Inflation In Rome

         Inflation was one of the many reasons that the Roman Empire fell. Inflation in Rome began after the reign of Marcus Aurelius. When the Romans began to stop conquering new lands for the Roman Empire, the amount of gold that was coming into Rome began to decrease. Although a very minimal amount of gold was coming into Rome, nearly all of it was being spent to pay for luxurious items for people of wealth. This meant that there was very little gold to be used in coins. While the amount of gold in coins decreased, the prices of goods went up. This was because many merchants figured that they would make up for the loss of gold in coins by raising their prices in order to get more gold out of buyers. Eventually, many people stopped using coins to pay for their needed items, but instead bartered for their goods. Salaries began to be paid in food and clothing and taxes were collected in fruits and vegetables. 

By Romeo Zendejas

                            Ancient Roman Money