One of the most important mistakes Brutus makes is refusing to kill Marc Antony, even though this could have saved him from other missteps. Greek Mythology is the set of stories about the gods, goddesses, heroes and rituals of Ancient Greeks. Its name derives from the Greek verb meaning "to grasp," and its original value was equivalent to that of a handful of arrows. Religion in Greece is dominated by the Greek Orthodox Church, which is within the larger communion of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. That same amount is equal to about 40 USD today. Struck between 1849 and 1933, these coins. Gold coin = 20 drachma = 5.8 gram gold blended or 5.32 g pure gold at 22/24 carats. If the treasury was the foundation of the Roman Republic, then how much money did Caesar give to the citizens? Times of prosperity compared to times of prosperity, or decline compared to decline. Moreover, it is a significant amount for those who are just starting out in their careers. A 20-drachma gold coin contained 5.8 g of gold. Image: Courtesy of Flickr by Carole Raddato. We are comparing gold that was mined with slave labor and refined in charcoal-fired furnaces to gold that is mined with huge diesel-powered shovels and refined with modern physical and chemical methods. The income at the time for a skilled worker was 1 drachma a day wiki. Just some thoughts. It is usually thought to be a Tyrian shekel. Date. A lawyer could charge 1,000 for pleading a case. In the end, a single drachma represents approximately 3% of ones income. Online at Ancient Coins for Education: http://ancientcoinsforeducation.org/content/view/79/98/, Ferguson, Niall. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. I also wonder what were the highest paying vocational occupations. If you were known to make a really strong shield, or other superior weaponry, it seems like you could make the equivalent to todays plumbers, or maybe doctors. The drachma (Greek: Modern:[raxmi], Ancient:[drakm];[n 1] pl. Minted but rarely used. He orders to strike the obverse of the ancient drachmas with the portrait of Zeus and its own portrait with a horse on the reverse or a young naked rider with the insignia of the victory. It can also be found on many other European and non-European coins: in Greece (e.g. The drachma is considered the most important currency of the time. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". They are described as big as Girl Scout cookies by Percy, and are used by the gods and demigods. The smaller coins were made of silver and had a 1:10 relationship with gold weight. US Dollar to Greek Drachma conversion Last updated Mar 2, 2023, 10:15 UTC. One drachma equaled 6 oboli; 100 drachmas equaled 1 mine; and 60 mine equaled 1 Attic talent. Thats $39,600 per year in todays money, hardly a low level working mans salary in most areas in the US! [8] Less than two percent of the US population is employed in agriculture. In 1868, Greece joined the Latin Monetary Union and the drachma became equal in weight and value to the French franc. The four-drachma (or shekel) coin would be exactly enough to pay the temple tax (two-drachma coin) for two people. . This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. After Alexander's conquests, the name drachma was used in many of the Hellenistic kingdoms in the Middle East, including the Ptolemaic kingdom in Alexandria and the Parthian Empire based in what is modern-day Iran. Classical historians give a different read for the 5th and 4th centuries (okay, mental math time, so that would be from around 499BC to 301BC, the 400s and 300s). At a wage of $20 USD/hr that is approximately $12,000 USD. 2a : an ancient Greek silver coin equivalent to six obols. Golden drachmas are large, round coins that are usually made of gold or silver. Bottom row, left to right: 100 coin, 500 coin. He aimed to reach the highest levels of the government. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". The notes were then cut in half, with the portion bearing the Greek crown standing in for the bonds while the other half was exchanged for a new issue of central bank notes at half the original value. Theme: Newsup by Themeansar. Institutions. Lets find out. They were equal in value to about 25 U.S. dollars in 2006; however, the drachma was worth far more than this. A serving of table wine cost 1/16 of a denarius, while vintage wine cost 1/4 denarius. This site uses cookies to improve your browsing experience. Ultimately, these three mistakes cost him his life. When did the euro replace the drachma in Greece? [10] In practice this is usually increased significantly by various allowances such as housing. Initially a drachma was a fistful (a "grasp") of six oboloi (metal sticks), which were used as a form of currency as early as 1100 BC. Being the armor-maker of the King (if you werent a slave) could be a remarkably profitable profession. The first Greek coins appeared in Aegina c. 600 BCE (or even earlier) which were silver and used a turtle as a symbol of the city's prosperity based on maritime trade. At Leftover Currency we specialize in the exchange of obsolete currencies, like the Greek Drachma. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. A "drachma" was in ancient Greece a currency. How much was an ancient drachma worth? He later decides not to kill the emperor. On 9 April 1953, in an effort to halt inflation, Greece joined the Bretton Woods system. You should plan to spend around 123 ($143) per day on your vacation in Greece, which is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors. This is an order of magnitude larger than the $186 USD-1998 arkenberg. Greece is officially a secular state. Roman soldiers were paid 225 denarii per year, beginning in the first century BCE and continuing until the reign of the emperor Domitian (ruled 81-96 CE), who raised the rate to 300 denarii. The Bank of Greece issued notes from 1928 until 2001, when Greece joined the Euro. Master Notes For Dawdle Draught in Harry Potter. How Much is 75 Drachmas Worth in Ancient Greece? A drachma was half of the stater, which refers to a weighing scale and represents the general value of two drammes. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. [1] The Monetary Systems of the Greeks and Romans. The most popular Greek Mythology figures include Greek Gods like Zeus, Poseidon & Apollo, Greek Goddesses like Aphrodite, Hera & Athena and Titans like Atlas. Required fields are marked *. The Armenian dram (Armenian: ) also derives its name from the drachma. and our Exchange of former national currency. During this time, he gained valuable knowledge about Roman law, the role of a senator, and public speaking. What is Spawning Protection in Minecraft. Ill use days wages for a skilled worker for future discussion. Julius Caesars reign was short, but he was not without achievements. Unenforceable, within a few years the edict was ignored, and the engraved stone tablets set up in the markets were recycled as building blocks which is how the text survived. Check send rates Greek Drachma to US Dollar conversion Last updated Feb 28, 2023, 19:04 UTC Convert Greek Drachma to US Dollar On 1 April 1922, the government decreed that half of all bank notes had to be surrendered and exchanged for 6.5% bonds. The notion that drachma derived from the word for fistful was recorded by Herakleides of Pontos (387312BC) who was informed by the priests of Heraion that Pheidon, king of Argos, dedicated rod-shaped obeloi to Heraion. Drachmas are part of the coinage that gave birth to all modern currencies and the original coin stemmed from the monetary system of Ancient Greece that was developed from 800BC. Drachma: were worth 6 obols, weighing 4.3 grams. Among the Greek cities that used the drachma were: Abdera, Abydos, Alexandria, Aetna, Antioch, Athens, Chios, Cyzicus, Corinth, Ephesus, Eretria, Gela, Catana, Kos, Maronia, Naxos, Pella, Pergamum, Rhegion, Salamis, Smyrni, Sparta, Syracuse, Tarsus, Thasos, Tenedos, Troy and more. It featured the helmeted profile bust of Athena on the obverse (front) and an owl on the reverse (back). Nevertheless, as foreign invaders gained control in Greece, the drachma disappeared from use. A skilled worker in Athens or a hoplite could earn about one drachma a day. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. (This particular unit was paid in drachmas which was comparable to the denarii) Multiply that by three and he would have earned 641 drachmas in pay for a year.Remember that the pay of the Roman. When did the drachma become legal tender in Greece? [6] On the London Metal Exchange, the price of copper was $6,670 per tonne on 04 OSept 2018. Im comfortable using an additional comparison of half a drachma as poor living for a poor family. I like to do guesswork math on the value of things in pre-industrial society, and often I keep reading internet sources (wiki included) repeating the idea that a silver drachma, a coin containing roughly 6 to 7 4 grams of silver, was worth the daily salary of a common labourer in ancient Greece (give or take, 3rd century BCE). Notes were issued by the National Bank of Greece from 1841 until 1928. The answer is, um, yes. The status and characteristics of ancient and modern-day women in Greece evolved from the events that occurred in the history of Greece. This will allow you to determine the value of each currency. Cash is no longer king in Greece (even more so after COVID-19,) and almost all establishments accept credit/debit cards. How much is 75 drachmas worth today? Drachmas were issued in the 5th century BC. drachmae or drachmas) was the currency used in Greece during several periods in its history: . But bullion equivalent value of ancient coins is a very shaky basis for comparing buying power across the centuries. Generally, the early Greek stater had a weight of 7 grams, and was normally divisible into three drachmas. footnote 18 of H. G. Dakyns's translation of, British Museum Catalogue 11 Attica Megaris Aegina, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Drachmi Greek Democratic Movement Five Stars, Economic history of Greece and the Greek world, "Two Linear B documents from Bronze Age Pylos", "The Greek Financial Crises: Getting by with the Half-Drachmai | PMG", Overview of the modern Greek drachma from the BBC, Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union, European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Greek_drachma&oldid=1141849092, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Articles containing Mycenaean Greek-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2020, Articles containing Armenian-language text, Articles with German-language sources (de), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Banknote and Securities Printing Foundation, Brown and violet (obverse); Maroon, green and orange (reverse), The golden drachma is the main unit of currency in, The drachma is also mentioned in William Shakespeare's, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 03:47. Silver coins of 1 and 2 were last issued in 1911, and no coins were issued between 1912 and 1922, during which time the Latin Monetary Union collapsed due to World War I. If you are already somewhat familiar, feel free to either roll your eyes as I flounder along or chuckle on how slow I am to catch on. In the holy land, an amphora of olive oil from Galilee cost one denarius. So, the relative value of gold to silver today is dramatically different from what the Wikipedia article reports for silver and gold drachmas. In the fourth century BCE, Greek hoplites (armored infantry) typically received a drachma per day (sometimes supplemented by another drachma to pay for a servant while on campaign)[9]. However, some historians have estimated that in the 5th century BC a drachma had a rough value of 25 U.S. dollars (in the year 1990 - equivalent to 40 USD in 2006). At the content mention of 4.5% @ 90% pure silver, that translates into: The Treasures of Alexander book by Prof. Holt that Im reading repeatedly uses a ratio of 6,000 drachmae to 1 talent. However, some historians have estimated that in the 5th century BC a drachma had a rough value of 25 U.S. dollars (in the year 1990 - equivalent to 40 USD in 2006). At the time, citizens expected quality entertainment. The drachma also became the prototype of an Islamic cointhe dirham. Amphora (2010). In daily use they were called glaukes (owls),[7] hence the proverb ' , 'an owl to Athens', referring to something that was in plentiful supply, like 'coals to Newcastle'. Ancient Greek Drachma The Greek drachma was originally defined as 1/6000th of a talent of silver (a talent was a unit of weight equal to about 56 pounds). You won't receive this rate when sending money. In Ancient Greece, 'drachma' was the name of a standard weight and silver coin. The radical increase in standard of living invalidates that comparison. Now consider a modern soldiers pay. This manipulation enriches for wealthiest 1% along with the banks, as the working man in the US is beggared. Banknotes in circulation at the time of the adoption of the euro[23] were, 5,000,000 banknote during the Axis Occupation hyperinflation period, 1944, In Unicode, the currency symbol is .mw-parser-output .monospaced{font-family:monospace,monospace}U+20AF DRACHMA SIGN. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. drachma, silver coin of ancient Greece, dating from about the mid-6th century bc, and the former monetary unit of modern Greece. 5,000 notes were introduced in 1984, followed by 10,000 notes in 1995 and 200 notes in 1997. [16], The drachma was reintroduced in May 1832, shortly before the establishment of the Kingdom of Greece. His parents were not wealthy by Roman standards, but they did have some wealth. Some historians say that half a drachma per day would be a comfortable subsistence for a poor family. But what is todays value of a US dollar in terms of ancient Athenian drachmai, or ancient Roman sestertii? The Greek drachma was the currency of Greece before it was replaced by the . Luke's Gospel includes a parable told by Jesus of a woman with 10 drachmae, who lost one and searched her home until she found it. Is Watch Dogs 2 Multiplayer Cross Platform? Below are the denominations of Ancient Greek coins: Dekadrachm: were worth 10 drachmae, weighing 43 grams. This was also the price of a lion, if you happened to be in the market for one. All News, Articles, Commentary and Opinions are contributed by the author(s), with or without compensation, who are solely responsible for the content, and do not represent CoinWeek Management. T. Frank, ed. You won't receive this rate when sending money. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. The denarius was a silver coin the size of a U.S. dime and was worth ten assarii. Article in Wikipedia says some economists and historians say one drachma in the 5th century (let me do a mental calculation that would be from about 499BC to 401BC) was about US$25 in 1990 or US$46.50 in 2015. To convert Greek drachmas to US dollars, you need to know the exchange rate. The drachma was used by the gods as a means of exchange. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. These cookies do not store any personal information. He grew up to become one of the most influential men in Roman history. This mistake was crucial for the survival of the empire, and it also leads to the end of Brutus life. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Oxford (2008). The Arabic unit of currency known as dirham (Arabic: ), known from pre-Islamic times and afterwards, inherited its name from the drachma or didrachm (, 2 drachmae); the dirham is still the name of the official currencies of Morocco and the United Arab Emirates. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Usually, prices were rounded up to the next multiple of 10 drachmae. This is an order of magnitude larger than the $186 USD-1998 arkenberg. A meaningful answer must usually begin: "It's complicated." A more complete answer might include "It depends" In our global economy, where almost everything is instantly convertible into cash, we. This is how the Greeks got their name drachma. A 4.5 gram silver drachma was 90% silver. Notable Ptolemaic coins included the gold pentadrachm and octadrachm, and silver tetradrachm, decadrachm and pentakaidecadrachm. Ancient drachma: a thousand-year-old currency. . the Finnish 100 markka issued in 1990), in Poland (the 1986 Polish 500 zloty coin), in Belarus (e.g. A rare 50-drachma coin fetched a record price of 162,000 euros at an auction in Switzerland recently. During the GermanItalian occupation of Greece from 1941 to 1944, catastrophic hyperinflation caused much higher denominations to be issued, culminating in 100,000,000,000 notes in 1944. According to one concept, a coin is a piece of precious metal whose value is essentially equivalent to the value of the bullion from which it was made, and the stamp on its face is merely a guarantee that it has (or had when minted) a particular weight and purity. What Things Cost in Ancient Rome. At Kindle location 1782 the comment says Alexander capped the cost of a banquet at 10,000 drachmas which is 5,000 days pay for a skilled Greek construction worker. For a skilled worker in modern-day Athens, one drachma is equivalent to EUR40 per day. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. A range of Drachma coins issued by Greece. Including various benefits and subsidies, the annual salary for a legionary soldier was 15,400 d.c., and a member of the Praetorian Guard got 19,100. Attempting to convert drachma-44BCE to USD-2015 seems very difficult and requires a lot of . The first coinage consisted of copper denominations of 1, 2, 5 and 10, silver denominations of 14, 12, 1 and 5 and a gold coin of 20. Civil taxes to Rome had to be paid in this coin. I will assume that is 22 carat because Ive read pure gold is too malleable to use in coins. . The new currency was pegged at 30 drachmae = 1 US dollar. Your email address will not be published. A new series of all 8 denominations was introduced in 1976 carrying images of early national heroes on the smaller values. Although Drachmas were used as far back as the 9th century, modern Drachma Gold Coins date from the mid-19th century. An ancient Greek currency unit issued by many Greek city states during a period of ten centuries, from the Archaic period throughout the Classical period, the Hellenistic period up to the Roman period under Greek Imperial Coinage. Will also mention some comment by Prof. Holt. How much money will you need for your trip to Greece? The symbol for GRD can be written Dr. In 1954 the drachma was revalued for a second time at a rate of 1000 to 1 and the Finance Minister, Spyros Markezinis, dealt with the problem Alexander-fashion by chopping off three zeros. 2023 DISCLAIMER: All content within CoinWeek.com is presented for informational purposes only, with no guarantee of accuracy. (Very small numbers of 50 and 100 coins in gold were also issued.). One obol became the equivalent of one spit. How much was a drachma worth in ancient Greece? An Ancient Greek weight of about 66.5 grains, or 4.3 grams. If you are curious and want to follow along, Ill be spending a bit of time looking at some details of ancient finance. I dont believe we significantly value or pay soldiers or workers today more than they did 2000 years ago. The first coins were minted in central Greece (Aegina, Athens and Corinth), in the north and on the island of Siphnos. 0.0031136. Sculptors and doctors were able to make up to six drachmae daily. You get: 0.00 900. The golden stater was worth two drachmas of gold or twenty drachmas of silver. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Greek coins catalog . Tetradrachm: were worth 4 drachmae, weighing 17.2 grams. That is, how common was it for a person of moderate means able to, over a lifetime, retire relatively rich? So that would not be minimum wage, but more along the line of a carpenter or mason. The Greek Drachma was also an ancient currency used in many Greek city-states. The second largest island is Euboea, which is separated from the mainland by the 60m-wide Euripus Strait, and is administered as part of the Central Greece region. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. An obol is an ancient Greek coin that has one-sixth the value of a drachma . drachmae or drachmas) was the currency used in Greece during several periods in its history: The name drachma is derived from the verb (drssomai, "(I) grasp"). Its name derives from the Greek verb meaning to grasp, and its original value was equivalent to that of a handful of arrows. 10 drachma 1973 copper-nickel 10 AXMAI But, fate had other plans for him. 10 coins of a brighter alloy were issued in 1959 and a silver 20 piece was issued in 1960, replacing the corresponding banknotes. [9] A hoplite was expected to provide his own armor and weapons, at a cost of 300 to 500 drachmai, but if he survived these would last for many years. The coin would have been born in Lydia, in Asia Minor. On 1 May 1954, the drachma was revalued at a rate of 1,000 to 1, and small change notes were abolished for the last time. Modern currency is primarily fiat money[13], with a value determined by the government, while ancient money was largely a commodity money, with values determined by the supply and demand of precious metals. The 5th century BC Athenian tetradrachm ("four drachmae") coin was perhaps the most widely used coin in the Greek world prior to the time of Alexander the Great (along with the Corinthian stater). 1 Greek drachma = 0.0033616 US dollar. Everything would be priced in terms of a new theoretical unit, the denarius communis or d.c. A new high quality silver coin, the argenteus, was worth 100 d.c, and the gold aureus was worth 1,200. These were the last coins issued for the first modern drachma, none were issued for the second. The Unjust Steward in the story of Jesus was thrown into prison for overdue debt of a hundred denarii. Penguin (2008), Finley, Moses. An ox sold for 100 denarii, a calf 20 denarii, and a ram 8 denarii. Money and Measures in Ancient Greece. The Ancient Economy. The (National Central Bank of Greece) exchanged drachma coins until 1 March 2004 and drachma banknotes until 1 March 2012. Wheat sold for 100 d.c. per modius (a measuring bucket that held about eight liters or two gallons, enough to make 20 one-pound loaves of bread) Meat was sold by the Roman pound or libra of 12 ounces (326 grams): pork and lamb for 12 d.c.; beef for 8; high-quality saltwater fish for 25; chicken (a luxury!) $19.20 US silver coins per $1.00 face value Silver coins at $14,787 for $1,000 face, which is $14.78 per $1 face, at 77% silver that is $19.20, 70.5:1 American Eagle to US silver coins. Historically, the drachma was the currency of many Greek city states. Location 1797 says guests at a banquet could eat 160 drachma of food which was 80 days pay for a mercenary of the day. Privacy Policy. A good cloak cost 500. How much was a drachma worth in Caesar's time? GRD replaced by EUR. GRD /USD. For the moth genus, see, Above: Six rod-shaped obeloi (oboloi) displayed at the. This drachma also suffered from high inflation. First in silver, then in bronze, it is divided into eight chalkos or twelve depending on the region of Greece. The conversion factor is six significant digits, which means that it is a very accurate representation of the value of your currency. I dont think so. In 100 BC, Julius Caesar was born in Subura, Rome, into an aristocratic family. A modern person might think of one drachma as the rough equivalent of a skilled worker's daily pay in the place where they live, which could be as low as US$1, or as high as $100, depending on the country. Convert 1000 Drachmas to Pounds with real time Forex rates based on up-to-the-second interbank exchange rates. It was truly the first international currency and circulated throughout Europe and Asia. 1992 100 Drachmas Greek Coin Alexander The Great and The Vergina Star Rare $50.00 Free shipping or Best Offer Greece Gold Brass Drachma Coin - greek owl 1973 vintage authentic - NEAR MINT $9.99 $4.99 shipping Greece 2 Drachmai 1973 UNC World Coin Greek Owl Phoenix Bird Pendant 24k gp $14.99 0 bids $4.80 shipping 6d 14h But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Learn how your comment data is processed. The drachma was one of the world's earliest . These are worth $10 to $20. According to a study undertaken by Bloomberg, drachmas worth an estimated 477.9 million are still safely tucked away all over Greece never to be . Is Greek drachma worth . Ancient Greek coins normally had distinctive names in daily use. spelling variant is also attested. Elites used gold coins for purchases of luxury goods, property, and slaves. In that time, one drachma would be around one days wages for a skilled worker or a hoplite. Are you richer today than John D. Rockefeller was in 1916? 1 GRD = 0.00311831 USD. The drachma was divided into 100 lepta. Our online exchange service is quick, easy, secure and free of charge. Modern commentators derived from Xenophon[11] that half a drachma per day (360 days per year) would provide "a comfortable subsistence" for "the poor citizens" (for the head of a household in 355BC). The exchange rate was updated on August 18, 2022. 1a : any of various ancient Greek units of weight. How much was a drachma worth in ancient Greece? Harris, ed. Metrologists have come to differing conclusions concerning its exact length, but the currently accepted modern equivalents are 296 mm or 11.65 inches. You can use the International Monetary Fund to find the current rate. Your email address will not be published. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Around the mid 5th Century, BC, a salaried military class, a salaried government class workers and the parliamentary pay was also introduced. The gold drachma was much rarer. Johns Hopkins (1996), Hendin, David. Greek Drachma Gold Coins: A Piece of History. Another way of thinking about the labor equivalent of ancient coins is soldiers pay one of the most important items in the budget of ancient empires. Drachma, silver coin of ancient Greece, dating from about the mid-6th century bc, and the former monetary unit of modern Greece. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? The Greek Drachma was the currency of Greece from 1832 until 2002, when it was replaced by the Euro. While the laws are incomplete, the first six sections deal with grain dole and eligibility for it. The proposed exchange rate was set at 340.75 drachmas for 1 euro. If your knowledge of ancient finances is comparable to mine, that is to sayapproximately zero, please feel free to join me on a journey to learn a few details. A talent (Latin: talentum, from Ancient Greek: "scale, balance") is an ancient unit of mass; it corresponded generally to the mass of water in the volume of an amphora, i.e. Athens and Corinth soon followed Aegina's lead. All major cards are accepted widely in Greece at key tourist hubs. Clothing was costly. 1.00 Greek Drachma = 0.00 31084926 US Dollars 1 USD = 321.699 GRD GRD replaced by EUR We use the mid-market rate for our Converter. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. The euro banknotes and coins were introduced in Greece on 1 January 2002, after a transitional period of one year when the euro was the official currency but only existed as book money. Price history of USD / GRD. spelling variant is also attested. Did we value a low level employee more in 1944 than we do today? This is for informational purposes only. In ancient Greece, drachmas were made from silver. The exact exchange value of each was determined by the quantity and quality of the metal, which reflected on the reputation of each mint. The drachma (Greek: Modern: , Ancient: [drakm]; pl. While he has the best intentions, he fails in many ways. In Caesars will, he gives seventy-five drachmas to every Roman citizen and bequeaths his private gardens and newly planted orchards on both sides of the Tiber River to the public. But I wonder, since prices for goods and services arent mentioned (except for the Edict on Maximum Prices, which, as you pointed out, is the yesteryear price control scheme), whether the middle class (probably the military) were able to, over time amass their equivalent to 1 million dollars.