Athenian Economy and Society |  | Author: Edward Cohen
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Category: Book
List Price: $37.50
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Rating:  1 reviews
Sales Rank: 608,760
Media: Paperback
Pages: 312
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 8.7 x 6 x 0.9
ISBN: 0691015929
Dewey Decimal Number: 332
EAN: 9780691015927
ASIN: 0691015929
Publication Date: January 6, 1997
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Product Description
In this ground-breaking analysis of the world's first private banks, Edward Cohen convincingly demonstrates the existence and functioning of a market economy in ancient Athens while revising our understanding of the society itself. Challenging the "primitivistic" view, in which bankers are merely pawnbrokers and money-changers, Cohen reveals that fourth-century Athenian bankers pursued sophisticated transactions. These dealings--although technologically far removed from modern procedures--were in financial essence identical with the lending and deposit-taking that separate true "banks" from other businesses. He further explores how the Athenian banks facilitated tax and creditor avoidance among the wealthy, and how women and slaves played important roles in these family businesses--thereby gaining legal rights entirely unexpected in a society supposedly dominated by an elite of male citizens. Special emphasis is placed on the reflection of Athenian cognitive patterns in financial practices. Cohen shows how transactions were affected by the complementary opposites embedded in the very structure of Athenian language and thought. In turn, his analysis offers great insight into daily Athenian reality and cultural organization.
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| Customer Reviews:
Powerful study of a neglected topic July 23, 1998
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
This book examines the extremely scarce references to banking in the Athenian world. The author argues that a form of deposit banking did exist and was deeply involved in both real estate (landed loans) and commerce (maritime loans). He puts this in the context of the social practices and customs of Athens (4th c. BC, after the Peloponnesian war). Marriage, slavery, and property ownership are among the issues looked at in close detail. The author succeeds in establishing the existence of a banking industry in Athens. It is clear that this extremely sophisticated society (in all respects) *also* had sophisticated credit mechanisms. It is difficult to say to what extent the existence of a developed credit industry must alter our concept of the Athenian economy to make it "more capitalist." But here we have at least a compelling basis for arguing that the existence of highly developed commerce must entail as well the existence of credit mechanisms. The! discussion of the Athenian banking practice of using slaves as key bank officers, and then taking the foremost slave and marrying him to the widow of the bank owner upon his death, is a fascinating look at the complexity of the oikos and legal context of immigrants and slaves in the Athenian economy. This is a first rate piece of scholarship. Even if your interest in ancient Athens is primarily literary/philosophical, you should be familiar with this book. In addition to specialized legal documents and abundant reference to scholarly work on the Athenian economic system, the author makes use of well-known sources such as Plato and Aristotle. It is a tour de force. The author (Cohen) has a Ph.D. from Princeton in classics and also is a principal in a pennsylvania bank.
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