EUR  â¬172.80EUR  â¬144.00 excl. VAT
The Political Economy of Classical Athens
A Naval Perspective
Series: - Mnemosyne, Supplements, Volume: 425
- Mnemosyne, Supplements, History and Archaeology of Classical Antiquity, Volume: 425
Author:
Recently there has been a welcome revival of scholarly interest in the economy of classical Greece. In the face of increasingly compelling arguments for the existence of a market economy in classical Athens, the Finleyan orthodoxy is finally relinquishing its long dominion. In this book, Barry OâHalloran seeks to contribute to this renewed debate by re-interrogating the ancient evidence using more recent economic interpretative frameworks. The aim is to re-evaluate accepted orthodoxies and present the economic history of this emblematic city-state in a new light. More specifically, it analyses the economic foundations of Athens through the prism of its navy. Its macroeconomic approach utilises an employment-demand model through which enormous naval defence expenditures created an exceptional period of demand-led economic growth.
Barry OâHalloran has degrees in Economics and Politics, French and Renaissance Studies and more recently (2017) was awarded a Ph.D. in Classics at Trinity College Dublin. He was a television journalist with the Irish national broadcaster, RTE, and later founded a digital communications company working in real-time financial information services.
"Barry OâHalloran has written an important book on the Athenian naval economy that deserves the attention of ancient historians. (...) this is the first to explore the Athenian navy from a political-economic perspective, making it a welcome addition to the recent flurry of work on ancient Greek economic history. (...) OâHalloran is equally comfortable navigating macroeconomic terminology as he is Thucydidesâ text. He shows convincingly that the Athenians considered decisions about the navy to be economic decisions. (...) Overall, OâHalloranâs book is compellingly argued, nicely articulated, and well researched. (...) The original watercolors he commissioned to brighten his pages, especially those in Chapter 9 of triremes, shipsheds and Piraeus, are a unique treat and a beautiful touch. (...) OâHalloranâs book is, and will remain, an indispensable resource and reference for anyone interested in Athenian naval or economic history." - Tim Sorg, in: BMCR 2019.09.48
Preface Figures, Tables and Graphs
Introduction
1 Primitive Positionsâthe Oikos Debate â1âThe Defining QuartetâMarx, Weber, Polanyi and Finley â2âThe Ancient Economy Post-Finley
2 New Perspectives â1âInstitutionsâthe Engines of History â2âMaterialist Man and His Motivations â3âThe Only Constant is Change â4âCommerce, Conquest and Colonisation â5âThe Malthusian Trap and Economic Efflorescences
3 Warfare States â1âPath Dependence â2âThe Political Economies of Athens and Sparta: a Comparative Analysis â3âThe Spartan Naval Mirage
4 War, Strategy and the Transition to Triremes â1âThe Gift of Ares and Athenian Conquest Strategy â2âEmerging Patterns of War â3âStrategy â4âEarly Athenian Expansionism â5âThe Transition to Triremes â6âPrivate to Polis Navies
5 The Late Archaic Transitionâthe Naval Evidence â1âAthensâ âTurn to the Seaâ â2âCasus Belli â3âThe Athenian Naval Revolution â4âThemistoclesâ Naval Expansion
6 Money, Markets and Naval Procurement â1âCoinage, Silver and Money Supply â2âTrireme Costs and Lifespan â3âTrireme Timber and Naval Procurement â4âProvisioning the Fleetâa Network of Markets
7 Naval InstitutionsâTrierarchy â1âThe Rules of the Game â2âLiturgyâDelivering Public Goods â3âTrierarchyâDelivering the Fleet â4âTrierarchy in Theory and Practice â5âTrierarchyâInstitutional Evolution â6âCleruchyâFurther Institutional Adaptation
8 Naval Innovation â1âThe Archaic Fleet and Athenian Defence Strategy â2âNaval Technological Innovationâthe Ram â3âGreek Innovation in Nautical Design
9 Naval Defence Infrastructure â1âShipsheds â2âThe Athenian Circuit Walls â3âThe Piraeus â4âThe Long Walls â5âEstimating the Costs
10 Soldiers, Sailors, Citizens â1âHoplite Ideology and Its Persistence â2âSchools of Democracy â3âAthenian Trireme Crews â4âMercenaries, Metics and Slaves â5âThe Trireme School of Democracy
11 The Ancient Athenian Naval Economy â1âEconomic Growth â2âInstrumental Behaviour, Self-Interest and Markets â3âThe Athenian Labour Market â4âThe Naval Economy â5âSize Matters
12 The Wealth of Naval Athens â1âThe Versatile Trireme â2âCounting the Cost of Naval Deployments â3âThe Business of Empire â4âCosts of War â5âAncient Athenian Keynesians
Conclusions
Appendix: Sources and Numbers Bibliography Index
Introduction
1 Primitive Positionsâthe Oikos Debate â1âThe Defining QuartetâMarx, Weber, Polanyi and Finley â2âThe Ancient Economy Post-Finley
2 New Perspectives â1âInstitutionsâthe Engines of History â2âMaterialist Man and His Motivations â3âThe Only Constant is Change â4âCommerce, Conquest and Colonisation â5âThe Malthusian Trap and Economic Efflorescences
3 Warfare States â1âPath Dependence â2âThe Political Economies of Athens and Sparta: a Comparative Analysis â3âThe Spartan Naval Mirage
4 War, Strategy and the Transition to Triremes â1âThe Gift of Ares and Athenian Conquest Strategy â2âEmerging Patterns of War â3âStrategy â4âEarly Athenian Expansionism â5âThe Transition to Triremes â6âPrivate to Polis Navies
5 The Late Archaic Transitionâthe Naval Evidence â1âAthensâ âTurn to the Seaâ â2âCasus Belli â3âThe Athenian Naval Revolution â4âThemistoclesâ Naval Expansion
6 Money, Markets and Naval Procurement â1âCoinage, Silver and Money Supply â2âTrireme Costs and Lifespan â3âTrireme Timber and Naval Procurement â4âProvisioning the Fleetâa Network of Markets
7 Naval InstitutionsâTrierarchy â1âThe Rules of the Game â2âLiturgyâDelivering Public Goods â3âTrierarchyâDelivering the Fleet â4âTrierarchy in Theory and Practice â5âTrierarchyâInstitutional Evolution â6âCleruchyâFurther Institutional Adaptation
8 Naval Innovation â1âThe Archaic Fleet and Athenian Defence Strategy â2âNaval Technological Innovationâthe Ram â3âGreek Innovation in Nautical Design
9 Naval Defence Infrastructure â1âShipsheds â2âThe Athenian Circuit Walls â3âThe Piraeus â4âThe Long Walls â5âEstimating the Costs
10 Soldiers, Sailors, Citizens â1âHoplite Ideology and Its Persistence â2âSchools of Democracy â3âAthenian Trireme Crews â4âMercenaries, Metics and Slaves â5âThe Trireme School of Democracy
11 The Ancient Athenian Naval Economy â1âEconomic Growth â2âInstrumental Behaviour, Self-Interest and Markets â3âThe Athenian Labour Market â4âThe Naval Economy â5âSize Matters
12 The Wealth of Naval Athens â1âThe Versatile Trireme â2âCounting the Cost of Naval Deployments â3âThe Business of Empire â4âCosts of War â5âAncient Athenian Keynesians
Conclusions
Appendix: Sources and Numbers Bibliography Index
Due its cross-disciplinary approach, this book on the political economy of classical Athens will be of interest to a wide readership, including: ancient historians, classicists, economic historians, maritime historians and numismatists.