Untitled - 24grammata.com

POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE GREEKS. 139degree exist with respect to them) than on the inquilini orresident foreigners.These formed in most of the Greciancities a numerous class of inhabitants, and were obliged topay for protection, a sum 1which was sometimes a poll tax,and sometimes an impost on property.We know with certainty, that such sums were paid by the foreignersat Athens.However much the practical politician may be excited byincreasing wants to exert his inventive powers,the character of the state settles in a certain measure the kinds ofthe ditaxes. Where a community imposes its own taxes,rect taxes, and among them those on property, will have thefirst rank. That each citizen, or rather, that the richercitizens (for the rule does not of course apply to the poorerclasses) should share in the public burdens in proportion totheir means, is so natural an idea, that it cannot but occurof itself. But when we consider the taxes on property asforming the chief division, w r e must premise two observations in connexion with that remark.First : The taxes on property were not so regular,thatthey were paid from year to year according to the samefixed measure. The necessary sums were rather voted ascircumstances required which also decided the; degree ofrigour with which they were collected. Of this we haveproof in 2very many examples in Demosthenes and others.In times of peace, whole years might pass away, in whichno such taxes were requiredto be paidwhile in others;they increased so much, that Isocrates could itsay,was almost better to be a poor man than a rich one ;because thepoor were not 3exposed to them.Secondly There were certain kinds of expenses, which:were not estimated at a fixed amount, but were too considerable to be borne by any but the opulentwe mean those;offices which each citizen was obliged to performin histurn, and at his own expense (kenovpytai).4To this classT6 ptroiKtov. The regulations respecting this, and its amount, may be1found in Harpocration, h. v.2They were called in Athens the aV^opai not known, at least by that name;Athens, before the Peloponnesian war. Boeokh ii. 4. No one will doubtthey were introduced into other cities, though under different names.3 Isocratl de Pace. Op. p. 185.4 In the broadest sense ;in so far as the word comprehends not only thefitting out of the ships (rpejypapxiat)* but also the charge of the1chorusand the gymnastic gamest),