War, Food, and Politics in Early Hellenistic Athens

G. J. Oliver provides a new assessment of the economic history of Athens in the Hellenistic era, when the city was no longer an imperial power and struggled to maintain its territory, both at home in Attica and overseas in the cleruchies. Oliver assesses how political and military change affected the fragile economies of the Athenian polis. Warfare in Attica required the Athenians to protect their domestic grain supply and seek out those beyond the city to provide commodities from abroad. Oliver stresses the economic importance of benefaction and civic honours, and shows how much the citizens of Athens contributed to the defence and finances of their city.