Economic Statecraft in the Ancient Greek World

Abstract

<p>The thesis provides a detailed thematic analysis on the use of economic statecraft in the ancient Greek world during the late Archaic and Classical periods. Economic statecraft is the use of economic measures by a state to influence the attitudes and behaviours of other states. Economic measures can be categorised as either trade-based or capital-based. Trade-based economic measures included tariffs, boycotts, export prohibitions and the provision of strategic trade goods. Capital-based economic measures comprise gifts and loans of money, bribery, tribute, other capital payments, preferential taxation and selective coin design. For the purposes of this thesis, the ancient Greek world comprised all Greek states as well as those non-Greek states with which they regularly engaged. Greek states included those in mainland Greece, the Aegean, Asia Minor, Sicily and Magna Graecia. The relevant nonGreek states were primarily Macedonia and Persia</p> <p>Three hundred and twenty-five potential examples of economic measures were analysed to determine whether they could be classified as economic statecraft. Given the results of this analysis, the thesis tests three hypotheses about the extent that states in the ancient Greek understood, valued and applied economic statecraft. The three hypotheses, which were all testable as well as being potentially falsifiable, created a spectrum of the application of economic statecraft. The thesis concludes that economic statecraft was commonly, but not regularly used to influence the attitudes and behaviours of other states, with some economic measures more often used than others. The evidence substantiates the view that ancient states understood they had available a range of economic measures to influence other states and had the mechanisms needed to make the necessary decisions about their application.</p> <p>States in the ancient Greek world were more nuanced in their economic statecraft than many scholars may have thought. From a slow start in the late Archaic period, economic statecraft, in all its types, was consistently applied by a variety of states throughout the Classical period. As a form of influence, economic statecraft supplemented traditional military responses, by providing alternative options when circumstances suited their use. The thesis demonstrates that most forms of trade-based and capital-based economic measures did not suddenly appear in the modern world, but have a pedigree of over 2500 years.</p>