Economy

Agriculture was the foundation of the Ancient Greek economy. Nearly 80% of the population was involved in this activity. Agriculture permeated the Greek world to such an extent that it gave birth to a way of life which persisted throughout Antiquity.During the early part of Greek history, as shown in the Odyssey, Greek agriculture - and diet - was based... [continue reading]

Much of the craftsmanship of ancient Greece was part of the domestic sphere. However, the situation gradually changed between the 8th and 4th centuries BC, with the increased commercialization of the Greek economy. Thus, weaving and baking were done only by women before the 6th century BC. After the growth of commerce, slaves started to be widely used... [continue reading]

Trade was a fundamental aspect of the ancient Greek world and following territorial expansion, an increase in population movements and innovations in transport, goods could be bought, sold and exchanged in one part of the Mediterranean which had their origin in a completely different and far distant region. Food, raw materials and manufactured goods... [continue reading]

How prosperous were the Romans? Their individual experiences ranged from wretched poverty to fabulous wealth, and that variety makes generalizations difficult. Many kinds of evidence can be used to address this question. Three approaches to the problem are particularly direct and encompassing. The first approach is to calculate the average income. This... [continue reading]

Rome’s dependence upon slaves has been well established in terms of economics and general society. This paper, however, seeks to demonstrate this dependence, during the end of the Republic and the beginning of the Empire, through detailed examples of slave use in various areas of Roman life. The areas covered include agriculture, industry, domestic... [continue reading]