| This thesis examines the values which shaped economic activity in ancient Greece of the Archaic and Classical periods. It argues that economic activity was shaped by the interaction of two, frequently conflicting, sets of values, one of which privileged the interests of individual households and the other which privileged the interests of the community. The divergence between the material interests of household and community meant that there was an irresolvable contradiction built into ancient Greek attitudes towards economic activity. This line of argumentation leads to the conclusion that analyses of economic activity in ancient Greece in the specified periods must take this contradiction into account. |
