Untitled - 24grammata.com

POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE GREEKS. 137circumstances, that the-trierarchies, or contributions of therich towards the fitting out of the galleys,were the mostoppressive of all the public burdens ?*Different, therefore, as was the list of public expensesfrom that of modern states, we still find points of agreement.We have now to inquire.What were the sources ofthe public revenue ? What in particular was the system oftaxation ?There is but one state in Greece, that of Athens, respecting which any accurate information on this subject hasbeen preserved.It would be too hasty an inference to say,that what was usual in that citywas usual in the others.But though the particular regulations may have been verydifferent, a great general similarity must certainly have prevailed ;and it is that which we are now to consider. Sucha resemblance was a natural consequence of the great preponderating power and influence of Athens. Inpoliticalthe states which were its allies, how much must necessarilyhave been regulated byitsexample And the little inform!their reveation which we are able to collect respectingnues, appears to prove the general resemblance beyond adoubt. Special differences certainly existed.It is to Aristotle, once more, that we owe a general viewof this subject 2After classifyingthe sources of revenue inmonarchies, with respect to the general no less than theprovincial administration, 3 he continues " ;The third kindof administration, is that of free states. For them, the principal source of revenue is from the produce of their ownsoil ;the second from merchandise and the markets ;thethird from the contributions paid by the citizens in turn." 41We do not find it mentioned, that the trierarchies, which were commonin Athens, were usual in the other maritime cities ;but the rich doubtlessbore the burden of fitting out the ships. See, respecting Corinth, Thucyd.1. c.2 Aristot. de Re Familiari, ii. I. This little work is, probably, not by theStagirite.It is a collection of examples or escerpta, where less depends onthe author than on the age in which it was written. Even its editor, Schneider, concedes that it bears marks of belonging to the period of the Persianempire, being at least as old as Aristotle or Alexander. And yet Aristotlehimself may have made such collections of which one;may have reached us.3 'H j&KriXwca}and *} carpa^-un}*When the Greeks spoke of an empire, theyalways had in mind the empire of Persia.4Tpirqv d& rrjv sroXmjcijj/. Tavrqg ^6 jcpcmVn? pkv Trpocro^oc, 9 "^ T&v &**** &*rig x^W- ywoi*V(j)v lira airb 9 IfLTsroptw KOL ot dywvtav, tlra fjaTO r&v tyjcltwcAtcw.It is known from the orators, that these last are the burdens borne in turn bythe rich, \etrovpyiat. Demosth. in Leptin, Op. i p, 463. If the words &*