War, food, and politics in early Hellenistic Athens / G.J. Oliver.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Oliver, G. J. (Graham John), 1966-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Athens (Greece)--Economic conditions.

Athens (Greece).

Athens (Greece)--History, Military.

Physical Description:

xxi, 360 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2007.

Summary:

During the Hellenistic era, Athens was no longer an imperial power and struggled to maintain its territory, both at home in Attica and overseas in the cleruchies. In this new thematic study of the period, G. J. Oliver assesses how political and military change affected the fragile economies of the Athenian polis. After their defeat in the Lamian war the Athenians were forced to endure a long period when foreign powers exercised enormous influence over the city. Under these conditions the institutions of the polis changed to meet new pressures. A huge amount of energy was invested by the citizen body in the defence of Attica. Individuals contributed time and money to the institutions on which the polis depended.

Oliver evaluates contemporary demographic pressures, and re-examines the role of the Piraeus. The loss of control of the Mounychia fortress overlooking the harbours of the city had serious consequences. The Athenians resisted these changes, and sought to re-establish control over the countryside, harbours, and the overseas territories of the cleruchies. Until 229 BC they never succeeded in completely controlling the whole of this territory. Oliver assesses how the polis coped under these conditions. He demonstrates the economic importance of benefactors and the honours awarded by the polis, and explains the impact on surrounding regions of the political and economic operations in the Athenian polis. Within Attica the wealth of evidence from the fortress-demes of Eleusis and Rhamnous is examined. The book exploits the new documents found in the excavations of Rhamnous and the archaeological evidence of the Attica countryside, and will both provide a fresh perspective and allow a better appreciation of how the continuities and changes of the Hellenistic period affected the Athenian polis.

Contents:

Part I Economic Vulnerabilities

1 Economic Fragilities in Fourth-Century Athens 15

1.1 Dependency Cultures 15

1.2 Models of Dependency 17

1.3 Quantifying Dependency on Imported Grain 18

1.4 The Economic Realities of Moving Grain 22

1.5 Ateleia-the Economic Function of Honours 30

1.6 Bread Baskets: Overseas Territories 37

1.7 The Taste for Gain: Financing Commerce 39

1.8 The Threat of Macedon: Athenian Economies before 322 41

2 Piraeus and 'Peraea' 48

2.2 Polis and Piraeus 49

2.3 Out of Attica: The Athenian Peraea 68

2.4 Athenian Territory and Polis Economies 73

3 People of Attica 74

3.1 Demography and Economics 74

3.2 Labour and Manpower 75

3.3 The Population of Fourth-Century Attica 76

3.4 Movements of People: 'a culture founded on mobility' 87

3.5 Settlement and Demes in Early Hellenistic Attica 100

3.6 Surveying Change in the Archaeology of Attica 105

3.7 Conclusion: The Fragility of Human Resources 109

Part II War in the Athenian Polis

4 Warfare and the Athenian Countryside 113

4.2 The Years 307-304 BC 116

4.3 The Mid-290s 119

4.4 The 280s 121

4.5 The 260s: The Chremonidean War 127

4.6 The 250s and 240s 131

4.7 The Polis and Its Territory 133

5 The Dynamics of Defence: Infrastructure 138

5.1 Territory, Autonomy, and Manpower 138

5.2 Defensive Infrastructure in Attica c.500-c.200 142

5.3 The Fortified Demes of Early Hellenistic Attica 148

5.4 The Rubble Camps 153

5.5 Garrisoned Attica 158

6 Defending the Polis: Command 160

6.1 The Structure of Command 160

6.2 The Hoplite General 163

6.3 The Regionalized Generalship for the Countryside 164

6.4 Royal Interference 167

6.5 The Piraeus and Salamis under Macedonian Leadership 169

6.6 Military Command in Early Hellenistic Athens 171

7 Military Manpower 173

7.2 Protecting Attica: The Cavalry 173

7.3 Ephebes 175

7.4 Garrisoning the Fortified Demes 176

7.5 Special Forces 179

7.6 Non-Citizen Soldiers 183

7.7 Military Organization in Athens and Attica 188

Part III Polis Economies: Finance, Food, and Friends

8 Saving the Polis: Civic Finances 193

8.1 Civic Finances in Early Hellenistic Athens: Revenues 193

8.2 The Epidosis of Diomedon's Archonship (248/7) 200

8.3 Epidosis: Honours for Benefactors 204

8.4 The Salvation of the Polis and Defence of the Countryside 209

8.5 Benefactors of the Athenian Polis: Buying Food 213

8.6 The Financial Management of the Polis 223

9 Friends Abroad: Food, Commerce, and the Economics of Benefaction 228

9.2 The Need for Grain from Overseas 229

9.3 Grain Prices 241

9.4 Sources of Grain 247

9.5 Civic Intervention: Sitonia 255

1 The Eponymous Archons of Early Hellenistic Athens 267

2 The Hoplite Generals of Early Hellenistic Athens 270

3 Non-Civic Appointments in Early Hellenistic Athens 272

4 Groups Represented in the Epigraphy of the Fortified Demes of Attica 274

5 Analysis of the Contributors to the Epidosis of 248/7 BC 277

6 Regional Representation in the Epidosis of 248/7 BC? 282

7 Imported Grain in Early Hellenistic Athens 285

8 Grain Prices on Delos, 282 291

Index locorum 338.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [292]-321) and indexes.

ISBN:

0199283508

9780199283507

OCLC:

123285155