“I can see the advantage of fixing the amount of precious metal in the coinage, Dominus,” he said. “But I don’t think setting prices mid wages will be effective.”
“Why? I’m only trying to bring order out of what is now a chaosnl rising prices and wages.”
“Then do it by fixing the amount of gold and silver in the coins MI a higher level than is in them now and making the change permanent. Those who work will then be better paid for their labor and will not demand more. And those who sell will get more I ur their goods and thus will not be tempted to raise prices.
“How can you say that? All merchants are greedy.”
“It is because they’re greedy that I believe your plan will fail, Dominus,” Constantine said earnestly, warming to his subject. If you set the price of everything, merchants will hold goods off the market until they become scarce, then sell them under the table for more than the price set by the government.”
“And risk flogging, or death?”
Busy arresting merchants
“Men will risk anything for money. We hardly have enough soldiers now to keep back the barbarians on our frontiers. How will you defend them when your armies are busy arresting merchants, who make more profit than they are entitled to, or artisans who infuse to work for the wages you set?”
“How would fixing the value of the coinage prevent all those evils?”
Not all merchants sell the same thing for the same price now,” Constantine pointed out. “Someone is always willing to decrease his profit in order to sell more. If left alone, the price of goods will come to a fair level, so long as no one can claim that all money does not have the same value.”
“You realize, don’t you, that by opposing me, you may be risking the favor I have promised to show you?” Diocletian’s tone was harsh.
“Yes, Dominus. But if I agreed with you merely to gain your favor and afterwards my advice turned out to be wrong, you would think even less of me.”
“Do you consider me fair enough not to hold a grudge, if you are proven right?”
Your will governs all our lives, Dominus. If I don’t trust in your justice, I can trust in nothing.”
Diocletian studied him for a long moment before rising from the bench. “If you prove me wrong in this, young man,” he said very soberly, “you may also prove me wrong in my belief that no Filius Augusti should succeed his father. I think Dacius was right about your having a wise head on your shoulders, though we shall have to see who is the wiser.”
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