The Athenian Empire

The Athenian Empire

Coinage played a central role in the history of the Athenian naval empire of the fifth century BC. It made possible the rise of the empire itself, which was financed through tribute in coinage collected annually from the empire's approximately 200 cities. The empire's downfall was brought about by the wealth in Persian coinage that financed its enemies. This book surveys and illustrates, with nearly 200 examples, the extraordinary variety of silver and gold coinages that were employed in the history of the period, minted by cities within the empire and by those cities and rulers that came into contact with it. It also examines how coins supplement the literary sources and even attest to developments in the monetary history of the period that would otherwise be unknown. This is an accessible introduction to both the history of the Athenian empire and to the use of coins as evidence.

1. Introduction; 2. The Silver Owl Coinage of Athens; 3. Coinages of the Allied Cities; 4. Numismatic Narratives in the Pentecontaetia, 479-431 BC; 5. The Archidamian War, 431-421 BC; 6. The Peace of Nikias and the Rethinking of Monetary Policy, 421-413 BC; 7. The Ionian War and Loss of Empire, 412-404 BC; 8. Epilogue: From Tribute to Taxation.

The first book to illustrate and integrate coinage comprehensively as historical evidence for the Athenian empire.