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Economy - Coggle Diagram
Economy
Festivals and Liturgies
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liturgies helped to supplement these costs: the wealthy could perform choregia by sponsoring a drama, or gymnasiarchia, a form of athletic sponsorship
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liturgies framed as prestigious public service, tied to charis and honour, not mere extraction
reciprocity was therefore embedded in the athenian economy - the rich helped to subsidise democratic culture, but were rewarded with prestige and symbolic capital
for example, Demosthenes, in Against Meidias, lists the liturgies he has taken as evidence of his civic responsibility
Military
even in the relatively peaceful 360s, 500 talents were spent annually on the military
pay rate of two obols a day for infantry and marines, and one drachma a day for cavalry
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How was war democratic?
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the ephebic system provided two years of subsidised military training. In their ephebic oath, athenian youths swore to defend the democracy and obey its laws
war was obvs expensive. thucydides says the Spartans can only "only wage brief campaigns" due to "their poverty"
Grain Supply
Attica didn't have large agricultural capacity, so grain imports were a necessity
Athens "consumes more imported grain than any other people" Demosthenes, Against Leptines
the Grain Tax Law of 374/3 BC dictated that ten men should be chosen in the Assembly to manage the grain from Lemnos, Imbros, and Skyros
these men were chosen at the same time as the generals, evidencing the value given to grain supervision
the proceeds of the grain were to be paid into the stratiotic fund, linking grain provisioning to state finance and military structures
Lysias 22, Against the Corn Dealers
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Euboea
cleruchic control over Euboea may have supplied 600,000-900,000 medimnoi annually to Athens
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Public Pay
democracy was expensive to facilitate, as many forms of civic participation were paid
jurors, assembly-goers, councillors, magistrates, and religious officials
jury pay was introduced by Pericles, but rose to three obols under Cleon
by the 4th century, civic pay cost an estimated 100 talents annually, according to Fawcett
c. 45 talents for the Assembly, 15 for the Council, 22-37 for the courts, 20-30 for honorary decrees
democratic equality required citizens to be able to afford political activity - civic participation was a duty, so civic pay was a support for the democracy
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Scrutiny
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several layers of scrutiny ensured economic responsibility was embedded into the state, and magistrates could not embezzle
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