Book contents
- The Cambridge Companion to the Ancient Greek Economy
- The Cambridge Companion to the Ancient Greek Economy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Maps
- Notes on the Contributors
- Abbreviations
- Maps
- 1 Introduction
- Part I Diachronic Perspectives
- Part II Regional Perspectives
- Part III Structures and Processes
- 11 Population
- 12 Consumption, Nutrition, and the Grain Supply
- 13 The Agricultural Economy
- 14 The Non-Agricultural Economy: Artisans, Traders, Women, and Slaves
- 15 Markets
- 16 Money, Credit, and Banking
- 17 Dispute Resolution
- 18 Taxation and Tribute
- Part IV Networks
- Part V Performance
- References
- Index
- Cambridge Companions to the Ancient World
11 - Population
from Part III - Structures and Processes
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 July 2022
- The Cambridge Companion to the Ancient Greek Economy
- The Cambridge Companion to the Ancient Greek Economy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Maps
- Notes on the Contributors
- Abbreviations
- Maps
- 1 Introduction
- Part I Diachronic Perspectives
- Part II Regional Perspectives
- Part III Structures and Processes
- 11 Population
- 12 Consumption, Nutrition, and the Grain Supply
- 13 The Agricultural Economy
- 14 The Non-Agricultural Economy: Artisans, Traders, Women, and Slaves
- 15 Markets
- 16 Money, Credit, and Banking
- 17 Dispute Resolution
- 18 Taxation and Tribute
- Part IV Networks
- Part V Performance
- References
- Index
- Cambridge Companions to the Ancient World
Summary
In this chapter, I emphasise and try to explain the importance of historical demography for economic history, but also its relative neglect by ancient historians until very recently. Demography involves a range of quantitative measures that are useful both as proxies for economic performance and in comparison. Population sizes and trends also have explanatory power for past economic changes. Some general points about the relationship between population and economy, and what changed and what stayed the same over the last millennium BCE are followed by some more specific observations about the major periods of Greek history. The importance of environmental factors is particularly emphasised, and urbanization is a persistent theme.
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- The Cambridge Companion to the Ancient Greek Economy , pp. 153 - 171Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022