Economic and Social History of Ancient Greece: An Introduction (Repost)

This book is an English version of the book origin ally published in French under the title of Economies et so cietes en Crece ancienne (P aris, Armand Colin, Collection U 2, 1972 ; 2nd edition, 1973 ). The opportunity has been taken to correct some errors, update bi bliographical ref erences, add a few passages to the selection of ancient sources in Part 2 (nos 41, 46, 99, 102, 13 1), and impr ove the material presentation in several respects. But otherwise this rema ins substantia lly the same book as the original French version .
The book is ai med in the first place at an undergraduate audience, though it is hoped that it will also be of interest to a wider, non-specialist readership interested in the history and civilization of Ancient Greece. It attempts to meet a need well­ known to all those who have to teach Greek history in univer­sities. Students, long dissatis fied with a purely political approach to Greek history, ask for more 'economic and social' history. One then has to answer - and this book is a very modest attempt at an answer - that neither the 'econo mic' nor the 's ocial' category had in the Greek city the sa me independent status they now enj oy. The book takes its startin g-point in this ambiguity ; it accepts the challenge, but rejects the formulation of the question. Anyone who has been asked to explain once and for all the role played by slaves in social conflicts in the Greek world will understand what we mean.