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"Involvement in credit was not held in high regard by the upper end of Roman society. The situation was probably not helped by the large amount of foreigners, namely Greeks and 'Syrians', involved in credit. In fact, in Gaul, the words for banker and Syrian were synonyms. Moreover, the clients of the nummularii, argentarii, and coactores argentarii, did not include the Roman elite, who usually had their own safe deposits and sources of credit (much of it derived from wealth in land). The Roman government relied on taxes to raise revenue. There was no 'national debt'."

Roman bankers disappear from the historical record between 260 and the fourth century. Following its collapse and the Christian takeover of Europe, Jews become the predominant moneylenders in every nation. The Roman Church and Christian elites however retained their wealth in land, until monarchy, lordship and church lands fade from the historical record between 1800 and the twentieth century. With their power removed, the Jewish moneylenders were able to implement their gathered wealth to seize both land and state power, and use this total control to begin replacing the population they held such animosity for.