No CrossRef data available.
Article contents
Extract
It is quite remarkable that the study of Greek economic history has been long pursued in the absence of any overall synthesis. The revised translation of Alain Bresson's The Making of the Ancient Greek Economy, originally published in French in 2007, is undoubtedly a major contribution that will have a significant impact on how the subject is taught and studied in the Anglo-Saxon world. The volume is effectively divided into two parts. The first situates Greek economies in their environment, by exploring demography, sources of energy, agriculture, pastoralism, and non-agricultural production. The second part focuses on the nature of ancient markets, by examining internal and external markets, the international division of labour, and the role of currency, credit, and taxation. While the first part is primarily a useful summary of current research, the second part is an original contribution to our understanding of Greek markets. Not only are we given for the first time a detailed analysis of how the agora and the emporion functioned, but Bresson is able to fully document the existence of complex networks creating an international division of labour. These are major advances, but the work has two major problems. Despite its size, it is a lopsided analysis. It is remarkable, for example, that there is not a single chapter devoted to labour, and that its nineteen-page index lacks any reference to terms such as wages, class, exploitation, poverty, or consumption. And, while Bresson offers an excellent description of many economic aspects, the book is distinctly unconvincing whenever it tries to explain patterns or the nature of Greek economic growth. It will be essential for any future work in Greek economic history, but for a comprehensive framework that can actually explain things, we will unfortunately have to wait.
- Type
- Subject Reviews
- Information
- Copyright
- Copyright © The Classical Association 2016
References
1 The Making of the Ancient Greek Economy. Institutions, Markets, and Growth in the City-States. By Bresson, Alain. Translated by Rendall, Steven. Princeton, NJ, and Oxford, Princeton University Press, 2016. Pp. xxviii + 620. 13 figures, 16 tables. Hardback, £34.95, ISBN: 978-0-691-14470-2 Google Scholar.
2 The Laws of Ancient Crete, c.650–400 bce . By Gagarin, Michael and Perlman, Paula. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2016. Pp. xxiv + 566. 71 figures and plans. Hardback £120, ISBN: 978-0-19-920482-3 Google Scholar.
3 Das archaische Kreta. Institutionalisierung im frühen Griechenland. By Seelentag, Gunnar. Klio Beiträge zur Alten Geschichte 24. Berlin and Boston, MA, De Gruyter, 2015. Pp. 623. Hardback £89.99, ISBN: 978-3-11-036240-4 CrossRefGoogle Scholar.
4 Cults and Rites in Ancient Greece. Essays on Religion and Society. By Jameson, Michael H.. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014. Pp. xxxvi + 362. 35 figures. Hardback £74.99, ISBN: 978-0-521-66129-4 Google Scholar.
5 Enmity and Feuding in Classical Athens. By Alwine, Andrew T.. Austin, TX, University of Texas Press, 2015. Pp. xviii + 253. Hardback £42, ISBN: 978-1-4773-0248-4 Google Scholar.
6 Children and Childhood in Classical Athens. By Golden, Mark. Ancient Society and History. Second edition. Baltimore, MD, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2015. Pp. xxii + 243. 17 figures. Paperback £18, ISBN: 978-1-4214-1686-1 Google Scholar.
7 Athenian Prostitution. The Business of Sex. By Cohen, Edward E.. New York, Oxford University Press, 2015. Pp. xx + 243. Hardback £47.99, ISBN: 978-0-19-027592-1 Google Scholar.
8 The Battle of Arginusae. Victory at Sea and Its Tragic Aftermath in the Final Years of the Peloponnesian War. By Hamel, Debra. Witness to Ancient History. Baltimore, MD, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2015. Pp. xx + 125. 4 maps, 7 figures. Hardback £29, ISBN: 978-1-4214-1680-9; Paperback £13, ISBN: 978-1-4214-1681-6 Google Scholar.
9 Reconstructing Damon. Music, Wisdom Teaching, and Politics in Perikles’ Athens. By Wallace, Robert W.. New York, Oxford University Press, 2015. Pp. xxiv + 223. 2 b/w illustrations. Hardback £55, ISBN: 978-0-19-968573-8 CrossRefGoogle Scholar.
10 Historical Agency and the ‘Great Man’ in Classical Greece. By Ferrario, Sarah Brown. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014. Pp. xiv + 409. 6 tables. Hardback £74.99, ISBN: 978-1-107-03734-2 CrossRefGoogle Scholar.
11 Thucydides and the Idea of History. By Morley, Neville. New Directions in Classics. London and New York, I. B. Tauris, 2014. Pp. xxviii + 213. Paperback £15.99, ISBN: 978-1-84885-170-2 Google Scholar.
12 The Geography of Strabo. An English Translation, with Introduction and Notes. By Roller, Duane W.. Cambridge and New York, Cambridge University Press, 2014. Pp. xvii + 891. 2 maps. Hardback £125, ISBN: 978-1-107-03825-7 Google Scholar.