In-depth questions on ancient economic history

Teacher(s)

Balzat Jean-Sébastien;

Language

French
> English-friendly

Content

The finances of the Greek cities under the Roman Empire: Hellenistic practices and Roman interference
This course examines the public finances of the Greek cities under the Roman Empire. The first part presents the "classical" functioning of the public economy, well known thanks to the works of Léopold Migeotte. After reviewing modern theories on the ancient economy (particularly the opposition between "primitivists" and "modernists") and the division between private, public and sacred, this first part examines the methods of financing (booty, taxation, credit, loans, euergetism, etc.) and major expenditures (religion, construction, war, supplies, etc.) of the Greek city-states in the Classical and Hellenistic periods. The second part investigates the economic impact of the Roman conquest and provincialisation on the financial organisation of the Greek cities. Literary sources (Cicero and Pliny the Younger) as well as epigraphic sources suggest that the Romans had a negative view of the Greeks' financial management. After analysing how Greek cities reacted to the crisis caused by the Roman military conquest, we will investigate whether the first two centuries of our era saw the Romans putting the finances of the Greek cities in order, or whether it was the Greek cities that converted to new modes of functioning under the Empire. Based on an analysis of literary and epigraphic sources and taking into account some major archaeological contributions, this investigation will seek to take stock of the legacy of Hellenistic practices and Roman interference in the public economy of the Greek cities.

Teaching methods

Lecture with readings and analysis of ancient documents (in translation)

Evaluation methods

Oral exam

Bibliography

S. Alcock, Graecia Capta. The landscapes of Roman Greece, Cambridge, 1993.
A. Bresson, La cité marchande, Bordeaux, 2000. (https://books.openedition.org/ausonius/7659?format=toc)
P. Brulé, Économie et société en Grèce antique (477-88 av. J.-C.), Rennes, 2007. (https://books.openedition.org/pur/6756)
V. Chankowski, D. Rousset (éd.), « À propos des finances des cités grecques de L. Migeotte », in Topoi, 20/2, 2015, p. 339-494. (https://www.persee.fr/issue/topoi_1161-9473_2015_num_20_2?sectionId=topoi_1161-9473_2015_num_20_2_3052)
L. Migeotte, L’économie des cités grecques de l’archaïsme au Haut-Empire, Paris, 2002.
L. Migeotte, Économie et finances publiques des cités grecques, vol. I. Choix d’articles publiés de 1976 à 2001, Lyon, 2011. (https://www.persee.fr/issue/mom_0985-6471_2011_ant_44_1)
L. Migeotte, Économie et finances publiques des cités grecques, vol. II. Choix d’articles publiés de 2002 à 2014, Lyon, 2015. (https://www.persee.fr/issue/mom_0985-6471_2015_ant_54_1?sectionId=mom_0985-6471_2015_ant_54_1_3645)
A. Rizakis, I. Touratsoglou (éd.), Villae rusticae. Family and market-oriented farms in Greece under Roman rule, Athènes, 2013.
P. Thonemann, The Maender Valley. A Historical Geography from Antiquity to Byzantium, Cambridge, 2011.

Faculty or entity

> EHAC