Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 44: Dionia Institute of Silver Coins and Mathematics
lnmao.org, the fastest update to the latest chapter of the Mediterranean Overlord of Ancient Greece!
In this era, the currency of Mediterranean trade circulation was gold and silver. The Persians mainly used gold coins, while the Greek city-states did not have so many gold mines, so silver coins were mainly used. Since each city-state has the power to mint its own silver coins, the currency market in the entire Mediterranean is quite chaotic, and the weight and purity of the silver coins issued by different city-states are not uniform, which brings difficulties to trade, so currency exchange will happen. Born.
When it comes to currency exchange, Tritod Moss feels bad in his heart: the business of currency exchange in the Greek city-states is mainly undertaken by banks. The more prosperous the city-state, the more developed the banking industry, but Although there are a lot of banks in Dionian cities, they all belong to one person—Christoia, the wife of Dionian consul Daves. Of course, this is not the result of any administrative intervention by Daves, but since the establishment of the Bank of Christia, it has adopted an average interest rate far lower than the 15% interest rate of the Greek city-states at the time for its main business loans. Loan income-5%.
Although Kristia Bank broke the tacit regulations of the Greek city-state banking industry, Amendorara and Turiyi were waiting for new things at that time. No big wealthy businessmen came out to obstruct them. Instead, because of its low-interest loans, Countless families and small workshops were supported, and they got out of the initial predicament, thus earning the reputation of Kristia Bank. Today’s Dionian trade is no longer comparable to the past. Some businessmen started the idea of opening a bank and were also forced to implement low-interest loans within the alliance. The people of Onia are deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and people trust and appreciate it, so there are often long lines at the gate of Kristia Bank, while other banks have very few customers. Normal competition is not good, and it is even more impossible to use other means. Don't forget that behind the bank of Christia is Davors, the only lifelong consul of Dionia. So since they don’t make money by running banks in it, businessmen have to invest in other industries. With the expansion of the Dionian Alliance, there are many industries that make money and competition has become fierce, but there is always only one bank.
Terry Todd Moss looked at the man in front of him. He was already the most powerful person in Dionia at a young age, and there was a shrewd and beautiful wife who earned him a lot of wealth. It was really amazing. envy!
Daves did not notice the strange gaze of Terry Todd Moss. His attention was all on the coins. He picked up two silver coins and looked at them carefully. They were almost the same. He was concerned again. Asked: "How do you think the style and pattern of this Dionian silver coin compare with the Athens silver coin?"
The "Owl" of Athens not only has high purity of silver, but also has exquisite patterns. Even if Athens is defeated and the Delian League is disbanded, it can no longer force other city-states to use Laurian silver coins, but the merchants and people of the Greek city-states still voluntarily Using it consciously, many businessmen even went to Athens to exchange this coin and put it in their homes as a collection of artworks. Therefore, the Laurion silver coin in Athens is the most widely circulated and most used hard currency among the Greek city-states.
"I have repeatedly compared a dozen Laurion silver coins minted in different years with others on the Minting Committee. Everyone agrees that our Dionian coin is no less pure and engraved! And—" Tritod Moss picked up the silver coin, rubbed the raised ring on its edge, and said excitedly: "Your Honor, Archon, the suggestion that you gave at the beginning is wonderful. We did not take the traditional method, the production is complicated and The rough zigzag pattern uses a simple edging, which not only improves the efficiency, but is also not easy to wear and tear, and everyone thinks it looks like a temple pillar! I believe that after the release of the Dionian silver coin , It will be liked by the people soon!" Tritod Moss said excitedly.
Daves looked calm. The previous design was a suggestion he made based on the characteristics of ancient Chinese coins. There is nothing to be proud of. What he cares more about is whether the Dionian coins can circulate quickly and become southern Italy. The main currency used by the city-states is not only to expand the influence of Dionia, but also to dominate the currency issuance power of Great Greece and control the economic and trade of the city-states in Southern Italy.
Like Athens, even in the late period of the Peloponnesian War, trade shrank, financial difficulties, and the silver ore produced by the Laurion silver mine decreased, but the purity of the "owl" was not reduced. The Athenians insisted on the city-state currency credit. The approach paid off. Only a few years after the end of the war, foreign merchants to the port of Erehofs have been growing more and more year by year, and now the trade in Athens has gradually resumed its former prosperity.
"Master Tritodimos, in the past few months, your Minting Committee has put a lot of hard work on this small silver coin! I believe that after its successful issuance, the people of Great Greece will accept it. One day, the Shrine of the Sage will leave your name!" Tritod Moss suddenly became excited when Daves praised him. As the Hades Temple is about to be completed, some special architectural structures in the temple are also circulated among the people. For example, there are two partial halls in the temple, one called the Hall of Heroes, dedicated to the warriors who sacrificed for the security of the alliance. Another is called the Shrine of the Sage, and the names of citizens who have made outstanding contributions to the alliance will be engraved in the shrine and the people will pay their respects... It is said that this is the design of Daves. As citizens of the alliance, especially the veterans who don't want to stay in history, it is inevitable that Terry Todd Moss can't control his emotions and is overjoyed.
At this time, a voice of dissatisfaction sounded: "Since it is all the credit of the Mint Committee, and nothing is done with our Institute of Mathematics, what are you going to do next, "Amendorara Primitive Citizen Medal"... etc. For other things, don’t find us again!" Tritodmus looked back and saw that it was Matikoris, and said to Daves hurriedly: "It is also thanks to Matikoris that he can make such exquisite coins. If it weren’t for the coin mold they designed, the Mathematical Research Institute of Mentotik Els would still have that hydraulic...hydraulic..."
"It's a hydraulic press!" Matikeris added impatiently.
Terry De Moss coughed awkwardly and said, "It is because they designed these wonderful tools that the coins we made can be so exquisite! Don't say it has surpassed Pythagoras. The coin designed by Si for Metapontum is comparable to the famous Athens coin in Greece!"
"It's not all our credit..." It was said that their skills surpassed the Patriarch Pythagoras. Mentor Tickles, who had always been steady, said modestly: "If it weren't for Daves Sir, the waterwheel you designed has inspired us, and we would not think of using water power to replace manpower. Unfortunately, the power generated by the water of the Corati River is not strong enough to drive the energy you mentioned last time. A large hydraulic forging hammer that constantly beats large pieces of cast iron."
"Then see the dam." Daves blurted out.
"The dam?!" Matticulis' eyes lit up.
"I'll talk about this later." Now there are constructions everywhere in Dionia, the resettlement of Asprostum and Crimea, the construction of the Temple of Hades, the construction of roads, The transformation of the Crimea swamp area, the construction of the Turyi Thermal Bath... So Davos turned the topic off and said to Tritodmus: "Maticoris and the others will not compete with you for this credit, because they are destined to become mathematicians and sages of all Greece in the future. There must be their statues on the shrine!"
Maticoris was a little embarrassed in the face of such high praise, he stroked his head and smiled. Although Mentor Tik Els's performance beside him was more stable, he couldn't hide the excitement on his face.
Send Tritodimos away, only two guests, Matikoris and Mentortic Els, are left in the living room. Now they are no longer ordinary disciples of the Pythagorean school, which was high and shabby when they first met. As early as last year, through their achievements in making waterwheels and popularizing mathematics among the people for free, Daves was in the Senate. At the meeting, the "Introduction of Gentile Scholars Act" was proposed and passed (plus the previous "Doctors Act" and the "Teachers Act" approved later, and later generations called it the three major bills of Dionia to transform the quality of citizens. As time passed, the cultural center of the Mediterranean gradually moved westward, which is a later story), making them official citizens of Dionia.
Although they were studying mathematics in Tarantum, they were not citizens of Tarantum, but from the Sicilian city-state of Leonid. It was only because they loved mathematics since childhood and admired Pythagoras that they stayed in the tower for a long time. Lantum, and because their homeland was occupied by Syracuse, they actually became homeless. This was also the main reason why the Pythagoras School asked them to come to Amendorara because of the two. It doesn't matter to the school. However, in the Dionian League, their status has changed dramatically. Not only do they have land and houses, they are also respected. Davers also privately funded the construction of the Mathematics Research Institute for them, providing free assistants, Slaves and various materials and funds allowed them not to be disturbed by the outside world, and to devote themselves to the theoretical research and practical application of mathematics.
Mathematicians of this era do not only study mathematics, they are involved in other scientific fields such as physics and astronomy. For example, Pythagoras has its own original ideas in rhythm and aesthetics. The famous "golden section" is He proposed it first. For this reason, Davers occasionally makes some requests of his own to the Institute of Mathematics. Matticoris and the others are happy to temporarily shelve their research to complete the tasks assigned by Daves, not because of the power of the consul. It is because the various devices envisioned by Davers often involve the application of some complex and even novel mathematics and physics knowledge, which is of great benefit for them to consolidate and study the theories of mathematics and physics.