Feeding the Democracy: The Athenian Grain Supply in the Fifth and Fourth Centuries BC
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Author Description
The reliance of democracies on vital supplies of energy from distant and non-democratic sources is probably the most pressing and dangerous problem of modern times, but it is not a new phenomenon. Classical Athens, the birthplace of democracy and the largest and historically most important of the ancient Greek city-states, depended for its survival on the constant importation of grain from overseas lands as remote as Ukraine and southern Russia, and this trade was ultimately controlled by powerful politicians, wealthy landowners, and kings. Alfonso Moreno examines how this resource need determined Athenian foreign policy, prompting recourse to military conquest and ruthless resettlements, and how uncomfortable realities (especially elite control) were made acceptable to popular audiences.This study of ancient trade and politics reveals a Greek world as globalized as our own, and convulsed by the same problems that such interdependence and sophistication entail.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work investigates how the critical necessity of imported grain shaped the foreign policy, military strategy, and political rhetoric of Classical Athens. Alfonso Moreno, a scholar of ancient history, utilizes archaeological evidence, epigraphic records, and literary sources to demonstrate that the Athenian democracy was fundamentally dependent on external trade networks controlled by elites. He argues that this interdependence forced the city-state into aggressive expansionism and complex diplomatic maneuvers to secure its food supply.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Analysis of grain trade routes from the Black Sea region to Athens
- Examination of the intersection between elite landownership and state policy
- Discussion of Athenian military interventions motivated by resource security
- Evaluation of how political rhetoric masked the influence of wealthy merchants and foreign kings
Scope Limits
- The study focuses primarily on the fifth and fourth centuries BC
- It does not provide a comprehensive history of all Athenian trade goods, focusing specifically on grain
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars recognize this monograph as a rigorous contribution to the economic history of the ancient Mediterranean. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is intended for specialists in classical history and political economy.
Page Count:
441
Publication Date:
2007-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191607789
ISBN-13:
9780191607783
History
Economic History
Greece
Political History
Athens Greece
Ancient History