Smuggling the Silk

For centuries, the Roman and Byzantine empires bled gold to purchase a fabric that was lighter than air and stronger than steel. China held an absolute, fiercely guarded monopoly on silk production, protecting the secret of the silkworm under penalty of gruesome death.

In the 6th century, Emperor Justinian realized that military might could not solve an economic deficit. He orchestrated one of the earliest and most consequential acts of corporate espionage in human history, dispatching two monks to traverse the treacherous Silk Road and steal the biological source of China's wealth.

Smuggling the Silk tells the thrilling true story of these ancient spies who hid living silkworm eggs inside hollow bamboo canes. It details their perilous journey and how their successful heist instantly shattered an ancient monopoly, forever altering the balance of global economic power.

Uncover the roots of industrial espionage. Learn how a single, daring theft of biological intellectual property reshaped the medieval world and laid the foundation for modern global trade.