changed Human History Forever — Fexingo History · Sep 17, 2026 · 9m · transcript

While previous episodes covered the maritime silk roads and trans-Saharan caravans, Episode 235 shifts focus to the invisible infrastructure of empire: currency. We explore how Rome’s reliance on gold aurei and silver denarii created a unified economic zone across three continents. The conversation traces the journey of Spanish silver from mines in Hispania to soldiers’ paychests in Britain, and examines how debasement under emperors like Nero and Commodus triggered the first recorded hyperinflations. We also look at the critical role of money changers in the Forum and how the stability of…