Summary
The Silk Road, a vital economic route before the Age of Discovery, facilitated the trade of numerous goods, with silk being the most prized commodity. The Roman Emperor Justinian I's efforts to acquire silk production technology from China mark one of the earliest known instances of industrial espionage. The Chinese had maintained a monopoly on silk production since domesticating the mulberry silkworm around 4000 BC, and the fabric became a luxury item throughout the ancient world.
As silk began to circulate through Central Asia to regions like Iran and Europe, the Roman economy thrived on its trade. However, the outflow of gold to China and Iran due to high demand for silk contributed to economic instability, culminating in the crisis of the 3rd century and the eventual fall of the Western Roman Empire. The Eastern Roman Empire, under Justinian, sought alternative routes to secure silk, but faced numerous challenges, including ongoing wars with the Sassanids and piracy.
In a bold move, two Nestorian monks approached Justinian in the 550s, claiming they could help him solve the silk dilemma. After two years of travel, they successfully smuggled silkworm eggs or larvae back to Constantinople, along with mulberry bushes for sustenance. This act effectively broke the Chinese and Sassanid silk monopoly, allowing the Roman Empire to establish its own silk industry, which became crucial for the economic prosperity of Constantinople and the rise of Italian merchant republics.
Show Notes
Go to https://www.wix.com/KingsAndGenerals to get started on your website today!Check out our new website at http://kingsandgenerals.orgSilk production was one of the biggest secrets of China and one of the most lucrative industries of the age. So it is not a surprise that the Roman emperor Justinian was eager to learn this secret. In this video we will discuss the start of the silk production, its importance and the story of how Justinian managed one of the first industrial thefts in historySupport us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/KingsandGenerals or Paypal: http://paypal.me/kingsandgeneralsCheck out our Merch Store: https://teespring.com/stores/kingsandgeneralsWe are grateful to our patrons and youtube members, who made this video possible: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Xa-wdXQpJoum7_NDRLy58pgfzJINPR9TUDf91hF_XB4The video was made by our friend CogitoThis video was narrated by Officially Devin (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU0-VII-V376zFxiRGMeZGg & https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC79s7EdN9uXX77-Ly2HmEjQ)✔ Merch store ► https://teespring.com/stores/kingsandgenerals✔ Patreon ► https://www.patreon.com/KingsandGenerals✔ Podcast ► https://kingsandgenerals.libsyn.com/ iTunes: https://apple.co/2QTuMNG✔ PayPal ► http://paypal.me/kingsandgenerals✔ Twitter ► https://twitter.com/KingsGenerals✔ Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/KingsGenerals✔ Instagram ►http://www.instagram.com/Kings_GeneralsProduction Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound: http://www.epidemicsound.com#Documentary #Justinian #Silk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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