They had money in those old cities too. It was just sound money.

There may also be something to be said for monarchy there, but it's hard to say, as a monarch with high time preference would be an absolute nightmare too. Talking about political systems while hooked on fiat money is a bit like talking about religious belief while hooked on crack. Maybe let's worry about the addiction first, and then we can figure out if the politics needed to change in the first place.