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11. Byzantium - Last of the Romans

Fall of Civilizations Podcast

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The Secret of Silk From China

In the year five 51, two byzantine monks who had been preaching in india made their way to china. They told emperor justinian they had found the source of the miracle material, silk. He offered them a great fortune if they were able to smuggle some of these mysterious worm back to the capital. The expedition may have taken up to two years, but they eventually returned successful and established a breeding population of silkworms on the other end of the silk road. Their actions began a byzantine trade in silk, with silk factories setting up in constantinople, as well as beyrout, antioch and thebes. And this formed one of the bases for

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