Alan Ereira

Aliates, exactly. And you get an invention of currency going on in China. You get an invention of currency going on in India, probably roughly the same time. But it's not well documented and it's difficult to work out exactly what's happening. Whereas in Lydia, it's much easier. The source material is much better. The archaeology is also much better.

Aliates, exactly. And you get an invention of currency going on in China. You get an invention of currency going on in India, probably roughly the same time. But it's not well documented and it's difficult to work out exactly what's happening. Whereas in Lydia, it's much easier. The source material is much better. The archaeology is also much better.

And we know pretty much what Aliates was doing in producing these. And it was hugely popular. And lots of other mints start up doing the same thing because this is now business.

And we know pretty much what Aliates was doing in producing these. And it was hugely popular. And lots of other mints start up doing the same thing because this is now business.

And we know pretty much what Aliates was doing in producing these. And it was hugely popular. And lots of other mints start up doing the same thing because this is now business.

The Greeks are also doing it on the coast. And they're also being, not just necessary kingdoms, some individual businessmen seem to be minting coins to sell to traders. So long as you trust the source and you trust the mark on it, then it works. The Lydian stamp was a lion's head. And that was the identity of the king was there on the coin.

The Greeks are also doing it on the coast. And they're also being, not just necessary kingdoms, some individual businessmen seem to be minting coins to sell to traders. So long as you trust the source and you trust the mark on it, then it works. The Lydian stamp was a lion's head. And that was the identity of the king was there on the coin.

The Greeks are also doing it on the coast. And they're also being, not just necessary kingdoms, some individual businessmen seem to be minting coins to sell to traders. So long as you trust the source and you trust the mark on it, then it works. The Lydian stamp was a lion's head. And that was the identity of the king was there on the coin.

And everybody seemed to be very happy with that for quite a while.

And everybody seemed to be very happy with that for quite a while.

And everybody seemed to be very happy with that for quite a while.

Oh, yes. And, well, there was a huge conference a couple of years ago, three years ago, on white gold, which is an enormous study of the archaeology of this material. Lydia, I should say, is a very odd place. It's odd because it's not part of Sumerian culture. It's not part of Greek culture. And its language, although it has a written language, is barely known at all.

Oh, yes. And, well, there was a huge conference a couple of years ago, three years ago, on white gold, which is an enormous study of the archaeology of this material. Lydia, I should say, is a very odd place. It's odd because it's not part of Sumerian culture. It's not part of Greek culture. And its language, although it has a written language, is barely known at all.

Oh, yes. And, well, there was a huge conference a couple of years ago, three years ago, on white gold, which is an enormous study of the archaeology of this material. Lydia, I should say, is a very odd place. It's odd because it's not part of Sumerian culture. It's not part of Greek culture. And its language, although it has a written language, is barely known at all.

Herodotus writes quite a bit about Lydia and Sardis. To his astonishment, there is a huge monument to Aliates there after he dies. And it is on the monument, the monument paid for by the citizens. It's not celebrating anything divine. And the Lydians themselves don't seem interested in the notion of a connection between gold and divinity. And they don't use it for religious purposes.

Herodotus writes quite a bit about Lydia and Sardis. To his astonishment, there is a huge monument to Aliates there after he dies. And it is on the monument, the monument paid for by the citizens. It's not celebrating anything divine. And the Lydians themselves don't seem interested in the notion of a connection between gold and divinity. And they don't use it for religious purposes.

Herodotus writes quite a bit about Lydia and Sardis. To his astonishment, there is a huge monument to Aliates there after he dies. And it is on the monument, the monument paid for by the citizens. It's not celebrating anything divine. And the Lydians themselves don't seem interested in the notion of a connection between gold and divinity. And they don't use it for religious purposes.

They don't have golden shrines like so much of the rest of the world.

They don't have golden shrines like so much of the rest of the world.

They don't have golden shrines like so much of the rest of the world.