The Economy of the Greek Cities : From the Archaic Period to the Early Roman Empire

216 Pages·2009·1.09 MB·English

by  Migeotte

Migeotte_FM 7/15/09 4:37 PM Page a
The Joan Palevsky Imprint in Classical Literature
In honor of beloved Virgil—
“O degli altri poeti onore e lume . . .”
—Dante, Inferno
Migeotte_FM 7/15/09 4:37 PM Page b
The publisher gratefully acknowledges the
generous contribution to this book provided by
the Classical Literature Endowment Fund of the
University of California Press Foundation, which
is supported by a major gift from Joan Palevsky.
Migeotte_FM 7/15/09 4:37 PM Page i
The Economy of the Greek Cities
Migeotte_FM 7/15/09 4:37 PM Page ii
This page left intentionally blank
Migeotte_FM 7/15/09 4:37 PM Page iii
The Economy of the
Greek Cities
From the Archaic Period
to the Early Roman Empire
Léopold Migeotte
Translated by Janet Lloyd
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
Berkeley Los Angeles London
Migeotte_FM 7/15/09 4:37 PM Page iv
University of California Press, one of the most distinguished uni-
versity presses in the United States, enriches lives around the
world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences,
and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press
Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals
and institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu.
Title of the original French edition: L’économie des cités grecques.
Published by Ellipses, copyright 2002 Édition Marketing S.A.
University of California Press
Berkeley and Los Angeles, California
University of California Press, Ltd.
London, England
© 2009by The Regents of the University of California
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Migeotte, Léopold.
[Economie des cités grecques. English] The economy of the
Greek cities : from the archaic period to the early Roman
Empire / Léopold Migeotte ; translated by Janet Lloyd.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn978-0-520-25365-0(cloth, alk. paper)
isbn978-0-520-25366-7 (pbk., alk. paper)
1. Greece—Economic conditions—To 146 B.C. I. Title.
HC37.M5413 2009
330.938—dc22 2008050892
Manufactured in the United States of America
18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum require-
ments of ansi/niso z39.48-1992(r1997) (Permanence of Paper).
Migeotte_FM 7/15/09 4:37 PM Page v
CONTENTS
Foreword
ix
Introduction
1
The Purpose and Nature of This Book
1
Sources
7
1. The Greek Cities and the Economy
15
Constants and Constraints
15
Economy and Oikonomia
28
Migeotte_FM 7/15/09 4:37 PM Page vi
vi / Contents
The Economic Space of the Cities
36
Primary Text
65
2. The World of Agriculture
67
Agricultural Labor and Products
68
Foodstuffs and How They Were Used
75
Cultivating the Soil
78
Self-sufficiency and Markets
85
Primary Texts
88
3. Craft Industries and Business Ventures
92
Private Crafts
93
Public Works
100
Primary Texts
114
4. Trade
117
Trading Conditions
118
Migeotte_FM 7/15/09 4:37 PM Page vii
Contents / vii
Different Levels of Trading
127
The Business World
137
Public Interventions
143
Primary Texts
170
Conclusion
173
Bibliography
179
Index
191
Maps follow page ix