Maritime Traders in the Ancient Greek World (review)

Reed notes the substantial influence that the late Geoffrey de Ste. Croix had on his slim tome, which covers the Archaic and classical Greek periods. The book has a terminal date of 323 B.C., at which time the nature of the evidence changes drastically. This is an analysis of traders and not trade and the preponderance of the evidence relates to Athens. Aristocrats aboard their own ships probably accounted for a fair amount of commerce between about 800 and 625 B.C. They traded for themselves, not on behalf of others. In late Archaic times many of those engaged in commerce were poor men of low social status. From about 625 until 475 B.C. there was a growth in the number of independent maritime traders. Bottomry loans are first attested in the period 475–450 B.C. Their introduction was the result of the monetization of commercial exchanges and the rising Athenian need for bulk imports of grain from overseas. At Athens these loans were most often available from citizens or metoikoi (foreigners residing at Athens) and made especially to those importing staples, particularly grain.

It seems that most emporoi (traders)—in Reed's examples they are nonmilitary and nonservile individuals—in the fourth century were relatively poor, while most naukleroi (shipowners) were financially better off. In the fourth century the majority of the traders supplying Athens appear to have been xenoi (nonresident aliens) rather than metoikoi; the former had a higher status at Athens at that time. In the first part of the fourth century perhaps approximately one-third of the traders operated joint partnerships. Reed analyzes their changing social and legal position, most of the evidence for which derives from references in Attic orators to civil law suits.

Both emporoi and naukleroi relied heavily on interstate trade in many products, but the book deals only with those importing grain, timber, and slaves to Athens, much of which came from great distances. Grain came from the Black Sea and elsewhere, timber mainly from Macedonia where it was a royal monopoly. Most slaves were probably from non-Greek lands; these would have provided a more steady supply than did haphazard wars and piracy.

Court cases involving maritime traders multiplied with their increased involvement in supplying Athens in the fourth century. Sometime between 355 and 343/342 B.C. Athens instituted monthly arrangements for settling legal disputes involving maritime traders. There is debate about whether these were merely held each month with longer resolution times or if they were deliberated and adjudicated within the period of one month. These emporoi and naukleroi needed to get back to work and supply the city; their valuable time (and that of Athens) could not be tied up in lengthy legal proceedings. Great favor was shown to those importing food, especially grain for Athens, and this meant that considerations of the social status of the emporoi and naukleroi had less heft in the fourth century than had been the case earlier in the Archaic period.

The short text is encyclopedic in its presentation. Fully fifty pages comprise appendices relating to the social status, names, and origins of emporoi and naukleroi,and the Athenian legal proceedings surrounding their activities. There are important omissions. Some presentation of evidence relating to the sizes and carrying capacities of the ships involved in this trade, an estimation of the value of cargoes they bore, and an account of the amounts of the bottomry loans would have been useful and would have provided some, albeit very approximate, idea of the profits these businessmen might have realized. Analysis of archaeological evidence, together with any ancient references to amounts litigated at the "monthly" court sessions, might also have provided this useful data. Written for the specialist and at a cost of sixty dollars, this is not a volume most will want to own; best have your library pick up the tab.