Peasantry and the Distribution of Land in Fourth-Century B.C. Athens

<p>The article proposes a study of the Athenian rural economy in the fourth century B.C., assuming that devastations during the Peloponnesian War did not have permanent effects on Attic agriculture, which recovered quickly. In this context, the situation of the peasantry is examined in relatio...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Julián Gallego
Format: Article
Language:Spanish
Published: Ediciones Complutense 2016-12-01
Series:Gerión
Subjects:
Online Access:http://revistasculturales.ucm.es/index.php/GERI/article/view/53735
_version_ 1818175000831590400
author Julián Gallego
author_facet Julián Gallego
author_sort Julián Gallego
collection DOAJ
description <p>The article proposes a study of the Athenian rural economy in the fourth century B.C., assuming that devastations during the Peloponnesian War did not have permanent effects on Attic agriculture, which recovered quickly. In this context, the situation of the peasantry is examined in relation to the other socio-economic sectors of the citizen population living in Attica. A quantitative analysis of the distribution of land is formulated in order to weigh the possible decline of the importance of the peasantry (a traditional view that associates this with the immediate impacts of war). For this, information about population and wealth from the censuses of Antipater and of Demetrius of Phaleron is considered and a relative proportion emerging from the <em>rationes centesimarum </em>is used. The figures obtained are pulled together with other data series, including an inference about the burden sharing among taxpayers of the <em>eisphora </em>system. The results are weighted by calculating the Gini coefficient and by comparative approaches. The conclusion is that the distribution of land in fourth-century Athens was reasonably egalitarian, compared to other cases, and that the peasantry continued to have a significant role.</p>
first_indexed 2024-12-11T19:53:21Z
format Article
id doaj.art-e9aa293ba0414f1182973a85b17a5f16
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 0213-0181
1988-3080
language Spanish
last_indexed 2024-12-11T19:53:21Z
publishDate 2016-12-01
publisher Ediciones Complutense
record_format Article
series Gerión
spelling doaj.art-e9aa293ba0414f1182973a85b17a5f162022-12-22T00:52:43ZspaEdiciones ComplutenseGerión0213-01811988-30802016-12-01340437510.5209/rev_GERI.2016.v34.5373550329Peasantry and the Distribution of Land in Fourth-Century B.C. AthensJulián Gallego0Universidad de Buenos Aires-CONICET/PEFSCEA<p>The article proposes a study of the Athenian rural economy in the fourth century B.C., assuming that devastations during the Peloponnesian War did not have permanent effects on Attic agriculture, which recovered quickly. In this context, the situation of the peasantry is examined in relation to the other socio-economic sectors of the citizen population living in Attica. A quantitative analysis of the distribution of land is formulated in order to weigh the possible decline of the importance of the peasantry (a traditional view that associates this with the immediate impacts of war). For this, information about population and wealth from the censuses of Antipater and of Demetrius of Phaleron is considered and a relative proportion emerging from the <em>rationes centesimarum </em>is used. The figures obtained are pulled together with other data series, including an inference about the burden sharing among taxpayers of the <em>eisphora </em>system. The results are weighted by calculating the Gini coefficient and by comparative approaches. The conclusion is that the distribution of land in fourth-century Athens was reasonably egalitarian, compared to other cases, and that the peasantry continued to have a significant role.</p>http://revistasculturales.ucm.es/index.php/GERI/article/view/53735campesinadopropiedad de la tierrariquezapoblaciónciudadaníaigualdad
spellingShingle Julián Gallego
Peasantry and the Distribution of Land in Fourth-Century B.C. Athens
Gerión
campesinado
propiedad de la tierra
riqueza
población
ciudadanía
igualdad
title Peasantry and the Distribution of Land in Fourth-Century B.C. Athens
title_full Peasantry and the Distribution of Land in Fourth-Century B.C. Athens
title_fullStr Peasantry and the Distribution of Land in Fourth-Century B.C. Athens
title_full_unstemmed Peasantry and the Distribution of Land in Fourth-Century B.C. Athens
title_short Peasantry and the Distribution of Land in Fourth-Century B.C. Athens
title_sort peasantry and the distribution of land in fourth century b c athens
topic campesinado
propiedad de la tierra
riqueza
población
ciudadanía
igualdad
url http://revistasculturales.ucm.es/index.php/GERI/article/view/53735
work_keys_str_mv AT juliangallego peasantryandthedistributionoflandinfourthcenturybcathens