The Roman Empire was known for its extravagant public spectacles, which diverted the public's attention from corruption, dwindling resources, and political instability.
Despite the relentless rally in the stock market over the last several years, combined with rising interest rates, gold should have taken a beating, but it's holding its own.
The new record in world gold reserves reflects a desire by central banks the world over to diversify away from the US dollar with its ever more evident counterparty risks.
