Page 214 Such matters of state finance seem to have been well understood during the middle commonwealth. However, as a result of the second Punic War and the desperate need to rearm quickly that followed these unfortunate battles, Rome had been obliged to allow the whole currency system to become based on the international valuation of silver as Šcommon denominator of values. It follows that it was only after Rome had thus surrendered her sovereign prerogative in money matters to the international silver bullion brokers that the growth of liberalism finally gave rise to the warlords known as the Triumvirate. With reckless abuse of the power of their Imperium through those bankers who supported them, particularly in relation to their right to strike money in the field, the warlords derived virtual independence from the auctoritas of an already corrupted senate. Thus with the rise of the warlords who were in effect tyrants under arms, each with his own Money Power, was the triumph of the empire concept.
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 22:40:07 +0000